Some of Australia’s leading philanthropists and representatives from corporate Australia came together on 19 March to mark 25 years since the formation of FRRR. The event was hosted by the Myer family at their family home, Cranlana, in Melbourne.

Established in 2000 to support remote, rural and regional communities, FRRR brings together funding from philanthropy, business and government and directs it towards charitable, community-led projects that create more vibrant, resilient, sustainable and empowered communities. Since its inception, FRRR has awarded more than $200 million via more than 15,000 grants to grassroots not-for-profit organisations in around 1,700 places across the country.

The creation of FRRR came from the recognition that, in the late 90s, rural and regional Australia was in decline. After years of intense drought, small towns were shrinking, as shops, bank branches and schools closed, forcing families to move to larger centres.

At this time, the Sidney Myer Fund was looking to make a number of large grants to mark the 100^th anniversary of Sidney Myer’s arrival in Australia. Sidney’s son, the late Bailleu Myer AC, a primary producer himself, supported by the Executive Officer of the Sidney Myer Fund, Helen Morris AM, had been researching how philanthropy supported rural communities in other countries. At the same time, the Australian Government was convening the Regional Australia Summit, seeking to identify ways in which it could respond to the rural decline by adjusting policy settings.

Following discussions with the Hon. John Anderson AC, then Deputy Prime Minister, one of the ideas discussed at the Summit was the creation of some kind of philanthropic entity that could support the renewal of rural and regional communities – and thus FRRR was born. The Australian Government committed $10M in seed funding, which was augmented by contributions from the Sidney Myer Fund, Pratt Foundation and ANZ.

In welcoming guests to Cranlana, Will Myer, the current representative of the Myer family to sit on the FRRR board, said that for his family, FRRR has always been more than just an organisation.

“It has been a mission, a commitment, and a source of great pride. From the very beginning, we have believed in the power of this foundation to strengthen rural and regional communities and seeing what has been achieved over these 25 years has been nothing short of extraordinary.

“The past 25 years have proven that when we invest in rural and regional Australia, we invest in the heart of this country. A thriving rural and regional Australiais a thriving Australia. I have no doubt that FRRR will continue to play a vital role in ensuring that these communities thrive,” Mr Myer said.

FRRR Chairman, Tim Fairfax AC, said that it is vital to the future prosperity of Australia that FRRR continues to receive the support of philanthropy, government, business and individuals.

“For 25 years, FRRR has played a critical role in backing remote, rural and regional communities to create and sustain vibrant places to live, work and invest. We are proud that we have become a trusted partner enabling local solutions with lasting impact. But there’s more to be done to sustain and grow the heart of the nation so communities can be on the front foot of disruption, navigate transition and seek sustainable futures for themselves and Australia. We invite those who are passionate about empowering vibrant, resilient and sustainable communities to join us.”

Home to a remote island community at the western end of Bass Strait, King Island is about 140 kilometres from both Victoria and Tasmania. Isolated for around 10,000 years, the island is home to unique native plants and animals. The community of about 1,600 people is deeply interested in protecting their natural environment, which is important for their livelihood and wellbeing.

Known for producing ‘clean and green’ products of beef, cheese, crayfish, kelp, beer, gin and whisky, the island also attracts tourists with its stunning natural beauty. However, more than two thirds of its native vegetation has been lost, putting unique flora and fauna at risk. Fortunately, the island’s future is in good hands, as protection of this natural habitat is a top priority for locals, with volunteers undertaking enormous amounts of work to sustain both community and environment.

A key tenet of ANZ’s Seed of Renewal grant program is to support environmental sustainability by helping local groups protect and restore the environment. King Island Landcare Group’s project to create a restoration kit and train community members to use it to restore and monitor native vegetation fit well with this goal.

The $14,766 grant awarded in 2022 enabled the community to engage a consultant ecologist to create the kit and visit the island to train members how to use it to renew, repair and extend native vegetation, as well as providing methodology on monitoring restoration impacts over time. This was a significant achievement, as the island’s remoteness makes hiring consultant ecologists expensive and requires careful coordination. However, the tenacity of the community and their desire for this activity led them to ensure the schedule fit seasonal conditions, in addition to using video conferencing for some of the training.

