Capability Building Grants
Capability Building Grants invest in the people, organisations and systems that help communities work well.
They support the skills, leadership, governance, systems and relationships that help communities and community organisations become stronger and create lasting benefit.
Status: Opening soon
Opens: Late 2026
Closes: To be confirmed
View grant guidelines (coming soon)
Apply through SmartyGrants (once the grant round opens)
What Capability Building Grants will support in 2026–27
Capability Building Grants will be offered through two streams.
Stream One – Community Leadership and People Capability
Funding: Generally up to $50,000 over up to 12 months.
This stream supports people who lead, govern, volunteer and contribute in their communities to build their skills, confidence and capability.
Priority may be given to initiatives that:
- build the skills of volunteers, community leaders and board or committee members;
- strengthen practical skills in governance, engagement, facilitation and working with others;
- provide mentoring, coaching or opportunities to learn from peers;
- help more people take on leadership and governance roles in community organisations;
- improve access to community leadership development in regional, rural and disadvantaged communities; and
- strengthen the ability of people to contribute to community life.
Examples may include community leadership programs, governance training, mentoring or coaching, peer learning, volunteer leadership development and regional or place-based leadership programs.
Stream Two – Organisational and Sector Capability
Funding: Generally up to $250,000 over up to two years.
This stream supports stronger organisations and a stronger community sector by improving the systems, practices, governance and relationships they rely on.
Larger grants will usually need to benefit several organisations, communities or regions, or build capability that can be shared more widely.
Priority may be given to initiatives that:
- strengthen governance, strategy, financial management and risk management;
- improve organisational systems and ways of working;
- strengthen volunteer management and succession planning;
- improve organisations’ ability to plan, measure outcomes, evaluate and learn;
- support shared services, collaboration or coordination between organisations; and
- build skills, tools or systems that can benefit the wider sector.
Examples may include organisational capability improvement, stronger governance or volunteer-management systems, better approaches to measuring outcomes and evaluation, shared systems or services, collaboration and coordination initiatives, and sector-wide tools, networks or communities of practice.
What Capability Building Grants are not intended for
TCF will generally not prioritise applications that mainly fund routine or job-related professional development, everyday operating costs, or consultants to prepare plans, policies or strategies without building lasting community or organisational capability.
Training or development for individuals may be supported where it is expected to strengthen their contribution to a community organisation or community, rather than primarily support their personal career development.
Before you apply
Read the grant guidelines for current funding levels, eligibility, assessment criteria and application requirements.
If you are unsure which stream is the best fit, contact the TCF team.