Funding awarded to more than 100 community groups and NFPs

FRRR has awarded $1,051,688 to 103 community groups to enhance the vitality and liveability of remote, rural and regional places across Australia, through the Foundation’s flagship grants program, Strengthening Rural Communities (SRC).

Thanks to the SRC program’s two streams of funding, these grants will empower local organisations to take the lead on ‘small and vital’ projects, like community hall maintenance or mental health first aid training, as well as support regions recovering from, or preparing for, disaster events such as bushfires or floods.

FRRR Place Portfolio Lead, Jill Karena, said the Foundation is committed to empowering local groups and organisations to develop and lead projects that will best meet the needs of their community.

“We know that for every state, region and town, priorities will be different, and we are here to work with local groups to help them address their needs and strive to celebrate their vibrancy and acknowledge their tenacity.

“The projects we fund truly matter and have a meaningful impact. Our Strengthening Rural Communities program proves that a grant, no matter how small, can make a big impact in a regional place.

“Although innovative and resilient, local not-for-profit organisations just don’t have the resources to withstand the acute impacts that wide-sweeping policy changes can have on remote, rural and regional Australia.

“For example, in South Australia, we have seen an increase in requests for kitchen and bathroom upgrades in community halls and buildings to meet increased hygiene standards required by the state’s revised Health Act. These community spaces are gathering places for the community, in times of celebration and when disasters strike, so it’s critical that we support local groups, like the Riverton Bowling Club, to make these upgrades to community spaces.

“In New South Wales, a directive for public sector employees to return to working in offices has meant an increase in supply of housing and a drop in house prices in some parts of regional NSW. This migration back to metro areas has a knock-on effect, impacting the economic and social wellbeing of these regional NSW communities with fewer people and less money to buoy the regions.

“Creating activities that bring people, and money, back into these towns, is one way that communities are working to remain sustainable in the face of this changing social and economic landscape. Warren’s ‘Turn Right for a Night’ Tourism Sign Project is a great example of this. The local Rotary Club will use a $10,000 grant to promote tourism and boost the local economy by installing signage at key locations to encourage drivers to visit the region.

“The upcoming 2025 Western Australia election build-up has seen some disaster-affected communities suddenly getting cash injections from the state for rebuilding projects. But we know that disasters affect more than just infrastructure, so we will continue to be here to support projects that strengthen the social fabric of these communities by funding preparedness, capacity and resilience-building activities.

“For example, the Warmun Art Aboriginal Corporation will use an SRC grant, funded through the Prepare & Recover stream, to prepare for future flooding events by developing flood-proof infrastructure to protect a nationally significant Aboriginal art collection.

“In both Queensland and the Northern Territory, we are hearing that Government promises of crackdowns on youth crime are causing anxiety in some regional communities. Projects that foster and encourage community members to connect, like the Kilkivan Great Horse Ride Street Market and Family Fun Day in Queensland or the Northern Territory Writers Festival, are vital for communities, and we are funding these kinds of activities as much as possible.

“In Tasmania, groups are acknowledging the strain that their volunteers are under and are seeking ways to support those people who are helping to keep their doors open. In Chudleigh, the Agricultural & Horticultural Society is increasing volunteer safety and satisfaction by using an SRC grant to upgrade the kiosk kitchen.

“More generally, we are seeing an increased numbers of applications from more rural and remote communities across the country looking to improve online access and reliability through Starlink connectivity. Like in Burren Junction, New South Wales, where the Burren Progress group will use a $10,000 grant to install a Starlink internet service and new digital equipment at the School of Arts Hall to improve the community’s internet connectivity.

“We are also supporting an increasing number of projects to ensure established local newspapers, newsletters and community radio continue, with locals concerned about the loss of community connection and identity and increased social isolation if these local institutions, like the Prom Coast News in Foster, Victoria, and the Midwest Aboriginal Media Association in Carnarvon, Western Australia, are lost,” Ms Karena explained.

Small grants are catalytic

Since its inception in 2019, FRRR’s SRC program has been a vital source of funding for more than 2,360 remote, rural and regional communities, distributing more than $27.4 million to NFPs across every state and territory in Australia.