The importance of planning, monitoring and recording projects over time was a key learning. Their new skills will help protect native flora and fauna, especially threatened Kind Island birds. In acquitting their grant, the King Island Landcare Group wrote, “This was a fantastic project for the local community, one that will benefit the island and its inhabitants for many years. The community’s ability to carry out restoration activities has grown, and we are thankful to ANZ and FRRR for their support.”

FRRR and ANZ have awarded $250,000 in grants to 22 community groups and not-for-profit organisations through the ANZ Seeds of Renewal program.

Now in its 22^nd year, the program provides grants to community groups across remote, rural and regional Australia. The awarded funds will support projects that align with one of four key areas: improving access to housing; increasing financial wellbeing; advancing environmental sustainability; or helping communities to thrive.

ANZ Head of Agribusiness, Mark Bennett said, “For over two decades, Seeds of Renewal has provided more than $6 million to approximately 930 projects, helping around 870 communities in remote and regional Australia build their resilience, sustainability and vibrancy.

“We are proud to provide funding for a diverse mix of projects that will support lasting economic and social growth for rural communities. These targeted and well-informed grants allow local organisations to implement initiatives that will have a meaningful impact and ensure the ongoing prosperity of regional Australia.”

FRRR CEO, Natalie Egleton said, “Across remote, rural and regional Australia, not-for-profit organisations play a vital role in helping address the critical environmental, financial, housing or wellbeing needs of their communities.

“Through partnerships, such as our longstanding association with ANZ, we can support and fund these groups to lead local initiatives and continue to strive for, and celebrate, the liveability, sustainability and vibrancy of Australia’s remote, rural and regional communities,” Ms Egleton said.

Some examples of the projects funded this year include:

Improving access to housing:

• Gnowangerup Community Resource Centre on behalf of GNP360 Co-operative Ltd, Universal Access for Gnowangerup Accommodation and Family Hotel Precinct, Gnowangerup, WA – Redesign and construct an all-abilities-access entrance and provide correctly-designed toilet facilities at the 100-year-old Gnowangerup Hotel. $15,000.
• PlusCommunity Limited, Wirree Crisis Refuge Laundry Upgrade, Orange, NSW – Repurpose the existing laundry space at Wirree Crisis Refuge, allowing people sleeping rough to access private, free, and safe laundry, shower and bathroom facilities. $15,000.

Improving environmental sustainability:

• Dalby Family Support Association Inc, Increasing Sustainability, Reducing Footprint, Dalby, QLD – Install solar panels in the office building to increase organisational sustainability and decrease electrical expenses, releasing funds to benefit the local community. $15,000.
• Trentham Sustainability Group Inc, Energy Resilient Trentham, Trentham, VIC – Construct an energy resilience hub, so that key businesses and residences in the Trentham township have electricity during extreme weather events. $15,000.

Improving Financial Wellbeing:

• Mooghalin Performing Arts Incorporation on behalf of Kids Get Money Pty Ltd, Increasing Financial Literacy in the Brewarrina Shire, Goodooga, NSW – Deliver a school holiday financial literacy program for First Nations children and families in Brewarrina Shire, teaching skills that will directly improve financial wellbeing. $15,000.
• Oceania Indigenous House of Ecommerce Limited, Oceania DigitalX Pathways Workshop, Kununurra, WA – Provide women from the Kimberley region with digital literacy and entrepreneurship skills to enable informed business decisions and enhance economic participation. $6,500.

Assisting local communities to thrive:

• Great Lake Community Centre Inc, Renewing Comfort: Empowering Our Community Hall with Smart, Sustainable Heating, Miena, TAS – Replace the more than 20 year-old heating systems, increasing capacity to open the meeting hall throughout the sub-Alpine winter months for community activities and special events. $15,000.
• Price Progress Association Incorporated, Price Community Club Shed Upgrade, Price, SA – Upgrade existing facilities into an inclusive and accessible community hub that will cater for multi-purpose use and benefit the wider Price community. $15,000.

The full list of grant recipients and their projects are below.

