2026 Community Heritage Grants | National Library of Australia

Applications are now open for the 2026 Community Heritage Grants (CHG) program. The CHG program offers cash grants of up to $20,000 to community organisations, supporting them to preserve and manage collections that have Australian cultural and historical significance. 

Since 1994, the CHG program has provided a total of $9.7 million in funding to more than 1,750 projects nationally. 

‘Collections that tell our national story don’t just live in national cultural institutions, but in the cupboards and cabinets of community groups and organisations. We’re excited to continue working with the Office for the Arts and fellow national cultural institutions to support the CHG program, empowering the staff and volunteers of community groups to learn more about their collections and how to preserve them.’ – Fiona Clarke, CHG program coordinator at the National Library of Australia

Last year, $421,479 was awarded to 50 different groups, including the Adelaide Repertory Theatre, Cowra Japanese Garden and Cultural Centre, the See Yup Society, the Cloncurry and District Historical and Museum Society, the Royal Society of Tasmania, and many others.

Historical societies, regional museums, archives and galleries are invited to apply, including Indigenous and multicultural organisations. The grants enable groups to work with consultants to undertake significance assessments and preservation needs assessments and, based on these reports, deliver preservation and conservation, collection management, and digitisation activities. Funding is also available for training workshops. 

‘The CHG program is a staged one with many organisations working their way through the collection management journey. For those just starting out, we encourage you to learn more about the long-term benefits of the program and what it could offer your organisation.’ – Fiona Clarke, CHG program coordinator at the National Library of Australia 

Applications from new applicants close on Thursday 7 May. Previous CHG recipients and proposals for training projects have an extended deadline, with applications closing on Tuesday 2 June. 

To find out more and apply, visit the National Library’s Community Heritage Grants page.

The Community Heritage Grants program is funded by the Australian Government through the Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, Communications, Sport and the Arts; National Library of Australia; National Archives of Australia; National Film and Sound Archive; and National Museum of Australia.

Image credit: Duldig Studio sitting room. Image courtesy of the Duldig Studio Museum + Sculpture Garden ©2026.

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