Categories of Grants
Grants are defined as funds given to organisations to assist with the services or projects which they provide, where the Foundation receives acknowledgement as the grant giver.
Grant Eligibility
Applications are accepted only from not for profit community based groups or organisations (not individuals) within Australia.
- Applications require the completion of the appropriate application form and a brief description of the organisation and an annual report or similar document to substantiate the organisation’s status.
- Organisations applying for funds must have a visible and accountable management structure which includes community representatives.
- Organisations applying for funds must be not-for-profit and therefore exempt from income tax, but are not required to have Deductible Gift Recipient status.
- Applications are accepted for projects run wholly within Australia by organisations based in Australia.
- Criteria for suitability of projects to apply for grants are derived from the aims and objectives of the Mercy Foundation and the criteria for the grants programs.
- The criteria for grants are made known to potential applicants on the Mercy Foundation website or to any enquirers when requested, by email or phone or post.
- Applicants must demonstrate a capacity to implement the project.
- Applicants must display competency in the field of the projects or have included appropriate capacity building in the project design.
- Applicants must provide referees who can vouch for the organisation’s competencies and the project’s viability.
Ineligibility
The Mercy Foundation does not provide grants for:
- Core (normal) operating costs of applicant organisations or project on-costs
- Vehicles
- Individuals
- General fundraising appeals
- Deficit funding
- Duplication of existing services or programs
- Government entities
- Projects that will rely on recurrent funding from the Mercy Foundation.
- Organisations that have or have access to significant government or other funding
- Projects that do not meet the identified criteria and priority goals of the Mercy Foundation.
- Financial support of overseas projects by the Mercy Foundation is not possible due to its Deductible Gift Recipient status within taxation law.
Assessment Process
- All applications are assessed by staff of the Foundation according to the criteria.
- The Foundation may also seek advice and assessment from people outside the Foundation, who are deemed to be expert in the relevant field
- Those not meeting the criteria will be excluded by the Chief Executive Officer and a shortlist developed for consideration for funding
- Final assessments are then made by a Committee of the Mercy Foundation Board
Successful Applicants
All successful applicants will be required to enter into a contract before any funding can be released and before the project can commence. This contract will detail:
- The description of the project/activity for which funding is being provided.
- The amount of funding to be received
- Payment schedule.
- Specific performance criteria and outcomes for each project – these should be provided when applying and can then be negotiated prior to the final signing of a contract.
- Deadline for the submission of the project acquittal.
- An outline of reporting requirements is provided to grantees for making progress reports.
Safeguarding Requirement
All grant recipients must have a Safeguarding Policy in place. Recipients are required to provide a copy of their Safeguarding Policy to the Mercy Foundation as a condition of their grant.
Unsuccessful Applicants
Unsuccessful applicants will be notified as soon possible after completion of the grants assessment process. For information on the reason/s why the grant application was not successful, please contact the Foundation.
If the unsuccessful applicant wishes to seek feedback on the decision, they may seek to discuss their unsuccessful application with the Chief Executive Officer.
Conflicts of Interest
It is the responsibility of the Board and staff of the Foundation to declare any association either personal or professional, that they may have with an organisation making an application for a grant, or the project for which they are making the application.
The Mercy Foundation will not accept projects that are to be solely managed by a Trustee of the Sisters of Mercy North Sydney, by a Board or Staff member.
Trustees of the Sisters of Mercy North Sydney, Board Members, or Mercy Foundation Staff do not act as referees for any project for which funding is requested from the Mercy Foundation.
The Mercy Foundation has two (2) categories of grants.
Social Justice Small Grants Program
(up to $10,000)
Mercy Foundation Grants to End Homelessness
(up to $60,000)
