MCF primarily makes grants to the community in 2 ways:

• Through recommendations from our donors, on the basis of their areas of interest. These fall broadly in the areas of arts & culture, community development & advocacy, community services & welfare, disability, education, training & employment, environment, health & medical research, overseas aid and development. Specific target groups which are also supported include Indigenous communities and refugee/asylum seekers.
• Through MCF’s identified funding priority areas, such as the Youth at Risk and MacroMelbourne Initiatives.

As part of its overall grantmaking strategy, MCF is increasingly focusing its attention in the greater Melbourne area. However, MCF can provide funding to any charitable organisation, operating anywhere in the world, as long as they have ATO endorsement as a Deductible Gift Recipient (DGR) and Tax Concession Charity (TCC) here in Australia.

While the bulk of funding does go into Melbourne and Victoria, some funding does go to assist communities interstate and overseas. More information about our Grantmaking Process can be found here.

Funding  Initiatives

Through research and collaboration with the broader community, not-for-profit, philanthropic and government sectors, MCF identifies several strategic funding priorities which become the focus of its future grantmaking. To date the Youth at Risk and the MacroMelbourne Initiatives have been developed and implemented.

In meeting these priorities, MCF demonstrates its commitment to:

• developing partnerships with like minded people and organisations;
• building a quality understanding of community needs and issues based on research and expert input; and
• raising a pool of funds from a range of donors to meet those needs.

Recent Grants

Arts Grants

The Victorian Tapestry Workshop                             $30,000.00
The Victorian Tapestry Workshop is regarded as a world centre for one of western civilization’s oldest and richest art  forms. One of only a small number of similar workshops in the world, the Workshop  boasts an international reputation for the freshness, vitality and technical excellence of its hand-woven tapestries.

Opera Australia                                                     $15,000.00
Opera Australia is Australia's major opera  company. It is the third busiest opera company in the world, after the Metropolitan in New York and the Royal Opera House in London. Financial  support for the Opera Australia, ensure the ongoing success of this national opera.

Fortyfivedownstairs                                                 $10,000.00

fortyfivedownstairs was established in 2001 to provide a versatile and interesting space for performance, exhibitions, forums and music. Situated in a former factory, and gallery, in Flinders Lane, fortyfivedownstairs  offers a home for innovative, original performance in music, dance, drama and physical theatre.

The Lieder Society of Victoria                                     $2,500.00
German lieder is a 19th century song with piano accompaniment set to German poetry and was primarily intended to be played and sung in the home. The National Liederfest, begun in 1981 by the Lieder Society of Victoria provides encouragement  for aspiring concert performers. Singers and  pianists compete for over $12,000 in prizes  and scholarships

MCF in the Community– Grant Stories

Read a series of Grant Stories outlining just some of the valuable and innovative projects funded by MCF. 

Not For Profit Sector Assistance

Several of MCF's sub-funds have been set up for by not-for-profit (NFP) organisations looking to secure the future of their organisation and their work in the community, by starting to build an endowment.

Read more about MCF's Not For Profit Sector Assistance programs

Knowing Community

As part of its strategic grantmaking approach, MCF is continually developing its role as a knowledge hub. We are constantly building our research and knowledge for our donors and the broader philanthropic community, understanding current needs, emerging trends and the impact of government policies on the social, cultural and environmental fabric of our community. We also need to understand what works, what has lasting benefit and which organisations are likely to be most effective in addressing need, strengthening the community and preventing problems from emerging.