Applications are now open for the 2024 ANZ Seeds of Renewal program, with grants of up to $15,000 available for not-for-profit organisations and community groups in remote, rural and regional Australia.

Since 2003, ANZ has partnered with the Foundation for Rural & Regional Renewal (FRRR) to fund more than 850 community groups through the program, with a total investment of more than $6 million.

Now in its 22nd year, the ANZ Seeds of Renewal program is again offering a funding pool of $250,000 to community groups in remote, rural and regional locations for projects aligned to four areas:

ANZ Head of Agribusiness, Mark Bennett said: “The ANZ Seeds of Renewal program has been providing grants to communities in rural and regional Australia for more than two decades, many of which find it difficult to access the resources they need to prosper. The program is something we’re really proud of, and each year I look forward to seeing the diverse mix of applicants and projects,” Mr Bennett said.

FRRR CEO, Natalie Egleton, said: “Partnerships, like our long-running one with ANZ, are critical to enhancing the liveability and vibrancy of remote, rural and regional communities. These grants allow local not-for-profits to get support for initiatives that address the local priorities that communities have identified. I look forward to seeing what projects come through this year,” Ms Egleton said.

Last year, ANZ and FRRR provided grants to 20 community groups for projects including increasing rainforest regeneration, restoring Indigenous plants, enhancing local housing and employment opportunities, and improving financial literacy and money management skills against digital fraud.

Applications for the 2024 Seeds of Renewal program open on 3 July, and close at 5pm (AEST), 1 August 2024.

Interested community groups are invited to join a grantseeker webinar on Tuesday, 9 July at 12.30pm AEST. Register online.

Watch the ANZ Seeds of Renewal 20 year video.

Applications are now open for the ANZ Seeds of Renewal program, with grants of up to $15,000 available for not-for-profit organisations in remote, rural and regional areas to support the ongoing prosperity of regional Australia.

The program, which is now in its 21^st year, is administered by FRRR, and has provided more than $5.5 million to more than 800 community groups for approximately 900 projects to help build vibrant and sustainable communities.

This year, the ANZ Seeds of Renewal program is again offering a share of $250,000 to community organisations in remote, rural or regional locations for projects aligned to four focus areas:

• Environmental sustainability: initiatives that restore and conserve the natural environment or which contribute to lower carbon emissions, water stewardship and waste minimisation;
• Financial wellbeing: particularly for under-represented and disadvantaged people in the community, including initiatives that improve economic participation. For example, building financial literacy and vocational skills and providing access to meaningful work;
• Housing access: initiatives and programs that support those experiencing or at risk of homelessness or that provide supports for people living with disability; or
• Projects that assist local communities to thrive: by either enabling vibrant communities where everyone can participate and build a better life, or creating sustainable communities that help deliver demonstrable medium to long term economic sustainability.

ANZ General Manager Business Banking Jenefer Stewart said: “ANZ is committed to enhancing the wellbeing and prosperity of the communities where our people live and work, and where our business operates. One way we do this is by reinvesting in communities through programs like Seeds of Renewal. This year we are proud to once again contribute to the long-term growth and sustainability of small rural communities,” Ms Stewart said.

FRRR CEO Natalie Egleton said: “In the current financial environment, we know there is a heightened need to support and strengthen the sustainability of rural Australia. We believe local leaders and community groups are best placed to identify and address the environmental, financial and housing concerns in their region, and to know first-hand what their communities need to thrive. Programs like ANZ Seeds of Renewal mean we can support these types of meaningful and community-led projects that promote the sustainability and liveability of remote, rural and regional Australia. We look forward to seeing what projects local groups put forward this year,” Ms Egleton said.

Last year, ANZ and FRRR provided grants to 20 community groups for projects including preserving Anbinik Rainforests through Indigenous Fire Management in Arnhem Land, NT; building capability and confidence by providing practical financial literacy skills and awareness training to women in East Gippsland, Victoria; providing fit out of accommodation to support women at risk of domestic violence and homelessness in remote WA; and delivering key skills training to increase the employability of young people in agriculture in Crookwell, NSW.

Applications open on 12 July and close 5pm AEST, 10 August 2023.

