Nutrien Ag Solutions Community Grants Program invests over $1 million into local not-for-profit projects since 2021

FRRR and Nutrien Ag Solutions have today announced the 59 recipients of the 2024 Nutrien Ag Solutions Community Grants Program, with over $1 million invested in remote, rural or regional communities through the program over the past four years.

The 2024 not-for-profit (NFP) recipients will receive a share of $250,000 for projects that will contribute to the success, vibrancy and wellbeing of their communities. Grants have been awarded in every state and each of the projects supported will receive up to $5,000.

This is the fourth round of the annual Nutrien Ag Solutions Community Grants program, which aims to strengthen resilience and sustainability and contribute toward long-term positive social and environmental outcomes.

Mady Muirhead, Corporate Affairs Advisor at Nutrien Ag Solutions, said that it’s wonderful to be able to support so many of the places where the Nutrien staff live and work.

“The nature of our business means that most of our staff live and work in small communities across remote, rural and regional Australia. We love seeing our branch staff making sure that their community know about the grants, and we often find that they also get involved in projects like working bees or events. By supporting the grassroots organisations that are the heartbeat of these communities, we know that we are contributing to the success, wellbeing and vibrancy of these places that our people call home,” Ms Muirhead said.

FRRR’s Place Portfolio Lead, Jill Karena, said that the partnership with Nutrien Ag Solutions means that community groups, especially in smaller, more remote locations, can access the funding they need to create vibrant and sustainable communities.

“Small rural communities – especially those with fewer than 500 people – find it hard to raise the funds to deliver key activities, so we are grateful for our partnership with Nutrien Ag Solutions, as it means that we can help local not for profit groups in these communities to continue to function and deliver critical services and activities.

“Like all of us, these volunteer-led organisations are also feeling the increases in the cost of living, so we’re pleased that a significant tranche of funding has gone toward helping to sustain local community organisations and to host events that both bring the community together and raise vital funds for key local projects.

“As in previous rounds, the most common requests were for funding to support infrastructure and equipment. Many community facilities, which are critical to sustaining social cohesion, are deteriorating as government funding declines, so these grants will help to maintain and enhance these important local meeting places and help create vibrant, resilient communities,” Ms Karena said.

Among the projects funded are:

• In Ballan VIC, the Community House and Adult Education Centre has received $5,000 toward a disability access ramp.
• In Tilpa in very remote NSW, the Tilpa Community Committee will use $1,000 towards garden tools.
• In Teelba, in remote QLD, the Primary School P&C Association will use a $5,000 grant to restore the school landscaping.
• In Padthaway SA, the Progress and Development Association will put their $5,000 grant towards a new display fridge at their community cafe.
• In Darkan WA, the West Arthur Community Resource Centre will use their $5,000 grant to lease a car for community use.
• In Huonville TAS, the Huon She Shed will use their $5,000 grant towards internal heating and a ceiling fan in their shed.

If your group could benefit from an FRRR grant, head to www.frrr.org.au/find-funding-now to explore the programs currently open.

FRRR’s grant programs are always in demand, so if you can help us award more grants to deserving organisations that have funding-ready projects, contact our team via partnerships@frrr.org.au.

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

Women in the 200+ rural community of Hamilton in the Central Highlands region of Tasmania are healthier and happier, thanks to a series of workshops that focused on empowering women and building their resilience. The sessions were supported by a $5,000 grant through FRRR’s Nutrien Ag Solutions Community Grants program that helped cover food costs and speaker fees, making it affordable for many rural women to attend.

The sessions came about after the The Hamilton District Agricultural Show Society (HDASS) committee volunteers noticed that women in the district often felt lonely and isolated, as facilities closed down, leaving them fewer options to get involved in activities. Add to that the challenge of balancing work, family life, sport, hobbies, managing access to health services and more.