“Our funding is often the critical catalyst that community groups need to get their projects off the ground. A grant from FRRR can encourage other organisations to invest in local solutions or can be used to leverage the additional funding their project needs,” Ms Karena explained.

In just this round, FRRR was able to contribute more than $1 million in grants for 103 projects that are worth over $2.3 million.

However, demand for funding continues to outstrip what FRRR has available, with this round seeing more than 32 ‘funding-ready’ and worthy small and vital projects seeking $362,000 in support missing out.

“To meet the continued demand for funding, FRRR needs the support of the philanthropic and corporate sectors to empower rural communities to lead projects and local solutions that will ensure their future is vibrant and sustainable,” Ms Karena said.

The SRC program is collaboratively supported by donors, ranging from private individuals to larger foundations, who are acknowledged on the FRRR website.

If you would like to help, you can donate at www.frrr.org.au/donate.

FRRR always accepts applications to this program, which awards funds around four times a year. Local not-for-profit organisations and community groups are encouraged to review the program guidelines and apply. More information about the SRC program is available at www.frrr.org.au/src.

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

Twenty-seven community-led groups in remote, rural and regional NSW will share in $912,505 awarded through the Resilience NSW COVID Regional Community Support (CRCS) program.

Funded by the NSW Government and administered by the Foundation for Rural & Regional Renewal (FRRR), the grants were allocated to grassroots community groups and not-for-profit organisations that helped their communities navigate the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic.

NSW Minister for Emergency Services and Resilience and Minister for Flood Recovery Steph Cooke said the funding stream would help these groups build resilience and better mitigate the impact of pandemics and other disasters across their communities.

“We awarded between $3,363 and $50,000 to organisations, to support a wide range of regional capacity building initiatives to help enhance community wellbeing, create stronger local economies, and enable a greater ability to respond to future challenges,” Ms Cooke said.

“The pandemic has posed plenty of difficulties for people and families in remote and regional areas over the past two years, and community-led organisations played an important role in navigating those challenges.”

Ms Cooke said some of the common requests from community groups involved facility improvements, food security and assisting with the increased demand on local services in flood-devastated areas such as the Northern Rivers.

“We’ve been able to address some of these needs through this funding stream, to ensure these groups and the communities they work with are in better stead for the future.”

Some of the 27 funded projects include:

• Agape Outreach Inc in Tweed Heads to improve staff and volunteer resilience and increase capacity to support the community through mental health and wellbeing training – $36,600.
• Forster Neighbourhood Centre Inc in Forster to promote organisational capacity and support local access to essential services by contributing to the fit-out of the new Forster Neighbourhood Centre – $50,000.
• Gunnedah Meals on Wheels Association in Gunnedah to improve the capacity of Gunnedah Meals on Wheels to support vulnerable community members through a hamper program and the purchase of a large deep freezer – $8,150.
• LeaderLife Ltd in Dubbo to grow organisational resilience and support skills development in local youth through a new syntropic farming system – $50,000.
• Sustainable Agriculture and Gardening Eurobodalla in Moruya to increase organisational capacity and promote food security in the Eurobodalla Shire through the hiring of a Business Manager – $50,000.

Natalie Egleton, CEO of FRRR, said the grants acknowledge and will strengthen the capacity of regional organisations in NSW who played such a critical role in supporting communities throughout COVID-19 challenges. 

“The impact of the pandemic has been significant and is still being felt,” Ms Egleton said. “The flexibility of this program recognised that every community is different and requires tailored support and funding to ensure that they can continue to provide vital services, bring people and community organisations together and enable locally-led responses as and when required.

“Being able to support the many community organisations and not-for-profits who have gone above and beyond for their communities during such difficult times and enable them to be better prepared in the future is important to the ongoing sustainability and vibrancy of these communities.”

A complete list of the projects supported is below.

Grant funding is now available to support communities in remote, rural and regional Queensland and New South Wales who have been impacted by this year’s flooding events.

Suncorp and GIO have partnered with the Foundation for Rural & Regional Renewal (FRRR), through the Rebuilding Futures program, to offer $500,000 in grants of up to $25,000 to help not-for-profit groups and local community organisations to rebuild and recover from this year’s flood events.