A grantseeker workshop will be held online from 1 – 2pm AEST, on Wednesday 19 July, 2023.

For more information about ANZ Seeds of Renewal, or to apply for a grant visit: https://frrr.org.au/funding/place/anz-seeds-of-renewal/.

Tableland Community Link Association (TCL) in North QLD provides person-centred support for people with disabilities and/or mental illness to have opportunities that increase their connection and sense of belonging within their community.

They used a $15,000 ANZ Seeds of Renewal grant to build an enclosed verandah extension at ‘The Grove’ activities centre, which is used on a daily basis by their clients. The extension has added extra cooling, further weather protection and increased the capacity of the centre, which has allowed TCL to increase the number of participants in the activities they hold for clients each weekday.

‘The Grove’ hosts daily activities for clients like chair yoga, craft classes, bingo, games and karaoke items, and has a full industrial kitchen for cooking classes and many more activities. The Atherton Tablelands community, and in particular Atherton, is expanding rapidly and the increase in clients has followed this trend. Through the expansion of the back verandah ,more outdoor activities are now possible and more clients can visit and participate at the centre. 

Carrie de Brueys, Services Manager of ‘The Grove’, said, “This activity centre is the only one of its kind in Atherton and on the Atherton Tablelands. Clients must travel almost one and a half hours to Cairns to have access to similar facilities – so expanding our capacity has been critical.

“For people with a disability or mental illness, a sense of community and belonging is very important in their day-to-day routines, as it creates a sense of independence and stability. It enables clients to interact with like-minded people, whilst also feeling safe and comfortable. It also allows them to have a sense of independence in a community environment.”

This renovation project aligns with one of the ANZ Seeds of Renewal grant program criteria under the theme of ‘Improving Housing Access’. For organisations that offer housing support and services for people living with a disability, funding is available to improve disability access to community facilities.

ANZ and the Foundation for Rural & Regional Renewal (FRRR) have awarded $250,000 in grants to 20 regional community groups and not-for-profit organisations through the ANZ Seeds of Renewal program.

Jenefer Stewart, ANZ General Manager Business Banking, said: “We understand small communities face unique challenges in terms of access to services and community facilities. Programs like Seeds of Renewal aim to support these communities by funding projects that address some of these challenges.

“This year is really special as it marks 20 years of ANZ delivering Seeds of Renewal. In that time, we have provided more than $5.5m to around 900 community groups to build vibrant and sustainable rural communities and ensure the ongoing prosperity of regional Australia,” Ms Stewart said.

The 2022 program supported remote, rural and regional communities across Australia to improve their town’s environmental sustainability; increase financial wellbeing in communities, particularly those with disadvantaged or minority groups; or improve housing access for those experiencing or at risk of homelessness and for people living with a disability; and other projects that help communities to thrive.

FRRR’s CEO, Natalie Egleton, said that long-term partnerships like this mean that community groups know that there will be funding available to help them respond to the myriad of challenges and opportunities that they face now, and in the future.

“These communities are extremely resilient and self-reliant but sometimes they need support to help them bring their ideas to fruition. Partnerships like the one that FRRR has had with ANZ over the last 20 years mean that they know that funding will be available, and so they can plan and work toward improving their community for the challenges ahead. We greatly appreciate ANZ’s ongoing support and look forward to it continuing for many years to come,” Ms Egleton said.

Since being established in 2003, ANZ Seeds of Renewal has awarded $5.5 million to around 900 projects. Some examples of the 20 projects funded this year include:

Environmental Sustainability

• Narrabri Shire Community Radio Incorporated, Narrabri, NSW – Install Roof Top Solar Panels and Battery. Boost organisational capacity using green solar energy to reduce emissions and operation costs at Narrabri community radio station. $15,000

Financial Wellbeing

• Australian Agricultural Centre, Crookwell, NSW – Australian Agricultural Centre Limited Youth AG Activation. Provide key skills training to increase employability of young people in Crookwell in agriculture. $15,000

Housing Access

• Phoenix Place Inc, Mackay, QLD – Teen and Adult Social Connection Space. Enable people living with a disability in Mackay to access a drop in social space for connecting with peers. $8,900

Thriving Communities

• Hub Foundation Castlemaine Limited, Castlemaine VIC – YIMBY Gymby. Boost the capacity of backyard composting through engaging young volunteers to support older community members in Castlemaine. $11,330

The full list of the recipients is below.

