Yass Valley Council Director of Corporate and Community Services, Sheri Norton, said that the changes may deter some people from applying for the grants but will also make them strongly consider what they are applying for and whether it is feasible. 

“There were no limits before on these grants, we were getting applications for thousands of dollars when we only have $28,000 to give away; we just wanted to put some boundaries around it,” Ms Norton said.

Key changes to the policy include the implementation of a minimum application of $500 and a maximum of $3000, which Ms Norton said was more feasible with the council's budgeted amount of $28,000 for the Community Small Grants Program. 

“This will help people manage what they are applying for; if people put in these applications for six to seven thousand, it’s just not a fair expectation on applicants.” 

Aligning the program with the Community Strategic Plan is another implementation proposed.

“If applicants are able to lineup the grants with the 20 year plan for the communities future, it will help with the applications.”

The more contentious recommendation is that applicants are required to commit a financial contribution of at least 50 per cent of the requested funding – either by way of additional sponsorship or funds raised external to council grants.  

“We want people to be looking at alternative ways of funding, to really try to build capabilities so that over time they can become self-sustaining, whether it be by sponsorship or their own fundraising.

“We shouldn’t be the only funding they have, if they are totally relying on council that doesn’t build any capability in the long term.”

A provision to remove an expectation of ongoing funding after three years (progressively scaled for years 2 and 3) is also included in the report.

“If they [the applicants] just keep coming to council all the time, that capability isn't being built in the community,” she continued.

“We can help more people and not have the same people coming back to us year after year.” 

In addition, Council is recommending that they assist applicants to ensure that high quality applications are received.

Council is also proposing revised guidelines on assessment criteria to ensure applicants correctly address criteria and that procedural elements of the policy have been removed and will be included in a new Community Small Grants Procedure; these proposed changes Ms Norton describes as "formalising something that has already been applied informally”. 

It is proposed that the revised Policy will be publicly exhibited for 15 days from May 28, until June 12; if no submissions are received, the policy should be adopted as amended.