We are very excited to send this update to you.
We’ve been working towards this moment, and we can’t wait to help many different people, projects, and organisations in the Yarra Valley with funding this year.
The Yarra Valley Community Foundation exists to support the people of the Yarra Valley.
We believe that support begins with understanding, so we’ve been listening to what you care about, worry about, and hope for. This report is a record of our first six months of doing that. It is a first step, and there are many more to come.
Every year we will produce a new Ear to the Ground with updated statistics, and the latest on what we’ve heard directly from you. Your voice matters, and this report will only get richer as we connect with more people from across the Yarra Valley.
It is not a strategy document or a funding plan. It is a record of what mattered enough to people that they picked up a pen, wrote it on a sticky note, and put it up for everyone to see - set beside the best publicly available numbers about who we are, and followed by an honest account of what we do not yet know.
To read more check out our 2026 Ear to the Ground report.
We also recommend reading this report before applying for a Grant.
2026 Grant Round is open
The focus of the Yarra Valley Community Foundation’s Grant Program is to support the community where it’s needed most. We have spent many months in consultation with the local community, hearing what you have to say and working towards consolidating reports and getting a better picture of the areas grants will help the most.
With the support of local community members, we selected the grant criteria and go through all the applications so that you can trust everything is considered carefully.
Our Foundation currently provides grants to projects within Healesville, Yarra Glen, Coldstream, Gruyere, Yering, Tarrawarra, Dixons Creek, Steels Creek, Castella, Toolangi, Chum Creek, Badger Creek and Mount Toolebewong.
Open: Friday, 6th November
Close: Midnight (AEDT) Sunday, 22nd November
Grant Criteria Creation
We had a great meeting yesterday with our Grant Criteria Creation community group. We discussed and decided on the Grant Criteria ready for our Grant Round opening on the 6th November. These meetings are very important in ensuring that key decisions made at the Foundation includes our communities voice.
We are very grateful to everyone who attended.
If you want more insight into the upcoming 2026 Grand Round, you can also have a read of what our CEO Charlie Simson had to say to Star Mail News.
You can read the news article here.
We would love to celebrate and thank all the donors and volunteers who have helped make the Foundation what it is today.
We would also like to announce the successful Grant recipients and celebrate their achievement in getting support for their upcoming activity or Project at the same time.
If you’d like to join us, please put the 10th Dec, 2026 at 4pm-6pm into your calendar.
More details to come.