Australia is one of the world's most culturally diverse nations — approximately 30% of Australians were born overseas, and over 300 languages are spoken across the country. Culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) Australians enrich Australian society profoundly, but also face specific barriers to accessing services, civic participation, and economic opportunity. Grant funding supports settlement services, multicultural community organisations, health and wellbeing programmes, and the advocacy that builds a genuinely inclusive multicultural Australia.
The numbers
What CALD means in grants
CALD (Culturally and Linguistically Diverse) is the common Australian framework term. It encompasses:
- Migrants and immigrants (permanent)
- Humanitarian entrants and refugees
- Temporary migrants
- Long-settled communities with non-English speaking backgrounds
- Multicultural Australians (Australian-born children of migrants)
Barriers CALD Australians face
Department of Home Affairs
Department of Social Services
Multicultural Affairs offices
Every state has a multicultural affairs department or agency with grant programmes.
SBS (Special Broadcasting Service)
Multicultural media — partially government-funded.
The Brotherhood of St Laurence
Social research and advocacy on multicultural Australia.
Ethnic Communities Council of Victoria
Representative body and programme delivery for CALD communities in Victoria.
Community Migrant Resource Centres
Settlement services across Australia.
The Lord Mayor's Charitable Fund
Community wellbeing including multicultural programmes.
The Sidney Myer Fund
Arts and community including multicultural arts.
Settlement Services International (SSI)
Largest settlement and multicultural service provider in Australia.
Settlement support
Multicultural health
Employment and economic participation
Education
Community and social connection
Anti-racism and social cohesion
Legal rights
Arts and culture
Women from CALD backgrounds
Youth from CALD backgrounds
Older CALD Australians
Refugees and humanitarian entrants face the most acute settlement challenges:
- Trauma from country of origin and journey
- Limited English
- Disrupted education
- Family separation
- Loss of professional status and identity
Specialist refugee services — trauma-informed, bilingual, community-controlled — are significantly underfunded relative to need.
Community leadership
The most effective multicultural programmes are led by the communities themselves — community-controlled, with community members employed and decision-making. Applications that centre community leadership over service delivery to communities are more credible.
Language-specific delivery
Generic multicultural programmes reach few people. Applications with language-specific delivery (bilingual workers, translated materials, culturally appropriate framing) demonstrate practical understanding.
Health equity
CALD health disparities — in mental health, cancer screening, chronic disease — are well-documented. Applications addressing specific health equity gaps for identified communities are compelling to health funders.
Anti-racism
Discrimination is a fundamental driver of CALD disadvantage. Applications that address structural racism alongside individual support are more systemic.
Tahua's grants management platform supports multicultural funders and CALD community organisations — with community reach tracking, cultural participation data, settlement outcome measurement, and the reporting tools that help multicultural funders demonstrate their investment in a genuinely inclusive Australia.