Media releases: 2 February 2023
FRRR today welcomed a new $600,000 partnership with Telstra, which will see a new grant program launch in March 2023.
Telstra’s Connected Communities Grant Program will boost support for NFPs and communities across remote, rural and regional Australia to improve resilience, environmental sustainability and liveability through the power of connection.
The program will offer grants up to $10,000 for not-for-profit community organisations that are providing access to information, technology, education and facilities to support their communities to embrace new technologies and ways of working to build social capital and digital capability.
FRRR’s Acting CEO, Sarah Matthee, said that this is a wonderful new partnership that will help address one of the biggest gaps identified in FRRR’s Heartbeat of Rural Australia study in 2021.
“The Heartbeat study really highlighted a significant digital divide for remote, rural and regional not-for-profit organisations, particularly when it comes to capacity to access digital resources and the opportunity to improve knowledge and skills to harness technology to maintain and create connections. But we also know that connections are so important in building resilient communities, as well as sustainable communities. So this contribution from Telstra is very welcome, as it will help to address some of those challenges and harness many of the opportunities in country Australia. We very much look forward to launching the program next month,” Ms Matthee said.
Read Telstra’s full announcement or learn more on Telstra’s Connected Communities Grant Program page.
