For families of children who are sick, disadvantaged or who have special needs, finding support can be a challenge. Each year, thousands of these children and their families turn to Variety for support when they need it most.

Please ensure you check before submitting an application to see if your needs can be met via existing government sources (e.g. NDIS) or other support services.

Assistance is available for Queensland children aged up to 18 years of age, who are sick, disadvantaged or have special needs.

To apply for assistance, you must be able to demonstrate a genuine need (including financial evidence) and information on how the assistance requested will meet this need.

In most instances, you’ll also require supporting letters from relevant professionals e.g. Specialists, Therapists,Teachers, LACs and quotes for the items requested.

Individual Grants – Variety assists individual children and their families when Government support is not available by providing support such as; wheelchairs, walking aids, technology, learning aids and more.

Scholarship Program –  Variety provides scholarships for children with an existing talent, who are disadvantaged or living with a disability, to achieve their full potential and to follow their dreams.

Organisation Grants – Variety helps schools and organisations with things like all-ability playgrounds, Liberty swings (modified for special needs), and sunshine coaches for transporting children, which can be wheelchair modified.

Our program is designed to be flexible to allow you to apply for the items that best meet your individual needs. Every child is different, so every application is considered on a case by case basis.

However, there are some restrictions. For example, we don’t fund salaries, private vehicles, research or retrospective grants. See our application form for full details.

Variety aims to ‘fill the gaps’ and prioritise requests for which there are no alternate sources of support. If that funding is already available through another agency you may be referred elsewhere, unless you can explain why you cannot access their support. Sometimes, we ‘top up’ funding where another agency cannot fund the entire cost of equipment or a project. An example would be part contribution towards a mobility aid or car modifications.

Variety purchases appropriate equipment and services on your behalf. You must not make purchases yourself as reimbursements cannot be made.

Applications may be made at any time.

Applying for support from Variety is easy. We’re here to help every step of the way.

1. Click on the relevant button below.
2. For Individual and Scholarship grants please complete the online application form, assemble and upload any supporting documentation. For Organisation grants please download the application form.
3. For online applications for Individual and Scholarship grants simply click submit once complete. For Organisation grants please send your application, together with your supporting documentation to Variety Queensland by post, fax or email. Details are on the form.

We will then make contact to confirm that we have received your application. Your application will be assessed and we will keep you informed of its progress.

If you have any questions or concerns as you go through the application process please don’t hesitate to contact our Grants team on 07 3907 9300 or [email protected]