Grants Available for Schools
These lists are not exhaustive, they have been provided for your information only. NRM Education does not specifically endorse any of the grants listed here.
Community Grants
NAB Schools First: Impact Awards & Seed Funding
NAB Schools First provides Impact Awards to schools with a completed school project, whilst also providing Seed Funding to schools with proposed projects.
In both cases the school must demonstrate;
• the project addresses an identified need/opportunity
• a plan is being developed with each partner contributing to the plan
• a well-organised program will be implemented
• students will benefit from the program
• the partnership will become part of the culture and planning activities of each partner.
In 2011, there will be:
• local Impact Awards of $50,000 each
• state/Territory Impact Awards of a further $50,000 each
(receiving a total of $100,000 each)
• a National Award winner receiving a further $400,000
2011 NAB Schools First: Student Award
• Is there some aspect of your school that you’d like to see changed?
• Is there an opportunity to help students in your school someway?
• Is there a problem in the community that the school could help resolve?
The Application Form allows up to two students to jointly submit an application. Of course you can submit an application on your own, but if you and a friend (or a group of friends) have come up with the idea together, a maximum of two students can jointly submit the application on behalf of the group. If the application is successful, the two students who submitted the application will be eligible for the Award.
NRM Action Grant
Past successful applicants for NRM Action grants (formerly NRM Achiever grants) include schools, kindergartens and pre-schools. This grant provides up to $5000 and is one to keep your eye out for. NRM Education has an email service that can keep you up to date, click here to sign up. More information will be available on the NRM Board website.
State NRM Program Community Grant
The State NRM Program Community Grants scheme provides funding to support community groups and schools carry out local land care, coast care and water care projects. Funding will be provided for a range of NRM activities such as sustainable land management, weed control, native plant revegetation, soil protection, fencing watercourses, and habitat protection for native animals. Small grants up to $10,000 and medium grants between $10,000 and $30,000 are available.
Zero Waste School & Community Grants
Previously known as the Zero Waste SA Social Enterprise Grant, this has been expanded to include schools. Community-based organisations and schools play an important part in the collection of materials for recycling or re-use. Charities, community groups, service clubs, and not for profit organisations involved in the recovery or recycling of re-usable resources can apply. Schools that have attended workshops for Zero Waste SA’s Wipe Out Waste program are also eligible. A maximum of $15,000 per project and a total of $120,000 was previously available for 2009-10.
Urban Biodiversity Unit: Grow a Great School
Grow a Great School Funding provides up to $1,000 to schools in and around the Adelaide Metropolitan Area to assist in the establishment of local native gardens and outdoor classrooms. Technical support and educational resources are also available to help with garden establishment and to assist in linking garden projects to the curriculum.
For schools interested in creating a habitat garden or rediscovering the bushland that once grew in their school yard, the Urban Biodiversity Unit from the Department of Environment & Natural Resources is well worth checking out. Their Backyards for Wildlife site is a goldmine of valuable information including native plant lists for each suburb.
Junior Landcare Grant
Coles Junior Landcare School Garden Grant up to $1,000. Schools and youth groups can apply for grants of up to $1000 (ex GST) to create gardens in their school or community such as bush tucker gardens, waterwise gardens or food gardens. All schools, kindergartens, daycare centers, and youth groups (i.e. Scouts) are eligible to apply for a Junior Landcare Grant.
Conservation Volunteers Australia: Green Schools Connect
Green Schools Connect is a partnership between Conservation Volunteers Australia and the
Vodafone Australia Foundation to help make environment projects in schools a reality.
Green Schools Connect has been helping to educate and inspire young Australians about the environment since 2005. This may be creating a native bush foods garden, demonstrating to students how to monitor the frog population in your school yard or cleaning up a creek line adjacent to the school.
Stephanie Alexander Scheme
Children around the country are getting their hands dirty and learning how to grow, harvest, prepare and share fresh, seasonal food. Kitchen Garden Schools flourish in all types of communities, climates and settings. Each school brings the wide-ranging benefits of pleasurable food education to its students and surrounding families. Funding has been available to schools through the Stephanie Alexander Kitchen Garden National Program. Infrastructure grants of up to $66,000 (GST inclusive) per school are allocated in grant rounds over a four-year period from 2008 to 2012.
Australia’s Open Garden Scheme
Australia's Open Garden Scheme is a self-funding, not-for-profit organisation that promotes the knowledge and pleasure of gardens and gardening to all Australians. The Scheme is committed to encouraging gardening and improving our environment. One of the ways we achieve this is by funding community-based garden projects. The Scheme's commitment to the gardeners of the future is aptly demonstrated by the substantial number of school gardens which have received funding, encouraging tomorrow's gardeners. An announcement regarding the availability of grants for community projects will be made in December 2011.
TravelSMART Grants
There are many benefits in reducing car use. Some are obvious, like reducing pollution and increasing road safety. Others are not so obvious until we think about how far we actually travel over a week, month and year. The potential benefits of other travel options are wide ranging and could include:
• improving your health and fitness
• increasing your social networks
• saving time and money
• contributing to a cleaner environment.
The Department for Transport, Energy and Infrastructure's TravelSMART Grants award provides funding to communities, organisations, secondary schools and workplaces for small scale projects up to $5,000 that reduce personal car use and/or increase cycling, walking, use of public transportation and technology in place of a car.
Neutrog Fertilisers - Pooh Bah Foundation
The Pooh Bah Foundation is a new organisation that has been developed by Neutrog to provide assistance to community based parks & gardens and garden related clubs & societies throughout Australia through the supply of free or discounted fertilisers.