GLOBE announces $33,000 in grants for Victorian LGBTI businesses

Victoria’s LGBTI business organisation GLOBE has announced it will award $33,000 in community and small business grants and scholarships this year.

The GLOBE Community Grants program is the oldest and largest grants program in Victoria’s LGBTI community, with $27,000 in grants awarded in 2018.

Every year, GLOBE puts the revenue from its annual GLOBE Community Awards ceremony back into Victoria’s LGBTI community.

The grants are designed to support small business owners, students, and community groups.

GLOBE Community Director Kaye Bradshaw said GLOBE is “pleased to announce that GLOBE is now accepting applications for the 2019 GLOBE Community Grants Program, to a value of $33,000.”

“This is the largest pool of funds GLOBE has been able to reinvest back into our vibrant and diverse community,” said Bradshaw, who was appointed in January.

In 2019, GLOBE is awarding the following grants:

• Community Grants to a maximum value of $2,000, available to LGBTI community groups and programs. These grants are intended to support small LGBTI community initiatives from LGBTI community groups & organisations, with applicants being required to demonstrate the positive social impact of their proposed activities for the LGBTI community.
• Scholarship Grants to a maximum value of $2000, available to LGBTI students or early career professionals. This grant is to support educational and professional development activities to develop the recipients career pathway.
• Small Business Grants to the value of $5,000 each, available to LGBTI owned and managed small businesses. The grants are intended to assist in the development, expansion and promotion of a small business, consultancy or creative enterprise.

“In 2019, we have expanded our Small Business Grants nomination criteria so that all Victorian LGBTI owned and operated small businesses, consultancies and creative enterprises can apply, regardless of whether they are a member of our organisation or not,” said GLOBE President Dan de Rochefort.

One of the Small Business Grants will be open to all LGBTI small businesses, with the second available only to GLOBE Small Business members.

Successful grant awardees will be required to deliver a presentation about their proposed activities at the 2019 GLOBE Community Awards launch event in June.

“This is one of my most cherished GLOBE programs, as it allows us to truly give back to and connect with the entire Victorian LGBTI community,” de Rochefort said.

“There are so many of groups, organisations and small businesses that could do so much if they had a small bit of investment, and I am so glad that GLOBE can be a source of that investment to help our community to thrive.”

GLOBE was recently awarded $50,000 in funding by the Victorian government to continue the organisation’s work in supporting LGBTI-owned and operated businesses in the state.

For more information about how to apply for a GLOBE Community Grant, head to globemelbourne.com.au.