Central Coast Council is inviting community members, community groups and local organisations to review and provide feedback on proposed changes to the Community Grants Policy and Guidelines, now on public exhibition.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The draft policy proposes the introduction of a Sponsorship Program, with approximately 15% of the existing grants budget to be reallocated to provide multi-year support for applicants delivering significant, recurring events and activities across the region. The overall funding for community grants will remain unchanged.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Council Mayor, Lawrie McKinna said the proposed changes to the Community Grants Policy and Guidelines are designed to build opportunities for community groups and ensure fair, sustainable funding for projects that reflect our community\u2019s needs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cOur grants and sponsorship programs support the people and groups that make the Central Coast a vibrant and inclusive place to live,\u201d Mayor McKinna said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI encourage everyone to take the time to have their say on the proposed changes. Council is committed to listening and making decisions that benefit our community in line with our Community Strategic Plan.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Council Director Community and Recreation Services, Melanie Smith said the proposed Sponsorship Program aims to provide greater certainty for organisations running annual events, while freeing up grants funding for new and emerging projects.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cBy updating our eligibility criteria and limits, we are ensuring that funding is targeted where it will have the greatest impact,\u201d Ms Smith said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWe encourage everyone to review the draft policy and guidelines and share their feedback during the exhibition period. Community input is essential to ensure these changes meet the needs of local groups and organisations.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The public exhibition is open from 16 October to 13 November. Community members can review the draft documents and provide feedback via Your Voice Our Coast<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Central Coast Council is inviting community members, community groups and local organisations to review and provide feedback on proposed changes to the Community Grants Policy and Guidelines, now on public…","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":9208,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"content-type":"","om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"_uf_show_specific_survey":0,"_uf_disable_surveys":false,"_lmt_disableupdate":"","_lmt_disable":"","episode_type":"audio","audio_file":"","cover_image":"","cover_image_id":"","duration":"","filesize":"","date_recorded":"","explicit":"","block":"","filesize_raw":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[41],"tags":[],"series":[],"class_list":["post-9207","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news-events"],"episode_featured_image":"https:\/\/onthecoastpublications.com.au\/onthecoastover55\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2025\/10\/community-grants-changes.jpg","episode_player_image":"https:\/\/onthecoastpublications.com.au\/onthecoastover55\/wp-content\/plugins\/seriously-simple-podcasting\/assets\/images\/no-album-art.png","download_link":"","player_link":"","audio_player":false,"episode_data":{"playerMode":"dark","subscribeUrls":{"apple_podcasts":{"key":"apple_podcasts","url":"","label":"Apple Podcasts","class":"apple_podcasts","icon":"apple-podcasts.png"},"stitcher":{"key":"stitcher","url":"","label":"Stitcher","class":"stitcher","icon":"stitcher.png"},"google_podcasts":{"key":"google_podcasts","url":"","label":"Google Podcasts","class":"google_podcasts","icon":"google-podcasts.png"},"spotify":{"key":"spotify","url":"","label":"Spotify","class":"spotify","icon":"spotify.png"}},"rssFeedUrl":"https:\/\/onthecoastpublications.com.au\/onthecoastover55\/feed\/podcast\/coffee-with-a-coastie","embedCode":"Coast Over 55s: Have Your Say on New Community Grants and Sponsorships<\/a><\/blockquote>