Community Fund

Local money. Local causes. Going back where it came from.

A stallholder fee at the Chamber managed market, a donation from a business down the road, a few hundred dollars raised at a Chamber event — on their own these might not seem like much.  Pool them together and put it in the hands of the people already doing the work, though, and they go a long way.

That’s the motivation behind the Whitsundays Chamber Community Fund. 

We offer grants of up to $5,000 to the not-for-profits, community groups, and volunteer organisations that make this region a place people want to live, work and visit.

Most of what makes the Whitsundays such a great place to live isn’t run by business at all.

It’s powered by volunteers and small community committees, often doing incredible work with very limited budgets. So we’ve built a way to help get more money into their hands: a share of stallholder fees from the Airlie Beach Cruise Ship Markets and Proserpine Community Markets, donations from local businesses, and funds raised through Chamber events — all pooled together and distributed as grants of up to $5,000. 

Round 1, 2026 Opens Monday 14 September.
Applications close 11:59pm Sunday 18 October. Outcomes notified by 30 November. 

Why the Fund Exists

The Chamber’s job is to advocate for better business conditions and support local businesses to grow the local economy. But a strong economy is only worth having if the community around it is thriving too. 

A  lot of what makes the Whitsundays work isn’t run by business at all. It’s powered  by volunteers, committees, and small organisations  working with tight budgets and a whole lot of goodwill.

The Fund is our way of closing that loop. Money generated through Chamber activity and local business generosity goes directly back out to community organisations, through a process that’s transparent, consistent, and fair.

To strengthen the Whitsundays community by putting local money back into local causes — supporting the volunteers, organisations, and community groups that create strong connections and wellbeing across our region.

What We Fund

You can apply for one grant per round, and your organisation can only hold one active grant at a time. 

If you’re not sure which category fits, get in touch before you apply — we’d rather help you get it right the first time than see a good project miss out  on a technicality.

Grant	Amount	Best for
Project Grant	Up to $5,000	A defined project with a start date, an end date, clear outcomes, and a budget. Our most common grant.
Community Initiative Grant	Up to $3,000	A shorter initiative, event,  program, or ongoing work with clear community benefit.
Marketing Grant	$1,000 in-kind	Chamber marketing package — 2-weeks advertising on the Airlie Hill billboard, one Mackay & Whitsunday Life feature, plus exposure through Chamber newsletters, website, social media, and two media releases. The package will be customised to suit your needs.

All applications are reviewed by the Chamber Board, which can approve partial funding. If that happens, we’ll contact you first to check you can still deliver the project on a reduced amount before anything is approved.

Who Can Apply

You can apply if your organisation:

• Is a legally constituted entity — an incorporated association, registered charity or similar
• Operates in the Whitsunday Local Government Area, or directly benefits people who live here
• Has an active ABN
• Isn’t in administration, receivership or winding up
• Has proper governance in place — a committee or board, and an AGM process
• Is appropriately governed — with a committee or board, annual AGMs, compliant reporting and current licensing
• Can report back on how the money was spent

Based outside the region? You can still apply, but you’ll need to show a direct, specific benefit to Whitsunday residents.

We will not fund:

• For-profit businesses, commercial enterprises, or sole traders
• Political parties, candidates, or campaign activity
• Religious organisations, where the activity serves members rather than the broader community
• Government departments or agencies (statutory bodies considered case-by-case basis)
• Individuals applying in a personal capacity
• Projects that primarily benefit a private business or individual
• Activities that are unlawful, discriminatory or otherwise inconsistent with the purpose of the Community Fund
• Any organisation that hasn’t acquitted a previous grant from this Fund

And we can’t cover:

• Cost incurred  before the grant was approved
• Ongoing wages or recurrent operating costs (project-specific costs are eligible)
• General administration or overheads that aren’t directly related to the funded project
• Interstate or overseas travel
• Alcohol purchases or licensed-bar costs
• Gambling or gaming-related activities
• Fundraising for another organisation
• Debt repayment, fines, penalties, or interest
• Donations or grants to individuals
• Capital purchases or equipment that are not directly required for the approved project
• GST where the applicant is able to claim the GST as an input tax credit

The Chamber may also decline to fund costs or activities that it considers inconsistent with the objectives or intended community benefit of the Fund.

How Applications are Assessed

Every eligible application is scored independently by each assessor against four criteria, then discussed as a group. Knowing how the weighting works should tell you where to spend your effort in the application.

Criterion	Weight	What we’re looking for
Community benefit	30%	Is the impact clear and meaningful? How many people benefit, and how directly? Is that benefit specific to the Whitsundays?
Financial need and value for money	25%	Is the funding genuinely needed? Does the budget show the money will be used well? Is there co-funding or in-kind support behind it?
Alignment with the Fund’s purpose	25%	Does the project fit the spirit of the Fund? Does it fill a real gap?
Capacity to deliver	20%	Do you have the track record, people and infrastructure to do what you’re proposing?

