The Felton Bequest
The Felton Bequest supports the development of ideas and catalytic projects that have the potential to enhance the physical and emotional health of women, children and young people in Victoria. Major and small grants are given to projects that:
- Assist vulnerable or disadvantaged children or young people at risk
- Assist women in need
- Support the health care of women or children or their access to health care
- Assist the elderly, including accommodation needs and homelessness amongst the elderly
- Tackle early intervention or prevention and the causes of disadvantage
- Have the potential for wider adoption and broader impact in the future
- For an organisation, new or existing program which currently does not attract government funding and requires seed funding to get started, build momentum and/or build organisational capacity
2025 Grant round closed
The Felton Bequest Small Grants round offers grants of up to $25,000 for a one-year period only to Victorian initiatives and projects. A total funding pool of up to $150,000 is usually available.
More information is available here.
2025 Small Grants Outcomes
- Gnarly Neighbours Inc. - Gnarly Positive Mentoring
- Sunbury Neighbourhood House Inc -Job Ready
- Foothills Community Care Inc. -Mum's Connection Space - Empowering and Supporting Vulnerable Women and Children.
- Umbrella Dementia Cafes -The Dementia Care & Share Iniative - Growing Victorian Carer Support Circles.
- Code Purple Refuge Limited - Pathways To Empowerment
- Phunktional Arts - Robinvale Creative Development and Mildura Tour
- Maroondah Toy Library - Sustaining play: Toy Library Coordinator
Download the 2025 Alfred Felton Bequest Annual Report.
ABOUT ALFRED FELTON
Alfred Felton was born in England and came to Australia in 1853. He was a partner in a successful pharmaceutical company and was an avid art collector. He never married, living for many years in rooms crammed with his personal art collection at the Esplanade Hotel, St Kilda.
When Felton died in 1904, he left the bulk of his fortune to the creation of a charitable foundation known as the Felton Bequest.
The Felton Bequest has been responsible for donating 80% of the finest artworks in the National Gallery of Victoria. These are currently valued over $2 billion. These gifts have contributed to establishing the National Gallery of Victoria as an institution of international significance.
Over the past five years, funding of flagship grants has impacted on the number of smaller grants available. As a result, the Bequest directs funds towards projects that may not appear on the radar of other types of funders.
The Bequests’ committee believes that philanthropy is more than monies given. Members actively explore how they might apply their individual and collective influence, time and expertise towards a higher level of support for their community partners’ aspirations.
The Felton Bequest welcomes approaches from community organisations with Victorian-based projects.