How to Use our Services:
How can your Government Department or Council use Our Community's services?





What can we do to support community groups?

  • Promote Our Community on your website - One of the best and most basic ways to support community groups in your electorate or local government area is to make them aware of who Our Community is and what services we have to offer. You may wish to refer them to our information kit, which describes all our newsletters, books, help sheets and free services. Call us on (03) 9320 6800 or email service@ourcommunity.com.au for more information or to order some printed copies of the information kit.

  • Encourage them to sign up as members to Our Community
    • - Membership is free, and groups which are members receive a copy of Our Community's regular email newsletter Our Community Matters, containing capacity building tips and the latest news and views from the community sector. To sign up, Click Here.
  • Publicise Easygrants and Board Builder newsletters to local groups
    • Our Easygrants and Board Builder newsletters are aimed specifically at community groups and not-for-profits. Easygrants helps community organisations make more money for less effort by providing fundraising information and a customised grants listing, while our Board Builder newsletter is for not-for-profit board members and the people who support them (e.g. CEOs and senior managers).
    For more information on Easygrants Newsletter, Click Here. For more information on Board Builder Click Here.
  • Consider providing gift subscriptions of EasyGrants to local groups
    An easy way of ensuring unsuccessful grantseekers don't go away empty handed is to provid them with a gift certificate for EasyGrants. Recipients will realise the great range of grant opportunities available to them, beyond just your organisation, and benefit from the grantseeking tips contained in each edition. For more information on gift certificates, contact us on (03) 9320 6800 or email service@grantsmanagement.com.au.

  • Provide training courses deilvered in your community for your community groups

    We have been delivering practical training for community organisations throughout the country for more than a decade. Talk to us about how we can partner with your organisation to upskill your local community groups in the area of grants, fundraising, governance, management, and risk. Click here to find out more.





 

How can we improve or better target our grants programs?

  • Get SmartyGrants
    SmartyGrants is the AIGM's online grants management system. It allows you - the grantmaker - to receive online applications and manage the entire grants cycle from application to evaluation. SmartyGrants is used by hundreds of grantmakers to manage thousands of grants programs across Australia and New Zealand. Visit www.smartygrants.com.au to find out more.

  • Grants Management Quarterly
    • Grants Management Quarterly (GMQ) is an Australian-made publication designed to radically improve the efficiency and effectiveness of Australian grantmakers and funders. GMQ brings you grantmaking news, views, innovations, resources, trends, issues and best practice examples, extracting the lessons that are relevant to you. It also contains practical tips and step-by-step suggestions that show you how to incorporate these lessons into your own grants program - making best practice standard practice. GMQ is provided quarterly to all AIGM members (see below). Click here to find out more and download a sample copy.
  • Australian Institute of Grants Management (AIGM)
    • The Australian Institute of Grants Management (AIGM) is the best practice network for government and local government grants managers and grantmakers. The AIGM is working to help grantmakers review and improve their grants programs, and keep abreast of best practices both within Australia and internationally. Click here to download the AIGM's Grantmaking Manifesto (PDF 2MB) or click here to explore the AIGM.
  • Grantmaking Networks
    • Our Community, through the AIGM, convenes or links with a number of grantmaking networks, bringing together grantmakers with similar interests for online and face-to-face networking and peer exchange. Links to and more information about the networks are available at the AIGM's website: www.grantsmanagement.com.au.

     





How can we improve our knowledge base and skills?

  • Communities in Control Annual Conference
    • The Communities in Control section of the Our Community website (www.ourcommunity.com.au/cic)contains transcripts, video and audio from past Communities in Control Conferences, as well as information about upcoming conferences. Co-convened by Our Community and Centacare Catholic Support Services, this is the largest annual get-together of all those who work with or in communities in Australia. This event includes top-line speakers and a rare opportunity to lift your gaze and contemplate what's next in community building.
  • Community-Business Partnerships
    • Community-business partnerships are becoming an increasingly important part of the fundraising and community-building spectrum for community groups, local clubs, and government bodies. Our Community has provided a range of help sheets for community groups and for businesses on this topic.
  • Leadership Centre
    • Our Community's Leadership Centre contains useful information for any local, state or federal governments interested in learning more about community leadership. For more information, Click Here.

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How can our employees give to community groups?

  • GiveNow.com.au
    • GiveNow.com.au should be the first place to go when it comes to financial donations, as well as donations of goods and services. GiveNow.com.au gives any not-for-profit community group access to free, safe online donations. More than 2500 organisations receive donations through this commission-free service.




Where can we find out about community groups in our area?

  • Our Community's Directory of Organisations
    • Our Community's Directory of Organisations provides a searchable index, listing tens of thousands of community groups across the country. You can use the directory to find a community group in your local or regional area, or one in a certain field of interest. To use the directory, Click Here.




Where can we find a list of upcoming events?

  • Our Community's Calendar of Events
    • The Calendar of Events on Our Community's website covers a wide range of important dates - including Australian public holidays, school holiday dates, celebration and anniversary dates and important annual advocacy/awareness days and weeks. Go to the Community Calendar of Events.




How can we find out more about Our Community's range of products?