The Victorian Legal Services Board (VLSB) congratulates the five organisations that will each receive $1,000,000 in funding over 3–5 years from the latest Strong Foundations grant round. 

Strong Foundations grants are supported with funding from the Public Purpose Fund (PPF). These grants help community legal centres working to improve access to justice for everyday Victorians make an even greater impact. Against a backdrop of often insecure funding streams, Strong Foundations grants support system improvement, providing organisational strengthening over a 3–5-year period to build on proven success. 

Victorian Legal Services Board CEO, Fiona McLeay, said Strong Foundations grants can play a role in improving the long-term stability of community legal centres, providing critical legal assistance to vulnerable Victorians. 

“The recipients of this year’s Strong Foundations grants are working to help those with unmet legal need in communities all over Victoria. This year’s grants will support the delivery of services across Victoria, from Wodonga to Frankston, Heidelberg to Cranbourne, as well as those seeking asylum, refugees and disadvantaged migrants in metropolitan and regional Victoria.” 

“It’s much harder for these organisations to support the most vulnerable members of their communities if they can’t plan their next step due to uncertain funding streams.” 

“With their Strong Foundations grant, it’s my hope that these hard-working and impactful organisations can put measures in place that will help them provide certainty for the communities they serve.” 

The 2024 Strong Foundations grant recipients are: 

• Peninsula Community Legal Centre, which provides services to Melbourne’s south-eastern communities 

• Refugee and Immigration Legal Centre, Australia’s largest provider of free legal assistance for people seeking asylum, refugees and disadvantaged migrants 

• South-East Monash Legal Service, which provides free legal services to the south-eastern region of Victoria including cities of Greater Dandenong, Casey and Cardinia 

• Hume Riverina Community Legal Service, which improves access to justice for communities in regional and rural north-eastern Victoria through legal services and advocacy 

• West Heidelberg Community Legal – one of Australia’s longest running health justice partnerships, servicing the residents of Banyule.

About Strong Foundations grants 

The Strong Foundations funding stream is part of the Victorian Legal Services Board’s broader grants program, which has awarded 339 grants totaling $97 million since 2007. 

Launched in late-2023, Strong Foundations helps organisations working to improve access to justice for everyday Victorians make an even greater impact. By providing stable and flexible funding over 3 to 5 years, we enable organisations to strengthen their work from all angles to achieve their strategic objectives. 

Find out more about our grants program.