The Southern Highlands Community Foundation (SHCF)

The Southern Highlands Community Foundation (SHCF) 2026 Community Grants Program supports grassroots initiatives that build a healthy, caring and connected community in the Southern Highlands region of NSW, funding areas including health and welfare, education, families, youth and aged care, environmental projects, and programs supporting First Nations people and culture. Applicants must be a registered charity with the ACNC, with an established management/board structure, relevant registration, a registered bank account, and the capacity to report on grant outcomes. The program does not fund individuals, political organisations, membership-based bodies (RSL, rotary, social/sporting clubs), independent schools, purely religious/sectarian activities, DGR 2 organisations, or projects outside the Southern Highlands region. It also excludes past SHCF grantees who haven't completed their acquittal, projects already fully funded elsewhere, and funding for work that's already happened.

The 2026 program has a total granting pool of $130,000, with individual grants of up to $25,000 and multi-year funding considered for projects warranting longer-term support. In 2026, there's also a sub-category specifically for projects supporting young people aged 10–25 in the Southern Highlands. For reference, in 2025 SHCF distributed $129,641 across 17 community organisations.