Frequently asked questions

We’re a charitable foundation focused on community impact. We provide grant funding, not sponsorships or individual donations.

Newcastle Permanent supports sponsorships for community programs focused on children’s education, children’s sport, and free community events. Learn more about Newcastle Permanent Sponsorship.

Our Foundation is registered with the Australian Tax Office as a Private Ancillary Fund (PAF), and we must follow strict rules around how funds are distributed. Unfortunately, we are unable to provide financial support for individual fundraising activities.

Our Foundation is a tax-exempt charity that operates as a Private Ancillary Fund under Australian tax law. We can only provide funding to organisations that meet the following criteria:

• Are registered with the Australian Charities and Not-for-profit Commission (ACNC), and

• Are endorsed as Deductible Gift Recipients (DGRs), specifically under Item 1 of the table in Section 30-15 of the Income Tax Assessment Act.

You do not need to be registered for GST to apply for funding. However, please be aware that the Australian Taxation Office (ATO) has strict requirements regarding GST registration, which depend on your entity type and annual turnover.

We encourage you to review these requirements carefully and ensure your organisation remains compliant—especially if receiving funding from us could trigger a GST registration obligation.

No. We only fund charities based in Australia, delivering initiatives within Newcastle Permanent’s footprint, including the Hunter, Central Coast, Central West, Mid North Coast, New England, and Northern Rivers regions of NSW.

We may consider emergency relief funding based on urgent community need and the availability of grant funds. Impacted communities will be notified if/when emergency relief funds are made available.

No. An auspice arrangement involves an eligible charity applying on behalf of another organisation that does not meet our eligibility criteria. Our Foundation does not accept applications delivered under these arrangements.

We aim to Pay What It Takes. However, our grants are directed toward specific initiatives with clearly defined, measurable outcomes and impact goals.

We are committed to transparency and meaningful progress. This includes social impact, reconciliation, climate action and sustainability. You can read our ESG Framework and Impact Report.

All grant applications must be submitted via our online grants portal. 

When the portal is not open, you can prepare for applications by reviewing our sample questions and completing the required key stakeholder map and budget templates.

Try the help function located in the top right corner of the portal. You can also email us to request a grant portal cheat sheet for further assistance.

Yes, you can save your application at any point and return to complete it before submission. The grants portal also has an autosave function and allows multiple users to access the application.

Completed applications are available once the round has closed however you may wish to copy your responses to another file (such as Word) for future use.

Yes. To ensure our funding creates the greatest impact and remains aligned with our purpose, some initiatives are excluded. View exclusions.

Our Grassroots Grants are designed to support small-scale initiatives that can be delivered within 12 months to create meaningful impact.

Yes. You'll need to submit two references with your application:

• One from a previous funder, or other supporting organisation, and
• One from a beneficiary of your charity’s services.

Unfortunately, we cannot accept applications submitted after the advertised closing date. Please ensure your application is submitted before the deadline.

Since 2018, the Foundation has recognised outstanding volunteer contributions through the Chairman’s Medal, created in honour of previous Charitable Foundations Chair, the late Michael Slater. In 2025, this evolved into the Grassroots Volunteer Grant, available to organisations that rely on volunteers. Funds must support the volunteer experience through capacity building, such as training, mentoring, recruitment, or system enhancements.

You will need to complete a final report through our grants portal at the conclusion of your initiative.

We apply a robust grant assessment framework that considers alignment to our funding principles, the need for and benefit of the proposed initiative, and prospects for successful delivery.

As of 2025, we run one annual Grassroots Grant round, opening each October. This replaces our previous twice-yearly model and supports the introduction of Multi-Year Partnerships.

You will be notified by email if your application is unsuccessful. We are unable to provide individual feedback for Grassroots Grant applications.

We approach and invite eligible charitable organisations that align with our funding principles and areas of impact to apply for Multi-Year Partnerships. The partnership experience for multi-year grants is broken down into five phases and designed to guide applicants from initial investigation through to onboarding and ongoing partnership.

1. Investigation

We apply a robust research framework to understand community needs and ensure our funding is directed where it’s needed most.

2. Exploration

We engage with eligible charities whose work aligns with our funding principles and areas of impact to explore potential partnership opportunities.

3. Application

The application process has two stages. Charities identified during the exploration phase are invited to submit a Pitch for assessment and endorsement by our Board. Following endorsement, they are then invited to submit a full Proposal. We apply a structured assessment framework and due diligence process before seeking final Board approval.

4. Partnership                  

Successful applicants are onboarded through a process that clearly outlines reporting requirements and explores opportunities for collaboration and engagement throughout the grant period.

 5. Aftercare

 Although partnerships formally conclude with an acquittal report, we continue to engage with former partners to gather feedback and explore future collaboration opportunities where relevant.

We approach eligible charities to apply for Multi-Year Partnerships. If you're an eligible charity and would like to introduce your work to our Foundation, you're welcome to get in touch by email. 

When reaching out, it’s helpful to include your charity’s ABN, along with a brief overview of your purpose, location, and the impact you're making in your community.

Smaller charities may prefer to begin by applying for a Grassroots Grant. We approach eligible charities aligned with our values, impact areas, and geographic footprint for Multi-Year Partnerships.

A program logic is a tool that explains how a project works, from inputs and activities to outcomes and long-term impact. It helps demonstrate that your initiative is well planned, achievable, and capable of delivering meaningful results. The program logic is incorporate into the funding agreement for successful applicants.

View our Program Logic Template.

No. Funding levels vary based on the scale and needs of the initiative. We work with applicants to determine the appropriate amount needed to achieve the desired impact.

Multi-Year Funding is offered over 2 to 3 years, depending on the scope and nature of the initiative.