What We Fund

The Helen Macpherson Smith Trust has eight broad program areas to which it makes grants:

• Aged Persons Care and Support
• Arts, Culture and Heritage
• Community Support
• Disability Care and Support
• Education
• Employment and Vocational Training
• Environment
• Health and Medical Research

The Trustees give priority consideration to:

• Innovative new initiatives
• Projects which foster partnerships
• Pilot projects that demonstrate new approaches
• Projects which are sustainable beyond the pilot
• Initiatives that encourage Australian professionals to remain in or return to the Australian workforce
• Applications from organizations in rural and regional Victoria are encouraged by the Trustees, having regard to the pioneer pastoral wealth generated by Helen’s forebears

The following will not be supported:

• Projects outside of Victoria
• Deficit funding
• Recurrent administrative costs
• Funding considered government responsibility
• Applications made within 12 months of a previous grant being approved or before an existing staged grant is completed
• Direct grants to individuals, including travel expenses, personal study or attendances at conferences