Each criterion is scored 1 to 5 and weighted to give a total out of 100. Applications scoring below 50 will not be  recommended for funding, regardless of how much money is available.

Key Dates

One round a year.

Dates can shift, but we’ll always give at least four weeks’ notice on this page and through our social channels.

How to Apply

• Check you’re eligible. If you’re unsure, contact us.
• Get your documents together. You will need:
  1. A project or initiative description, no more than two pages
  2. A project budget showing income and expenditure
  3. Proof of incorporation — your Associations Incorporation certificate or ACNC registration
  4. A current certificate of currency for public liability insurance
  5. Letters of Support, if you have them
• Complete the online application form. Set aside about 45 minutes. You can’t save halfway, so have everything to hand before you begin.
• We check your application is complete. Late or incomplete applications aren’t accepted, so don’t leave it to the last afternoon.
• Applications are assessed and scored. This happens within four weeks of the round closing.
• The Chamber Board makes the final call. The Board reviews and approves all eligible applications, and its decisions are final.
• Everyone hears back in writing by 30 November 2026 — successful or not.

Questions first? Contact us via Portfolios@whitsuncaycoastchamber.com.au

We’re happy to talk an idea through first.

If You’re Successful

You’ll receive a Fund Offer Letter setting out the amount, the conditions and what you need to report. Sign it, send it back, and the money is transferred by direct deposit.

• Grants up to $2,000 — paid in full once we have your countersigned offer letter.
• Grants above $2,000 — 50% on signing, 50% once you’ve submitted a satisfactory progress report or hit the six-month mark, whichever comes first.

The conditions, briefly:

• Spend the money on what you said you’d spend it on.
• If the project scope, timeline or budget needs to change significantly, get it approved in writing first. 
• Acknowledge the Community Fund’s support in public materials relating to your project, including your website, social media, media releases, signage and other relevant communications. Use the wording “Supported by the Whitsundays Chamber Community Fund” and the approved Chamber Community Fund logo where appropriate. We’ll provide the approved logo and any brand guidelines you need once your grant is confirmed.
• Return anything unspent within 30 days of the project finishing. 
• Keep your expenditure records for five years.

Acquitting Your Grant

Acquittal is how we show the Chamber Board, members, donors, and stallholders their money did something. It scales with the grant size:

Grant amount	What we need	When
Up to $1,500	Short impact report: One page brief narrative outlining what was delivered, who participated or benefited, key outcomes and what the funding enabled. Include basic engagement data such as attendance or participation numbers, plus a summary of how the grant was spent.	Within 60 days of project completion
$1,501 – $3,000	Impact & engagement report: Two page summary covering what was delivered, who participated or benefited, key outcomes and lessons learned. Include relevant engagement data, participant numbers and/or other measures of reach and impact, plus itemised expenditure and receipts.	Within 60 days of project completion
$3,001 – $5,000	Detailed impact & engagement report: A narrative summary of the project, including activities delivered, participation and reach, outcomes achieved, what changed as a result of the project and any lessons learned. Include relevant data demonstrating engagement and impact, itemised expenditure with receipts, and at least two photos showing the project in action.	Within 90 days of project completion

Don’t overthink the reporting. We’re interested in the story behind the numbers as well as the numbers themselves — who you reached, what you delivered, what changed and what the funding made possible. Not every project will have the same measures of success, so tell us what makes sense for your project. 

For Local Business: Back the Fund

Most businesses want to support local causes. The challenge is finding the time to work out where the money will have the greatest impact — and having the systems to do it properly.

The Community Fund takes care of that. You contribute, the Chamber Board assesses applications against clear, published criteria, and grant outcomes are reported back publicly.

Three ways to get involved 

• Give — From $100. Every dollar goes into the Fund. Contributions to the Whitsundays Chamber Community Fund are not tax-deductible. 
• Sponsor — Contributions of $1,000 or more are recognised in our annual grant announcements and Community Fund communications.
• Fundraise — Run an event, auction, or percentage-of-sales campaign in support of the Fund. Talk to us first so we can approve the activity and help promote it.

Where the money comes from

Surplus funds from the Airlie Beach Cruise Ship Markets and Proserpine Community Markets flows into the Fund every year — publicly disclosed at the end of each financial year in our audited financials. The rest comes from business donations, sponsorships, and fundraising events.

No donor gets a say in who receives funding. Chamber Board members declare conflicts of interest every round and step out of any decision they’re connected to. Every dollar is reported in our annual audit.

FAQs