The small community of Bowen, on the north Queensland coast, is economically diverse, boasting agriculture, tourism, fishing and mining. Despite this, it experiences high levels of youth unemployment.

PCYC Bowen branch manager Sergeant Michelle O’Regan explains that having high youth unemployment does not necessarily mean a high youth crime rate, as some might assume, but it does present challenges for the community.

“We take a proactive approach by giving young people leadership and building their employability skills. We tap into local resources and connect schools with businesses to build that sense of community. They say it takes a village to raise a child, so our customer is the whole community – it’s about working together and opening up opportunities for both sides to connect,” said Sergeant O’Regan.

Seed funding

PCYC Queensland’s Greener Futures program aimed to support ten students from Bowen State High School gain hands-on experience in the horticulture industry and assist them to become more employable.

Four years ago, PCYC Queensland received $8,000 through FRRR’s ANZ Seeds of Renewal program to buy some basic equipment for the initiative.

“Without that initial funding, we would have never have got the program off the ground. While the program has evolved over time, looking back [the grant] was pivotal to where we are now,” Sergeant O’Regan explains.

She says that the long-term plan for Greener Futures was two-pronged; to expand quality employment opportunities in local industries for young people facing barriers in the labour market, and to strengthen the economic vitality of the local sector through strategic support and consumer education.

Sergeant O’Regan goes on to say that the initial funds were a catalyst for attracting further support and gave credibility to the initiative and what we were trying to achieve.

“The initial pilot program was a successful partnership between the high school, Stackelroth Farms, and Prospect Agriculture, with in-kind support from other local businesses and organisations that ensured the program’s success.

“This program morphed into the Resilience for life (R4L) program, which focussed on more the psychological wellbeing of our youth and attracted funds from Perpetual. From there R4L eventually became our now hugely successful WORKFit program. We received $20,000 in funds from the Queensland Government, which enabled us to employ a community development officer.

“But without the initial injection of funding from ANZ and support from FRRR, we would have struggled to get the pilot program up and running and, therefore, we would not have ended up with the program we are delivering now.

“All I know, when you build a house you need first the foundation. Small grants – five or six years later we look back and see that those funds were really pivotal to where we are now. We could never have pre-planned that.”

“There are multiple layers – from small things big things can grow. For example, if we don’t have a working kitchen, we can’t hold community events or run mental health awareness programs. A bus, even, can really make a big difference to a small community.”

The role of Philanthropy

Sergeant O’Regan believes that communities need to help themselves rather than being entirely reliant on money.

“The role of philanthropy is about giving that a bit of a boost. That confidence that what they are working towards is going to be beneficial.

“It should be a hand-up, not a hand-out. Some communities are reliant on money coming in from outside, rather than working together. If you want something, you have got to work towards it. Whether it is a raffle or something else. Our young people have put in around 5,000 hours – they really want to be part of what we do.”

Sergeant O’Regan explains that people want to help, but they don’t always know how. Corporates may not have the time or the connection within the community to initiate support, but by spending time with a group, they can often work out where they can help best.

“It’s not always about money. Support can be in time and expertise. For example, I would love to be able to connect with a good business mentor, who would give up a bit of their time, so I can share my vision and ideas.

“It is about working in partnership. Come and have a look, philanthropists – see for yourselves. Let’s work together.”

On Bigambul Country

Macintyre Ag Alliance, a not-for-profit organisation, is based in Goondiwindi, a four-hour drive west of Brisbane. They work collaboratively with the community to enhance agricultural productivity in the area and create healthy land, with the goal of passing on a more stable environment to the next generation.

With the help of a $10,365 FRRR grant through the ANZ Seeds of Renewal program, Macintyre Ag Alliance was able to implement their Skilling Her Enterprise project. The project consisted of a series of workshops focused on upskilling regional women with the key skills they need to build and maintain successful off farm businesses. FRRR funds went toward the costs of some of the speakers who led the workshops as well as venue hire, catering, bookkeeping and admin.

