How council grants are empowering people to build a better Moonee Valley
From volunteers to community groups and business leaders, people of all backgrounds are working to make our municipality a better place to live, work and play, and Moonee Valley City Council’s Community Grants program is here to help them.
We spoke to some of our successful Community Grant Recipients; Ibrahim Ali and Hasan Hasan, Australian Refugee and Family Reunification Group; Harry Dobson, of U3A Woodies, and Anna Henderson, of the Flemington Traders Association.
Their feedback was unanimous. The Community Grants program is invaluable in supporting project and activities that deliver positive outcomes to the community.
And their best advice? The application process takes time and effort, so seek out the grant writing workshops and get that extra help with your application.
Welcoming new residents
Australia Refugees and Family Reunification Inc launched a new website in August 2025 with the help of a Biannual Community Grant, and it is already making a positive impact.
They support newly arrived residents by connecting them to essential services such as Centrelink; helping to find accommodation; assistance with applications or links to doctors, childcare, kindergarten, schools and even, homework club.
“We cannot reach or serve the community if we don’t have the resources necessary to do the work,” Mr Ali said.
“It was necessary for us to reach out to the Moonee Valley City Council community grants and apply for the grant last year and it happened, we were successful.”
Mr Hasan explained the grant helped increase the group’s visibility in the community.
“(The grant) helped us to build the website so the organisation could reach more and more people could reach know about is and reach out to us.”
Building community spirit 
Moonee Valley’s U3A woodworking group has met regularly at the Aberfeldie Men’s Shed for more than five years.
Mr Dobson said their Biannual Community Grant had been used to purchase woodworking supplies for workshops that develop woodworking skills. With the cost of materials covered by the grant, the group then makes items for donation to toy libraries, aged care homes and supports the community with woodworking projects.
He encouraged interested applicants attend a grant writing workshop as it was also an opportunity to meet others.
“It’s a good networking thing and there’s always a phone, you can call and ask, ‘What does this mean?’” Mr Dobson said.
“There’s a lot of community groups and if they haven’t applied, they should. It’s an open invitation to get involved.”
Celebrating diversity
The Flemington Multi-Cultural Festival brings together local cultural groups, representing a diverse array of backgrounds and traditions, to share their heritage through performances, interactive workshops, and engaging displays.
Ms Henderson is part of the team behind this family-friendly annual event, which is made possible because of a Biannual Community Grant from Council.
“We like to showcase Moonee Valley and especially Flemington, the grant program helped us by allowing us to host the event,” Ms Henderson said.
“We have received phenomenal feedback for the event every single year and it is a testament to the (organising) group that year on year we keep growing the event because of the community.
“The positive feedback has been that people love the music and love the food from the different traders.”
More information:
The Biannual Grants program is open until 1 March, and grants are available in the following streams:
- First Peoples: Supporting Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander People and organisations to deliver local projects.
- Social Support: Operational funding for small social support groups run by volunteers.
- Community Projects: One-off community projects, pilot programs and small capital works.
- Climate Action: Renewable energy transitions and community projects promoting climate resilience.
- Arts & Events: Arts projects and events or festivals that benefit the Moonee Valley community.
- Business Projects: Small storefront and outdoor space beautification and inclusion or collaboration projects.
Not sure where to start?
Council hosts a free Grant Writing Workshops online and in-person:
- In-person: Wednesday 18 February 2026 – 10:00am to 12:00pm
- Online: Monday 23 February 2026 – 1:00pm to 3:00pm
Need assistance to write your community grant application?
Sign up to a ‘Help with Moonee Valley Community Grants’ information session at one of our libraries:
- Friday – 13 Feb 10am-noon Ascot Vale
- Wednesday – 18 Feb 11am-1pm Flemington
- Tuesday – 24 Feb 10am-noon Sam Merrifield
The Grant Guidelines also provide detailed information about the grant process and requirements. Visit our grants page to book a workshop or writing session, view our guidelines or for more information. mvcc.vic.gov.au/grants/