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 to sustain the ongoing functioning of funded organisations, so they can build on their proven success.
We are pleased to announce the latest Strong Foundations grantees below. These five 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.
Peninsula Community Legal Centre
$1,000,000
Peninsula Community Legal Centre (PCLC) provides services to Melbourne’s south-eastern communities. To enhance their collaborative work with community partners, and deliver on two key strategic objectives, PCLC will recruit a full-time Partnership Development Manager and a part-time Communications Officer. These roles will support the implementation of the Stakeholder Engagement Framework, Quality Improvement and Communication Strategy. The roles will also be integral to progress their Innovate Reconciliation Action Plan.
Refugee and Immigration Legal Centre
$1,000,000
Refugee and Immigration Legal Centre (Refugee Legal) is Australia’s largest provider of free legal assistance for people seeking asylum, refugees and disadvantaged migrants. To strengthen, develop and sustain their core services, Refugee Legal will implement their comprehensive Digital Strategy Project (DSP), develop an annual leadership program to strengthen capability of the leadership team, and develop a separate and expanded Family Violence Program for women and children on temporary visas or without visas.
South-East Monash Legal Service
$1,000,000
South-East Monash Legal Service (SMLS) provides free legal services to the south-eastern region of Victoria including cities of Greater Dandenong, Casey and Cardinia. SMLS will allocate resources to three key areas to expand reach, deepen impact and strengthen staff engagement. These areas are impact monitoring, reporting and storytelling; data systems uplift; and internal cultural safety and skills development.
Upper Murray Family Care Limited trading as Hume Riverina Community Legal Service
$1,000,000
Hume Riverina Community Legal Service (HRCLS) improves access to justice for communities in regional and rural north-eastern Victoria through legal services and advocacy. HRCLS will deliver targeted legal services which will strengthen operations, improve efficiency, and maximise impact. They have eight key priorities including disaster recovery support, technological capabilities to support delivery across a vast catchment area, and innovative Health Justice Partnerships (HJP) with the Bagaraybang bagaraybang mayinygalang program and Gateway Health. They will also explore a new HJP with Albury Wodonga Health.
West Heidelberg Community Legal, a program of Banyule Community Health
$1,000,000
West Heidelberg Community Legal (WHCL) is one of Australia’s longest running health justice partnerships, servicing the residents of Banyule. WHCL will secure more sustainable resourcing as they move into their next phase of growth. They will allocate resources across key areas including a dedicated Partnerships and Integration Lead, a new role to implement their Monitoring and Evaluation Framework, and additional resources to enhance their intake and access processes.