Financial Counselling Funding Round 2024-25

The Victorian Government undertook a funding round to increase support for Victorians experiencing housing related financial challenges.

Funding will help address the high demand for financial counselling driven by cost-of-living pressures, increased rents, and natural disasters. The funding round will provide an immediate funding boost increasing the availability of financial counselling to Victorians.

Not-for-profit community service organisations with significant experience in delivering financial counselling and related services were invited to submit expressions of interest to deliver integrated and innovative responses to help people experiencing financial hardship due to mortgage or renting stress.

The process involved:

an expression of interest (EOI) process, where eligible respondents were invited to put forward proposals for initial assessment; and
a formal grant application process, where respondents with shortlisted proposals were invited to formally apply for a grant.

For more information on the funding round requirements and conditions, see the following documents:

How much funding was available?

$15 million has been allocated to agencies over 3 years, from 2024-25 until 2026-27.

Who was eligible?

The EOI was open to incorporated not-for-profit community service organisations with significant experience in the delivery of services to community members in relation to financial counselling, information and advice, advocacy services and/or community education.

Successful applicants

Successful applicants are listed in the table below:

Grant recipient	Value approved (excl. GST) 2024-25 to 2026-27	FTE	Description of funded program	Services areas (LGA)
Banyule Community Health	$900,000	2.1	Financial counselling	Banyule, Merri-bek, Whittlesea, and Darebin
Meli Community	$1,000,000	2.0	Financial counselling and community education	Geelong, Warrnambool, Glenelg, and Southern Grampians
Cancer Council Victoria	$935,101	1.8	Financial counselling and community education	Statewide
Child and Family Services Ballarat	$900,000	2.3	Financial counselling, wellness and coaching	Ballarat, Moorabool, Hepburn, Ararat, Pyrenees, and Golden Plains
Consumer Action Law Centre	$1,303,779	3.0	Increase capacity of the National Debt Helpline	Statewide
EACH	$900,000	2.2	Financial counselling and capability	Knox, Maroondah, Yarra Ranges, Whitehorse, and Casey
Finwell Support	$895,003	3.0	Specialised financial counselling, wellbeing support and homelessness prevention	Southern Grampians, Horsham, Colac, Bendigo, Portland, Mildura, Warrnambool, Corangamite, Moyne, Surf Coast, Greater Geelong, Queenscliffe, Ararat, Ballarat, Golden Plains, Hepburn, Moorabool, Pyrenees, Swan Hill, Gannawarra, Loddon, Central Goldfields, Mount Alexander, Macedon Ranges, West Wimmera, Hindmarsh, Yarriambiack, Buloke, and Northern Grampians
Mallee Family Care	$940,000	3.2	Financial wellbeing and education	Mildura, Swan Hill, Gannawarra, and Buloke
Mortgage Stress Victoria	$1,506,864	3.45	Financial counselling and sector engagement	Statewide
Ngwala Willumbong Aboriginal Corporation	$314,315	1.0	Financial counselling	Port Phillip, Stonnington, Darebin, and Greater Shepparton
Primary Care Connect	$777,094	2.0	Financial counselling and community education	Greater Shepparton, Moira, Strathbogie, Mitchell, and Murrindindi
South East Community Links	$900,000	3.0	Financial counselling	Cardinia, Casey, Dandenong, and Frankston
Tenants Victoria	$844,101	2.0	Financial counselling and legal assistance	Statewide
Thorne Harbour Health	$817,263	2.0	Financial counselling	Port Phillip, Stonnington, Yarra, and Greater Bendigo
Victorian Aboriginal and Child Care Agency	$1,200,000	2.6	Financial counselling and capability workshops	Darebin, Yarra Ranges, Dandenong, Frankston, Wyndham, Melton, Latrobe, Wangaratta, Wodonga, and Benalla
Women’s Legal Service Victoria	$904,845	2.0	Financial counselling and social work	Statewide