The ASRC imagines a future that is free and equitable for people seeking asylum and refugees. This future is powered by refugee-led organisations, which are both run by and for people seeking asylum and refugees. To achieve this, the ASRC has committed to share some of its resources to empower people with lived and living experience of seeking asylum, and the organisations they have founded, who may have the solutions – but not the funding – to solve their own problems.
The ASRC’s long-term campaigns and advocacy have created a rising tide of support for refugees, and we want to use this momentum to lift other organisations up too. Building the capabilities of refugee leaders is a key strategy to accomplish this. Through this capacity building initiative, the ASRC will support refugee leaders to develop critical skills and competencies, hone their capabilities, and maximise the potential of their programs. This will lift capabilities across the sector and contribute to inclusive, community-led, and more sustainable solutions.
The ASRC will support refugee leadership and capacity building through funding of projects and foundational activities, while also sharing knowledge, expertise and mentorship.
The ASRC Refugee leadership investment and capacity building initiative will support ambitious Refugee-Led Organisations to grow in maturity and deliver impactful results by providing them with leadership coaching, training and funding so they can:
Grants up to $20,000 per organisation, for capacity building and infrastructure development/improvement of the organisations.
Round 1
Applications are now closed for 2022.
Dates to be announced for the 2023 RLCB Fund.
Grants up to $50,000 per organisation, for new programs and initiatives to support their mission and deliver quality, culturally responsive services to their clients.
Round 1
Applications will open early 2023.
The ASRC is committed to building the capacity and capability of refugee-led organisations and recognises that each organisation may be at a different stage of their journey and have different needs. Support from the ASRC may be both financial and non-financial, and reflect the individual strategy of the organisation:
The Enablement Grant will fund organisations for outcomes including to:
● Build and develop skills to enable them to thrive and grow, for example leadership training or professional development.
● Purchase software and systems that will enable them to thrive and grow.
● Organise community events and festivals to engage more closely with their respective communities.
● Access contractors/consultants to develop core business frameworks, such as monitoring & evaluation, organisational development, and governance frameworks.
The Social Change/Impact Grant will fund organisations to:
● Build their skills and experience in planning, establishing, delivering and scaling new and/or existing activities and services
● Provide greater access to activities and services for people seeking asylum and refugees.
Please read the information on each of three tabs below to make sure this is the right grant for your project.
If you have any questions or would like to find out more about the RLO Grant Program, please contact funding@asrc.org.au
The ASRC are also looking for people with lived experience of forced displacement to volunteer as members of the Grants Governance Committee.
This committee will assess the ranked applications for the Refugee Leadership and Capacity Building Fund and make recommendations to the ASRC Board for the disbursement of funds.
To submit an Expression of Interest in becoming a committee member:
If you have any questions or would like to find out more about the Fund’s Governance Committee, please contact funding@asrc.org.au
As you may be aware, there are changes occurring at the ASRC.
To plan for these changes to make the ASRC sustainable into the future:
The Footscray centre will close to all visitors every Wednesday.
Every Friday, some services will be closed but the Foodbank, Health, Legal and Hub services will remain open.
To access our services, you can phone 03 9326 6066 or come to the ASRC Footscray in person during opening hours.
The Reception Team will greet you and link you with our services.
As you may be aware, there are changes occurring at the ASRC.
To plan for these changes to make the ASRC sustainable into the future:
The Footscray centre will close to all visitors every Wednesday.
Every Friday, some services will be closed but the Foodbank, Health, Legal and Hub services will remain open.
To access our services, you can phone 03 9326 6066 or come to the ASRC Footscray in person during opening hours. The Reception Team will greet you and link you with our services.
The Government has announced it will provide pathways for TPV/SHEV holders and TPV/SHEV applicants to
be assessed for RoS visas. RoS visas are permanent visas that allow holders to live, work and study in Australia,
access government services such as Medicare and Centrelink, and sponsor eligible family members for
permanent residence.
Click here for Permanent Visa Pathways for TPV/SHEV Holders & Applicants Fact Sheet
The Fact Sheet is also available in: Dari – Urdu – Arabic – Tamil
Thanks for your interest in supporting the ASRC Telethon on World Refugee Day, Monday 20th June.
Complete this form with your details and we will send you an email reminder before the event as well as alerts throughout the day when key activities happen.
Please note: all requests submitted to the Marketing Services Model will not be worked on until 1 July 2022 to allow the team space to focus on projects such as the Winter Appeal and Telethon.
You are welcome to submit requests and we’d love to support – we ask that you please supply a reasonable due date, keeping in mind we will not tend to the request until July. Thank you!
We acknowledge the Traditional Owners across Australia and pay respect to their Ancestors and Elders, past and present. We acknowledge sovereignty of the lands upon which we work and live have never been ceded.
The centre is OPEN again from Tuesday 11th – Friday 14th (10am – 5pm).
We will return to normal operating hours (10am – 5pm, Monday – Friday), from Monday 17th of January onwards.
The centre is OPEN again from Tuesday 11th – Friday 14th (10am – 5pm).
We will return to normal operating hours (10am – 5pm, Monday – Friday), from Monday 17th of January onwards.
You can see how this popup was set up in our step-by-step guide: https://wppopupmaker.com/guides/auto-opening-announcement-popups/
If you applied for a TPV or SHEV visa between 2015 and 2017 and have not already attended a Protection visa interview with the Department, please contact the ASRC urgently for legal assistance. CALL: Fast track hotline 0422035324 (Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm) or email legal@asrc.org.au
The application interview is your only chance to explain your case to the Department. Update your contact details with the Department to receive your Interview Invitation (the ASRC can also help you do this).
Click here to learn more (Info sheet Fast Track interviews).
Click here to read info sheet in other languages.
“I can’t erase racism by myself. It’s only if we all come together to accept that there is an issue and work together that we can make a change.”
Prudence Melom, founder and CEO of E-RACED
“Growing in a refugee camp and experiencing hardship from a young age I felt very misunderstood among my peers in Australia. Kids my age did not understand why my skin was darker, they didn’t understand why my accent was a little different and they didn’t understand why I came to Australia.
“I was inspired to start E-RACED after experiencing first hand the effects of racism in this country and the power of sharing my story to completely change people’s attitudes. Never underestimate the power of one-on-one interactions and sharing stories to change the world.”
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Connect with us
Need help from the ASRC? Call 03 9326 6066 (Monday - Friday, 10am - 5pm) to book an appointment.