Health promotion — investing in the conditions, behaviours, and environments that prevent illness and promote wellbeing — is a significant and growing area of grant funding in Australia. Funders from government health departments to philanthropic foundations recognise that prevention is more cost-effective than treatment. This guide covers the key funding sources for health promotion and community health organisations in Australia.
Australian Government Department of Health and Aged Care: The primary funder of national health promotion programmes.
Key funding streams:
- Primary Health Networks (PHNs): 31 PHNs across Australia commission community health services and health promotion activities in their regions. PHNs are the most important access point for community health organisations.
- Health workforce grants: For primary care and health promotion workforce development
- National health promotion campaigns: Tobacco, alcohol, obesity, mental health
- Closing the Gap health investment: Targeted Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health funding
How to access: Connect with your regional Primary Health Network and the Department's grant rounds (GrantConnect for all Commonwealth grants).
Each state and territory has its own health department with grant programmes:
- Victoria: Health Promotion Grants, Healthy Victoria Fund, Prevention and Health Promotion grants
- NSW: Sector Development and Partnership Fund, Local Health District community programmes
- Queensland: Preventive Health Investment, Community and Personal Support program
- Western Australia: Community Health Promotion Grants, Royalties for Regions (for regional health)
- South Australia: State Health Funding, Primary Health Network commissioning
- Tasmania: Community Health programme funding
Check your state health department's grants pages for current rounds.
Australian Health Promotion Association (AHPA): Professional body with occasional small grants and development support.
Medibank Better Health Foundation: Funds preventive health initiatives, with a focus on physical activity, healthy eating, and mental health.
Bupa Health Foundation: Health promotion and prevention research grants.
Heart Foundation of Australia: Grants for cardiovascular health promotion, healthy eating, and physical activity.
Cancer Council: State-based Cancer Councils fund cancer prevention, awareness, and early detection programmes.
Diabetes Australia: Grants for diabetes prevention and management programmes.
VicHealth (Victoria): Victorian Government agency dedicated to health promotion; runs multiple grant programmes focused on physical activity, mental wellbeing, and social inclusion.
NSW Health Promotion: Health promotion activities funded through NSW Health.
Physical activity and active living
Mental health promotion
Healthy eating and food security
Alcohol and other drugs (AOD)
Sexual health and reproductive health
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health promotion
Evidence-based approaches
Health promotion funders increasingly want evidence that the approach works — not just that the problem is real. Link your programme to peer-reviewed research or established health promotion frameworks.
Population reach
How many people will benefit? What is the evidence of need in the target population?
Priority populations
Most health promotion funders prioritise:
- Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities
- Lower-income and socially disadvantaged populations
- Rural and remote communities
- People with disability
- Culturally and linguistically diverse communities
Prevention focus
Funders distinguish health promotion (preventing illness) from health service delivery (treating illness). Health promotion grants typically don't fund clinical services.
Evaluation
Health promotion funders expect programmes to be evaluated — measuring whether health outcomes (not just outputs) improved.
Primary Health Networks are the dominant access point for health promotion funding in most of Australia. PHNs commission services based on their Health Needs Assessments — organisations that align with PHN priorities are best positioned for commissioning.
Engage with your PHN early: attend their consultations, understand their priorities, develop relationships before submitting proposals.
Tahua's grants management platform helps health promotion organisations manage their complex funding portfolios — multiple PHN relationships, government grants, and philanthropic sources — with the reporting and compliance tools that health funders require.