Community Engagement Program Grants

Supports local groups to work with people living with dementia and care partners to deliver dementia-friendly projects that meet local needs.

The Community Engagement Program supports local community groups, businesses and organisations to work with people living with dementia and care partners to develop dementia-friendly community projects that address a specific need, draw on in-kind contributions, and utilise the skills, resources and capabilities of the local community.

The Community Engagement Program will fund projects that incorporate the key principles of dementia-friendly communities:
- Meaningfully engage people living with dementia.
- Challenge stigma and build understanding of dementia.
- Provide accessible and inclusive places, spaces and activities for people living with dementia and care partners.
- Acknowledge the potential of people living with dementia by actively seeking, and enabling, their contribution to shaping a dementia-friendly community.
- Provide practical, community-based support and solutions to enable people impacted by dementia to participate in community life in the way they choose.
- Promote the importance of consistent, safe and reliable transport options.
- Promote the creation of easy-to-navigate social and physical environments.
- Encourage businesses to deliver friendly, respectful and responsive programs and services.

To support the development of local dementia-friendly community initiatives, grants of up to $10,000 each are available. Funding will support new project activity from 1 June 2026, for 12
months. Funds can be used to cover the costs of salaries, consultancies, printing, postage, event costs, catering, room hire, supplies and small equipment.

Community Engagement Program grant funding is open to applications from:
- Local community businesses, organisations, associations, and groups that are incorporated or supported by an auspice, and
- Large community organisations and health service providers ONLY for proposals focused upon the development of an independent dementia-friendly community working group.

Note, aged care providers are not eligible to apply.

Supports local groups to work with people living with dementia and care partners to deliver dementia-friendly projects that meet local needs.

• The aims of the Community Engagement Program are to:
• - Increase the number of Australian communities that accept, support and include people living with dementia, enabling them to live the life they choose and engage in activities that are important to them.
• - Demonstrate the practical application of dementia-friendly principles in diverse Australian communities and locations.
• - Create new resources that complement those already available from Dementia Australia, for use by other communities, and that meet the needs of people living with dementia, their families and carers.