Over a period of five months, three workshops were held which covered topics like business vision and direction, budget, bookkeeping, mindset and mental health, setting up for sustainable success and social media marketing.

At the time of the workshops, the area was being impacted by border closures. Goondiwindi is right on the NSW / QLD border, which meant that some of the women who had planned to attend were unable to make it in person. However, Macintyre Ag Alliance was able to adapt in order to make that particular workshop both an online event and an in-person event, which meant that everyone who wanted to was still able to benefit from the knowledge and insight that the speakers had to share.

It was a great opportunity to showcase some incredible local women, as both the attendees and speakers had a lot to contribute. It provided an opportunity for these women to come together, form a bond and support one another.

“We are most proud of the fact that these like-minded women are now connected through workshops that they all took part in. These sessions facilitated really wonderful and safe discussions and the women went away saying they felt more confident, empowered and motivated to make changes to the way they live their lives and run their businesses.”

Louise Carroll, Coordinator.

For more inspiring stories like this, head to our FY 2021/22 Annual Review.

Last month, FRRR had the great pleasure of hosting a number of our Corporate Partners at ANZ’s offices in Sydney for a discussion about How corporate philanthropy can foster strong vibrant rural communities. With representation from multiple industries, the conversation was far-reaching – covering everything from telecommunications challenges to housing affordability.

Jenefer Stewart, ANZ General Manager, Business Banking, opened the roundtable and talked about the wonderful 20-year partnership that FRRR & ANZ have shared, including the extremely successful Seeds of Renewal Program. It has provided more than $5 million in grants to over 800 community groups during the lifetime of the partnership.

Jenefer highlighted the importance of supporting regional and rural communities, and also discussed the enormous benefits to ANZ employees involved in the Program.

“Our 20-year partnership with FRRR aligns strongly with ANZ’s purpose and our ongoing commitment to support vibrant and sustainable rural communities to ensure the ongoing prosperity of regional Australia.

“In addition to the benefits to regional Australia, the Program provides a great opportunity for our employees to be more involved with the Program by volunteering their time on the Assessment Committee. Under the guidance of FRRR, the Assessment Committee undertakes the thorough and methodical process of evaluating applications based on our four key themes covering Environmental Sustainability; Financial Wellbeing; Access to Housing; and Community Projects that assist communities to thrive. The overwhelming feedback from our ANZ volunteers is that they find the opportunity to be involved with the Program extremely rewarding and highly recommend the experience to others.”

Natalie Egleton, CEO of FRRR, gave an overview of the state of remote, rural and regional communities, sharing some alarming statistics about volunteer fatigue, youth engagement in volunteerism, disaster resilience and the digital divide from FRRR’s Heartbeat of Rural Australia study. Some of those key facts included:

• More than 50% of the community groups surveyed still rely on traditional communication techniques such as telephone, mail and face-to-face;
• 1/3 volunteers are elderly;
• Fewer than 30% rated their internet access as extremely reliable;
• 87% of community organisations play an economic role in their community; and
• 99% of community organisations play a social or cultural role in their community.

It was wonderful to hear the shared passion around the room for remote and rural Australia, and to learn of the incredible programs that so many of the organisations in attendance are currently undertaking to support these areas.

For example, we heard from Sasha Deshon, Community Engagement Manager for Transgrid, about their $1.5 million to a partnership with Regional Development Authority (RDA) Riverina to deliver a major jobs and skills boost to the region. Vicky Power, Head of Community for Suncorp spoke of their $1millon pledge last year to FRRR for a dedicated program to support rural communities impacted by significant natural disasters.

One of the most promising aspects of the roundtable was the clear commitment from the organisations present (including others such as Pepper Money, Stockland, Raine & Horne, Pinnacle Charitable Foundation & NRMA) for future collaboration to tackle some of the many challenges facing remote, rural and regional communities.

We look forward to continuing our role as the conduit and connector for the corporate community to collaborate for the ongoing sustainability and vitality of remote, rural and regional Australia. To find out more about the corporate partnership options or attend one of our roundtables in the future, contact the partnerships team via [email protected].