The committee therefore decided to plan something to bring them together and learn new skills, in the belief that strong women create strong families and communities. The grant meant the committee could offer a series of workshops rather than only one, helping participants build their network and cement connections with new and familiar people.

They ran four sessions from June to December 2023, each with a different topic around the theme of empowering women and building their resilience:

1. The power of the written word – about how reading and book clubs can provide a fabulous networking opportunity for attendees.
2. Resilience through self-care – addressing common health issues for women and reinforcing the need to be proactive in managing your health.
3. Strength through agriculture and community – tips on managing mental health challenges and how important friends and colleagues are in times of need.
4. Protecting rural communities from within – sharing how building connections can help prevent crime in rural communities.

Joanna Jones from the HDASS committee reported that the program brought together around 70 people from a diverse range of ages, social backgrounds, education and jobs, and encouraged learning from the presenters, as well as each other.

“Bringing together people from different facets of the community, and allowing people to make new connections and friends was a highlight … This was a fantastic program. It was also lovely that a representative from Nutrien was able to attend two of the workshops, and see the difference the funding made to the community,” she said.

Applications for Nutrien Ag Solutions Community Grants Program are now open, with eligible not-for-profit organisations invited to apply for a grant of up to $5,000 to support community projects in regional Australia.

“Through our partnership with the Foundation for Rural & Regional Renewal, the Nutrien Ag Solutions Community Grants Program has been instrumental in providing more than $750,000 in funding over the last three years to local not-for-profit organisations,” said Mady Muirhead, Corporate Affairs Advisor at Nutrien Ag Solutions.

“In 2023 alone, we granted more than $252,000 to 57 community-led projects across remote, rural and regional Australia. These projects are designed to strengthen and invigorate our communities, making them even more vibrant and prosperous.”

“We’re a local employer across hundreds of communities, so we know what a privilege it is to live and work in regional Australia. Our community investments are underpinned by one aim – contributing to a successful, sustainable and safe future for agricultural communities,” said Ms Muirhead.

The Nutrien Ag Solutions Community Grants Program has supported more than 160 local projects since its launch in 2021, including the redevelopment of fire shed facilities at Carabost, New South Wales; the restoration of the historic Buangor Cobb and Co at Buangor, Victoria; and the construction of a stage shelter at the agricultural showgrounds in Millicent, South Australia.

“We work in partnership with our communities to support them at a grassroots level, in ways that best suit the specific needs of that community,” said Ms Muirhead.

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

FRRR Place Program Lead, Jill Karena, says that it’s wonderful to partner with Nutrien Ag Solutions to support local not-for-profits that know just what’s needed to make their communities more livable, vibrant and sustainable.

“Whether it’s an initiative to engage local young people, enhancements to community facilities to bring people together and facilitate connection, or providing access to services many of us in urban areas take for granted, the Nutrien Ag Solutions Community Grants Program has the flexibility to respond to local priorities identified by local people. We look forward to seeing what those needs are this year and to help bring those great ideas to fruition,” said Ms Karena.

Applications for the 2024 Nutrien Ag Solutions Community Grants Program are open now and close on 8 August 2024, with successful applicants announced in October this year.

An online webinar will be held to support grant seekers from 12.30 – 1.30pm (AEST) on Tuesday 16 July. Sign up here: https://events.humanitix.com/nutrien-ag-solutions-grantseeker-workshop.

For more information and to apply, visit: https://frrr.org.au/funding/place/nutrien/.

The Arapiles Community Theatre (ACT) is a local volunteer-led arts organisation that supports a wide range of creative practices, helping artists develop their work, and regularly hosting arts events at the local Natimuk’s Soldiers Memorial Hall. They’re dedicated to keeping the arts scene vibrant in the local Wimmera region and promoting local artists and their work.

Although it’s a beautiful old brick building, the Memorial Hall has some limitations, particularly when it comes to the audiovisual (AV) equipment. It requires IT expertise to set-up and troubleshoot any issues, which makes it hard for volunteers to use the equipment and discourages many from booking the venue.

