Image Credit: Tribesh Kayastha

The NSW Government’s Community Safety Investment Fund is now accepting applications from community organisations. This program aims to support locally focused, community-led initiatives that prevent or respond to youth offending, strengthening families, and improve community safety.

The fund supports programs that:

• Address the underlying needs and risks contributing to young people’s involvement with the justice system.

• Deliver culturally responsive initiative that build resilience, connection to culture, and improve wellbeing.

• Empower young people and families to make positive changes.

• Help young people re-engage with education, training, or employment.

• Increase community safety through tailored initiative for high-risk youth.

• Engage young people in pro-social activities.

The fund prioritises projects that help achieve Target 11 of Closing the Gap: reducing the overrepresentation of Aboriginal young people in detention by 30% by 2031. This includes programs that:

• Prevent and respond to youth offending

• Divert young people from court and create positive pathways

• Support reintegration after custody to reduce reoffending.

To be eligible applicants must:

• Be a registered Australian business, not-for-profit, or Aboriginal Community Controlled Organisation (ACCO)

• Have an ABN and Australian bank account

• Hold at least $10 million Public Liability Insurance

• Be able to enter into a funding agreement with the Department of Communities and Justice