Frequently asked questions

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

Greater Bank supports its communities through a separate sponsorship program, backing local organisations, events, and initiatives that matter to their customers. Find out more about Greater Bank’s Community and Sponsorship programs. 

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.

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. 

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.

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.