Strong Foundations grants help organisations working to improve access to justice for everyday Victorians make an even greater impact.
Unlike project-based grants, Strong Foundations grants are designed strategically to strengthen the capability and capacity of organisations, so they can keep building on their proven success.
We are pleased to announce the latest Strong Foundations grantees. These organisations are already serving diverse communities across Victoria. We look forward to seeing them continue their important work with the help of Strong Foundations funding. In the 2026 Strong Foundations round, we funded 7 organisations totaling: $5.5 million.
Read more about our Strong Foundations grants.
Barwon Community Legal Service
$1,000,000
Barwon Community Legal Service (BCLS) is a generalist regional community legal centre providing legal assistance across a range of civil law, family violence and family law matters across Greater Geelong, the Surf Coast, and Colac Otway. BCLS intends to undertake a structured 5-year review of their program. They have already invested in a new Director of Legal Services position to provide leadership and implementation capacity for this work. This grant will complement that investment by resourcing the analysis, engagement and design activities needed to understand legal need, strengthen access pathways and drive service and system improvement.
The First Step Program
$500,000
First Step Legal (FSL) is a service within The First Step Program, a not-for-profit addiction, mental health and legal services hub in St Kilda. A 2023 Strong Foundations grant enabled FSL to strengthen their unique approach to integrated legal practice and build the evidence base that underpins their specialist practice framework. Continued funding will enable FSL to address the challenge of recruiting and retaining lawyers with the unique skills required for deeply integrated legal practice. FSL will identify these unique skills and apply this knowledge to enhance staff recruitment, retention and professional development at FSL and partner organisations.
inTouch Multicultural Centre Against Family Violence
$1,000,000
inTouch Multicultural Centre Against Family Violence (inTouch) is Victoria’s only specialist multicultural family violence organisation with an in-house community legal centre. This grant will enable inTouch to recruit 2 part-time roles in the areas of Monitoring, Evaluation & Learning and Advocacy Strategy & Campaigns. Together, these roles will support inTouch to achieve its strategic objectives, support more women to access the legal support they need, and contribute to systemic reforms that create a fairer, more equitable justice system.
Mental Health Legal Centre (MHLC)
$1,000,000
Mental Health Legal Centre (MHLC) provides legal assistance, mental health system navigation services and interdisciplinary support to people experiencing co-occurring mental health and legal concerns. MHLC will use this grant to introduce 2 new roles; a Director of Outcomes & Impact (to support CEO and lead advocacy) and an Outcomes & Impact Officer (to work across all teams). These roles will enable MHLC to strengthen internal capacity to measure, report on effectiveness against their Outcomes Framework, and track how their work leads to sustainable system-wide, long-term impacts.
Southside Justice
$500,000
Southside Justice partners with local organisations in Melbourne’s bayside suburbs to address critical issues such as gender-based violence, homelessness, and financial insecurity. A 2023 Strong Foundations grant enabled Southside Justice to establish the Director, Engagement and Impact role and embed critical organisational capabilities across evidence and impact, funding and partnerships, and communications and engagement. Continued funding will ensure Southside Justice has the leadership capacity, organisational infrastructure and external influence required to remain sustainable and impactful as they enter the second half of their 2023-2028 Strategy.
Tenants Victoria
$500,000
Tenants Victoria promotes and protects the rights of renters in Victoria. It aims to both help individual renters and work for social change to improve renting conditions through advocacy, policy and law reform. Following a period of significant growth and consolidation, Tenants Victoria has developed a new strategic plan to guide the next 3-5 years of working towards its vision, that Victorian renters experience dignity living in safe, secure and affordable homes, and to establish themselves as a Centre of Excellence.
Whittlesea Community Connections
$1,000,000
Whittlesea Community Connections (WCC) is a 50+ year old place-based community organisation providing vital support and free services to disadvantaged people living in the City of Whittlesea and surrounds. This funding will enable WCC to embed a justice and rights lens and language across their strategic priorities and learning and evaluation frameworks. WCC will build the capacity of staff to increase legal literacy and integrate legal concepts and information into non-legal activities and programs. WCC will also strengthen and target their prevention and early intervention activities by developing a comprehensive, data informed and integrated community education and information strategy and 5-year implementation plan, which they will then test, evaluate, scale and refine.