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FFV COMMUNITY GRANTS PROGRAM

Better lives for Victorian men and boys,
and stronger communities because of them

Program overview

Freemasons Foundation Victoria’s Community Grants program awards grants to community organisations across Victoria for projects that support the wellbeing, connection and contribution of Victorian men and boys.

Our funding is designed to meet both the immediate needs of individuals and communities and the longer term needs of the systems and organisations that serve them.

Applications to the FFV Community Grants program can request funding of between $5,000 and $50,000.

 

In recent funding rounds, the average grant awarded has been around $25,000, reflecting the range of projects supported across different sizes and scopes.

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Open now. Application close 4 September 2026.

We know that Victorian men have enormous capacity to contribute to their communities - as mentors, volunteers, fathers, husbands, partners, neighbours and leaders. Yet too many face barriers to connection, purpose and good health that prevent them from reaching that potential.

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Freemasons believe that men who invest in themselves and each other make communities stronger. That’s why FFV is making a deliberate, long-term commitment to the wellbeing, connection and contribution of Victorian men and boys, in part by concentrating our Community Grants funding in this area to build cumulative and lasting impact.

We invite applications from organisations doing genuine, effective work in men's mental health, connection, purpose and physical wellbeing.

To be eligible to apply, organisations must meet the following criteria:

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  • Applicant organisations must have charitable status

  • Project must demonstrate clear alignment within our areas of focus

  • Project must benefit Victorian communities

  • Applicant organisation must have the capacity to deliver and measure outcomes

Eligibility

We invite applications from organisations doing genuine, effective work in men's mental health, connection, purpose and physical wellbeing.
To be eligible to apply, organisations must meet the following criteria:
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  • Applicant organisations must have charitable status

  • Project must demonstrate clear alignment within our areas of focus

  • Project must benefit Victorian communities

  • Applicant organisation must have the capacity to deliver and measure outcomes

Our priorities

We aim to ensure our support is felt across Victoria. Therefore, a minimum of 50% of funded projects and programs will have a regional presence, reflecting our commitment to communities where need is often highest and resources most limited.

 

Priority is given to programs and projects that:

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  • Deliver clear benefits to Victorian men and boys (addressing an issue where men bear a disproportionate and measurable burden in Victoria, even if the program serves a broader population)

  • Reach regional and underserved communities

  • Address gaps not met by government or other funders

  • Build connection, belonging and positive outcomes

  • Demonstrate measurable impact and outcomes

Focus areas:

​Organisations that meet the eligibility criteria are welcome to submit applications for projects and programs for the FFV Community Grants 2026/27 round that fall within our focus areas:

Mental Health and Help-Seeking

Programs that build the social environments, peer relationships and community confidence that enable men and boys to seek support before crisis - and to find it when they do. This includes peer-led mental health programs, community mental health literacy, rural mental health infrastructure, and initiatives that make it genuinely easier for Victorian men to ask for and receive help.

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Connection, Purpose and Positive Masculinity

Programs that activate men and boys as contributors, mentors, connectors and community builders - creating the environments where positive masculinity flourishes and men and boy experience genuine belonging. This includes intergenerational mentoring programs, volunteer and civic leadership pathways, sporting clubs with structured wellbeing programs, school support programs, and community hubs where men gather with purpose. Programs that bring men and boys together around shared contribution are as important as those that support men and boys in need - often, they are the same program.

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Physical Wellbeing and Healthy Ageing

Programs that support men to maintain physical health, manage chronic conditions and age with vitality - including prostate health, cardiovascular health, cancer prevention and screening, and the specific physical health needs of veterans, and men in high-risk occupations. Both direct clinical support and prevention-focused community programs are eligible. Programs addressing health conditions that disproportionately affect men are eligible under the disproportionate impact lens even where they serve a broader clinical population.

How to apply

Please ensure you have read all the information on this page before applying.

 

FFV accepts applications online via the SmartyGrants portal.

What can't be funded:

  • General fundraising appeals or events without a clear program

  • Completed projects or retrospective costs

  • Organisations without charitable status

  • Activities already well-funded by government

  • Purely recreational activities without a wellbeing outcome

  • Capital works (unless directly enabling service delivery)

Contact details

If you have any questions about your application, please don’t hesitate to contact the FFV team at enquiries@freemasonsfoundation.org

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