The fund allocates grants to not-for-profit community groups, to enhance their capacity to provide services, leisure activities and opportunities for Queensland communities.

The Gambling Community Benefit Fund (GCBF) is Queensland’s largest one-off community grants program and distributes approximately $60 million each year to not-for-profit community groups. The GCBF allocates funding to these groups to help them provide services, leisure activities and opportunities for Queensland communities.

Organisations can apply for a wide variety of items under the Gambling Community Benefit Fund (GCBF), for example:

• community events/training
• equipment (including medical equipment)
• facility improvements
• machinery
• printing/publications/marketing
• solar
• vehicles/boats
• workshops/conferences.

The GCBF will have 3 funding rounds in 2025:

1. Round 123$35,000 standard grant round closes 28 February
2. Round 124$100,000 super round closes 30 June
3. Round 125$35,000 standard grant round closes 31 October

Applications are prioritised by the committee in this order, where 1 has the highest priority:

1. Items/facilities directly affected, damaged or destroyed by a declared natural disaster in the last 2 years
2. Equipment or facility improvements
3. Buses, cars, caravans, boats, tractors, trailers, large mowers, motorbikes and similar items
4. Community events, training, workshops, festivals, publications and website development
5. Organisations that have received more than $15,000 from the GCBF within the last 2 years

Other determining factors: 

The committee also considers these factors when deciding how to distribute the GCBF funding:

• financial position of the organisation
• age of the organisation
• value for money
• other contributions (financially or in-kind) towards the items
• whether the organisation can generate income
• benefits to more than one organisation
• number of applications by the same sponsor
• location of the organisation and benefits to the region
• target group that's being assisted
• government priorities identified by the Minister

Is your organisation eligible?

For your organisation to be eligible, it must be a legal entity or sponsored entity.

A legal entity:

• is incorporated or registered under an Act of Parliament
• is a proprietary or public company limited by shares or trusts where the shareholders are not individuals and/or for-profit companies
• has an active ABN
• has not-for-profit objectives
• has a bank account in its name
• must provide a bank verification form stamped by its financial institution; if your financial institution is unable to complete the bank verification form, please contact us for assistance.

A sponsored entity:

• is neither incorporated nor registered under an Act of Parliament
• has not-for-profit objectives
• requires a legal entity to sponsor its application
• in some cases must be sponsored by their relevant government department (i.e. a local ambulance committee, rural fire brigade or State Emergency Service group).

Ineligible organisations

Organisations that are not eligible for the funding are:

• state, private or independent schools (as noted above, this excludes P&Cs and P&Fs)
• proprietary limited or public companies limited by shares or trusts where the shareholders are individuals or for-profit companies
• individuals (sole traders)
• organisations trading for profit.

You are also ineligible for the funding if your organisation:

• has duplicate registrations in the online portal
• does not provide information we request by the due date
• does not update the financial details registered with us before applying.

Ineligible GCBF items

Some items are considered ineligible and are unlikely to be funded. When applying, make sure to consider these, as well as the funding priorities.

If your GCBF application is successful, you can only buy approved items; any amounts for ineligible items will be removed.

You can’t apply for funding for the following:

• items purchased prior to approval
  • items ordered, committed to (with a signed document or paid deposit) or bought before the funding was approved
  • events/workshop where the event date occurs before the expected funding round announcement
• fees for services
  • grant writer or grant assistance fees (i.e. fees to manage grant applications and funding)
  • project management fees
• certain excluded items
  • purchases from a grant writer or their associated companies
  • equipment or services that will benefit an individual
  • alcohol
  • vouchers
  • gifts or prizes
  • purchases from overseas suppliers (without prior approval from us)
• operating costs
  • money budgeted or set aside for contingencies or costs not yet incurred
  • general operating/recurring costs
  • repayment of debts and loans
  • overseas travel
  • member or staff social events
  • facility improvements to any community title, body corporate or retirement living scheme or similar entity (as determined by us)
• help with generating income
  • subsidies (i.e. using the grant to acquire or gain eligibility for other grants or contributions)
  • sponsorship (i.e. using the grant to secure sponsorship for the organisation).

Unlikely to be funded items

These items and costs are also unlikely to be approved for funding:

• salaries and wages
• rent and lease costs
• public liability insurance for events
• administration expenses such as stationery, postage and office supplies
• consumable items such as food, petrol, uniforms
• catering
• internal training not provided by a third party
• prepaid or store cards.

• Phone: 1800 633 619
• Email: cbf@justice.qld.gov.au