Suncorp’s Head of Flood Response and Recovery, Cath Stewart, said that this funding recognises that while the initial clean up may have concluded, many community groups still have a lot of work to do to support their community’s ongoing recovery.

“The floods were devastating and, sadly, some places were affected more than once. On top of weather events and the impacts of COVID, not to mention the increased costs of living that are putting pressure on local businesses and community members, many groups are finding it really hard to access resources they need to support their community.

“These grants, which can be used to support locally-identified recovery and rebuilding priorities, will hopefully relieve some of those pressures and allow the communities to start moving forward,” said Ms Stewart.

FRRR CEO, Natalie Egleton, said that Suncorp and GIO’s support means that there is flexible funding available to help communities rebuild and be better prepared for future disaster events.

“We know that local community leaders are the ones who are best placed to know what their community needs. That’s why we made sure these grants can fund a wide range of activities, events, initiatives and small-scale infrastructure or equipment projects. The aim is to ensure that the community can build resilience by improving facilities for mitigation and preparedness and creating opportunities to reconnect, share experiences or support overall wellbeing and improved mental health, in whatever way makes most sense to that community.

“We look forward to engaging with these groups and are hoping that for some the grant opportunity can be a catalyst for projects that reduce the impact of future disasters on community wellbeing and physical infrastructure,” Ms Egleton explained.

For more information about who is eligible and what can be funded, visit www.frrr.org.au/Rebuilding-Futures.

A Grant Seeking Workshop including a Q&A on the Rebuilding Future’s grant program will be held online from 1 – 2pm AEST Tuesday 23 August 2022.

Applications close 28 September 2022.

After supporting more than 50 local projects in 2021, the Nutrien Ag Solutions Community Grants Program is back for a second year, offering grants of up to $5,000 for projects across rural and regional Australia.

Nutrien Ag Solutions Director of Corporate Affairs Carissa Buckland says the program supports projects that strengthen, connect and enhance rural and regional communities.

“We have thousands of employees living and working in rural and regional towns right across Australia. So, we have a deep understanding of what makes a community thrive – and it’s all about the people” says Ms Buckland. 

“Covid placed significant unanticipated stress on grassroots organisations and groups that work tirelessly to support their local communities. With face-to-face events restricted over the past two years it’s been challenging for these groups to rely on their regular fundraising efforts.  Nutrien Ag Solutions is so proud to provide a much-needed boost to the rural and regional communities we are a part of,” says Ms Buckland.

Ms Buckland says grants are available for a wide range of meaningful community-led projects.

“Last year we supported 57 projects across the country including the installation of monkey bars at Coonamble Pre-School for their occupational therapy program and weatherproof speakers for the Mansfield Armchair Cinema. We also supported the upgrade of a space for regional artists to exhibit their work in Moora, an excursion to visit local farmers for students at Belltrees Public School, and a fence to improve the safety of the public playground at Deniliquin,” says Ms Buckland.

“We were also proud to support the return of medical services at the Penneshaw Community Health Rooms on Kangaroo Island, with funding used to provide air-conditioning for the consulting room and disability access to the bathroom, including a mobility toilet and grab rails.”

The Nutrien Ag Solutions Community Grants Program is run in partnership with the Foundation for Rural & Regional Renewal (FRRR).

FRRR CEO, Natalie Egleton, says that access to flexible funding through programs like Nutrien Ag Solutions Community Grants Program is really important for local not-for-profits and community groups to sustain their communities.

“The cumulative impacts of fires, floods, drought and COVID has put significant pressure on many remote, rural and regional community groups – yet as our Heartbeat of Rural Australia study showed last year, their work is more important than ever.  Flexible grant programs like this one, which can support a wide range of community needs, are more important than ever. We are delighted to once again be partnering with Nutrien Ag Solutions to enable this funding to get to the community groups that need it most, so they can help build stronger rural communities.”

Applications for the 2022 Nutrien Ag Solutions Community Grants Program are open now and close 5pm AEST 12 August 2022, with successful applicants announced in October this year. For more information and to apply visit: www.nutrienagsolutions.com.au/nutrien-ag-solutions-community-grants-program.