Capability Building Grants

Capability Building Grants help people, community organisations and communities develop the skills, leadership, knowledge and relationships they need to take action and create lasting community benefit.

The focus is on building capability that people and organisations can put into practice, strengthening what communities can do now and into the future.

Status: Open
Opens: 30 October 2026
Closes: 8 February 2027
Funding decisions: April 2027

View the Capability Building grant guidelines
Apply through SmartyGrants

What Capability Building Grants will support

There are two funding categories for 2026–27.

Community Skills and Leadership

Funding: $5,000 - $50,000 for up to 12 months.

This category helps people and community organisations build and use skills, knowledge, confidence and leadership for community benefit.

It can support volunteers, community leaders, staff, board or committee members and people who want to contribute more actively to their communities.

Examples include initiatives that help people or organisations:

  • develop volunteer and community leadership skills;
  • support new leaders and succession planning;
  • strengthen governance where this helps sustain an organisation's community role;
  • involve community members in decisions and local action;
  • build skills in engagement, facilitation or evaluation;
  • mentor others and share knowledge; or
  • work together to respond to a local issue.

Initiatives need to go beyond attending training or workshops. Participants should have opportunities to apply what they learn during the funded period. We want to understand what people or organisations will be better able to do as a result, and how this will benefit their community.

Shared Capability

Funding: $5,000 - $250,000 for up to two years.

Shared Capability helps multiple organisations or communities develop and use capability together that they could not create effectively on their own.

The focus is on strengthening what organisations or communities can do together, rather than simply bringing them together for activities or training.

This might involve developing shared approaches, networks, resources, models or ways of working that help organisations collaborate and respond more effectively to community needs.

Examples include initiatives that:

  • establish networks or communities of practice that share knowledge and improve how organisations work;
  • develop shared approaches to supporting and coordinating volunteers;
  • help organisations measure, understand and improve their community impact;
  • create opportunities to share expertise, resources and learning;
  • develop shared approaches to community engagement or decision-making; or
  • strengthen the relationships and coordination needed to work on a shared community issue.

Shared Capability initiatives need to be developed with the organisations or communities that will use them. Applicants should explain who is involved, how they will work together and how the capability will continue to be used after funding ends.

Having people from several organisations attend the same training does not, by itself, make an initiative eligible for Shared Capability funding.

What Capability Building Grants generally won't fund

Capability Building Grants are not intended to fund:

  • routine staff professional development or compliance training;
  • general operating costs unrelated to the funded initiative, or costs associated with normal organisational responsibilities;
  • routine governance, administration or internal business systems;
  • consultants to prepare plans, reviews or strategies without implementation and capability transfer;
  • one-off workshops or conferences without opportunities to apply the learning; or
  • activities or costs already funded through another TCF grant.

We may support organisational capability building where there is a clear need and the initiative will strengthen an organisation's ability to benefit its community.

The key is demonstrating what will change, how the new capability will be used and the lasting benefit it will create.

Is Capability Building the right grant for you?

Capability Building Grants are for initiatives where developing and applying skills, leadership, relationships or ways of working is the main purpose.

If you are ready to deliver a practical community project, a Community Action Grant may be a better fit.

If you are proposing a larger, longer-term initiative to address a significant community challenge or opportunity, consider a Major Initiative Grant.

Before you apply

Read the Capability Building Grant Guidelines for full eligibility requirements, funding conditions and assessment criteria.

Funding amounts exclude GST. There is no mandatory cash contribution.

An organisation can submit one application as the lead applicant in each Capability Building category and can be a partner in other applications.

Funded initiatives can only commence once a TCF funding agreement has been signed.

You don't need to be an experienced grant writer. We welcome applications that draw on local knowledge, community conversations and experience. We want to understand what your community needs, what you propose to do and what will be different as a result.

If you're unsure whether your idea fits, or which category to apply for, please contact the TCF team.