reichstein

The Foundation makes grants that address the cause of social inequities and environmental degradation. We provide the risk capital to test innovative solutions to systemic problems.

The Foundation provides grants to community groups who:

• Actively work towards the pursuit of human rights and social justice for disadvantaged members of the community;
• Seek innovative solutions to environmental issues;
• Involve consumers in the management and decision making structures of the group or project steering committee; and
• Use community development processes to tackle the cause of social issues.

Community Development

Community development projects can take many forms including:

Structural Change

• Projects designed to challenge and change structural barriers.
• Projects which have the capacity to change systems and structures resulting in a universal benefit or outcome.

Coalition / Alliance Building

• Projects which connect groups working on common issues.
• Strategies that enable groups to enhance their advocacy capacity collectively and organise & document campaign models/strategies for future activities.
• Connecting groups and individuals to form/resource alliances.

Consciousness Raising / Community Education

• Projects which highlight issues or provide facts and information which contribute towards a more civil society.
• Projects which educate the community and progress environmental sustainability, peace, justice, equality and democratic participation.

Action Research

• Research initiated and overseen by groups involving consumers, which provides evidence/statistics/case studies to be used for structural change.

Self-help / Support Groups

• Groups run by consumers.
• Groups which provide personal empowerment, information and resource sharing and which advocate for structural change around issues identified by the group.

Organisational Capacity Building

• Projects, services, and information which help groups to develop organisational skills. For example: forming new groups, becoming incorporated, choosing insurance, running meetings, generating income and developing a program. Grant‑seekers who are looking for such assistance for their own organisations should phone the VCOSS Community Clearinghouse on 9654 5050 before they approach Reichstein Foundation for assistance.

Eligibility

Applicants must be

• a not-for-profit community group based in Victoria or a national organisation with significant activity and members in Victoria (individuals may not apply); and
• endorsed by the Australian Taxation Office (ATO) for Charity Tax Concessions (TCC). Preference is given to groups with both TCC endorsement and deductible gift recipient (DGR) status.

Exclusions

The Foundation does not fund direct service provision.
The Foundation is unable to fund projects which are political; that is, where the dominant purpose of the project is to advocate for changes in the law or public policy. The Foundation may support projects which engage in:

• Research of the root cause of the structural issue;
• Community education;
• Consciousness-raising in relation to structural issues affecting the community;
• Mobilizing the community and building alliances;
• Assisting the community in understanding the democratic process involved in changing public policy or law.

Grants will not be given for capital works, vehicles, furniture or equipment, travel, books, fundraising, conferences or film-making.

Grants will not be provided to individuals, or local, state and federal government bodies.

Organisations with outstanding reports from previous projects are not eligible for further funding.