Canon Oceania opens 2026 grants programme for communities

Canon Oceania has opened applications for its 2026 Grants Program, marking 20 years of support for community organisations in Australia and New Zealand.

More than $50,000 is available this year across four categories: Community, Education, Environment, and First Nations or Cultural. Four organisations in Australia and four in New Zealand will each receive grants worth $5,000 in local currency, split between cash and Canon products. Additional studio and content packages worth $12,000 are also available.

Since launching in 2007, the programme has supported 130 organisations with $648,000 in funding and equipment, making it Canon's longest-running community programme in the region.

Applicants can seek support under category rules that differ slightly between the two markets. In Australia, the fourth category covers projects that contribute to positive outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. In New Zealand, it focuses on projects supporting the indigenous culture of Aotearoa.

Kotaro Fukushima, Managing Director & Chief Executive Officer of Canon Oceania, said the anniversary was an opportunity to extend the programme to a new group of recipients.

"Twenty years ago, we began providing small, targeted support to help community organisations make a bigger impact. Guided by our Kyosei philosophy of living and working together for the common good, we've now seen that support reach 130 organisations across Australia and New Zealand. To celebrate the twentieth year of the program, we're searching for eight more organisations with bold ideas about how imaging technology can help them reach more people and create change that lasts," Fukushima said.

Past recipients

Several former recipients described the programme as a source of ongoing support rather than a one-off award. Environmental charity Rainforest Rescue, which first received a grant in 2018, said the initial backing grew into a broader relationship with Canon that now supports rainforest regeneration work in the Daintree.

Kristin Canning, Partnerships Director at Rainforest Rescue, said the partnership shows how early support can grow over time.

"This partnership is built on and grown strongly from trust - trust that is seeing us create lasting, tangible and huge change for nature together," Canning said.

"Canon Oceania, as our strong Gold Partner, is helping Rainforest Rescue turn possibility into reality in the under-protected Daintree by rebuilding vital wildlife corridors to support countless precious flora and fauna. Canon's Grant support has also enabled our team to deliver and document this change, from identifying species in the field and tracking seedlings in our Native Nursery, to capturing the critical work of seed collection and the joy of community planting days. Together, we are reconnecting rainforest, river, and reef, and protecting a living system that has endured for millions of years."

Another previous winner, Hobart Rivulet Platypus, received support in 2023. Pete Walsh said the grant helped move a documentary project from fieldwork into production.

"We're so grateful for the Canon Grant. The funding and gear really gave us the support we needed to move our documentary following two mothers and their sons, Becoming Platypus, out of the field and into production. Together, we're helping to raise awareness of Hobart's vulnerable platypus population, and to conserve and protect them for future generations," Walsh said.

Cerebral Palsy Alliance, also a 2023 recipient, said the equipment supplied through the programme is still being used in advocacy and storytelling work three years later.

"The camera has played an important role in helping us capture key advocacy moments over the past few years, allowing us to share meaningful stories, raise awareness, and celebrate important milestones. We've used it to create video content for campaigns, as well as to photograph our Champions and the experiences of people within our community. Storytelling is at the heart of our advocacy. It's essential that people hear and understand the lived experiences of individuals with cerebral palsy, and this camera has enabled us to capture and share those stories in a powerful and authentic way," said Teigan Butchers.

Long use

That long-term value also featured in an account from Camera Story, which won a Community Grant in 2017. The organisation said it still uses the cameras bought through the programme in photography workshops for First Nations people in regional and remote communities.

"Camera Story won the Canon Oceania Grant in the Community category in 2017, which enabled us to purchase DSLR cameras to run our photography workshops. We continue to use those cameras today to support storytelling and creative expression across regional and remote communities," said Sarah Landro, Co-Founder of Camera Story.

The grants are open to projects with a social, educational, environmental, or cultural focus. Recipients will be able to choose from Canon imaging and printing products, including cameras, lenses, and printers, alongside the cash component of the award.

Applications will be followed by a public vote on finalists before winners are selected. This year's intake comes as businesses continue to use grant programmes and in-kind product support to strengthen ties with community groups and charities across the region.

Canon's figures suggest the scheme has remained a consistent part of that approach, with $648,000 distributed to 130 organisations since 2007 and a further eight recipients now being sought across Australia and New Zealand.