This led to ACT applying for a grant to purchase a simple ‘plug and play’ AV system, which is easy for those with limited IT knowledge to use, yet still ensures high-quality projection and sound and delivers a satisfying experience for both the user and their audience.

ACT received a $5,000 grant from FRRR through the Nutrien Ag Solutions Community Grants program. Coupled with an equal grant from the Horsham Rural City Council, they were able to buy a comprehensive and permanent AV system for the Hall. While the heritage hall presented difficulties, the community’s determination saw them through. They faced and overcame the hurdles, learning and showcasing their skills during the process.

This investment in a meaningful, community project plays an important role in the viability of the hall and the vibrancy within the region. The long-term benefits for the broader community are highly significant. With new, easy-to-use equipment, more people want to rent the hall. The new AV system meets the high standards required for visiting screening opportunities, which helps ACT committee host more events and consequently, makes the hall a better place for social, economic, and cultural connections.

In finalising their project, Jacqui from the ACT committee said that this grant was fantastic for their hall and community. They expressed gratitude to FRRR and Nutrien Ag Solutions for their support. The revitalisation has led to more upcoming upgrades and has brought a positive impact to the entire region.

Nutrien Ag Solutions funds more than $250,000 in local projects

Nutrien Ag Solutions, in partnership with the FRRR, has awarded $252,924 in grants to 57 local not-for-profit organisations for projects that will contribute to the success, vibrancy and wellbeing of their remote, rural or regional communities.

Awarded through the Nutrien Ag Solutions Community Grants Program, the grants will support a broad array of projects, including community facility upgrades, local events and social gatherings, training and mentoring to address issues such as food insecurity and healthcare, and the purchase or upgrade of equipment to support volunteers.

Since 2021, the Nutrien Ag Solutions Community Grants Program has awarded more than $750,000 in grants to 167 community-led projects, helping to create long-term positive outcomes for rural places.

Mady Muirhead, Corporate Affairs Advisor at Nutrien Ag Solutions, said that the company is proud to support rural communities to implement future-focused solutions that are both attainable and sustainable.

“Thanks to our partnership with FRRR, we are able to help local grassroots organisations do more of what they do best. These organisations are the heartbeat of remote, rural and regional communities, and raising funds for local priority projects is getting harder and harder. But we are proud to support them now, and in the long-term.

“This year we saw almost 200 local Nutrien branches endorse grant applications and we are proud to fund more than a quarter of those projects. Our people live and work in these communities and thanks to their commitment to building lasting relationships with locals, they know just what projects the community will really value,” Ms Muirhead explained.

Jill Karena, FRRR’s Place Portfolio Lead, said that this year, most funding has been directed toward upgrading the amenities or accessibility of community facilities.

“This reflects the increasing costs and dereliction of ageing community infrastructure and the challenges of fundraising locally to maintain these assets. Even though the grants may be considered small, these improvements will have a big impact on ensuring that these local meeting places are safe and secure so that locals can maintain their social connections.

“We appreciate Nutrien Ag Solutions’ continued support and investment in this program. It’s these kinds of partnerships that enable us to fund initiatives that are meaningful to the community in which the project is run. No matter what this may look like, we are inspired by the persistence of rural communities, to create a more vibrant and connected Australia,” Ms Karena said.

Some of the 57 organisations and projects being supported include:

• Northern NSW Helicopter Rescue Service Limited, in Tenterfield, NSW, has been awarded $5,000 to enhance the organisation’s fundraising capability and facilitate community engagement by purchasing a barbeque trailer.
• Riding for the Disabled Association Top End, in Darwin, NT, has been awarded $5,000 to increase disability support services through equipment to increase coach capacity for walking horses at Top End Riding for the Disabled.
• Banana Shire Community Arts Assoc Inc, in Biloela, QLD, has been awarded $4,778 to improve community facilities with a water tank at the Biloela Community Garden enabling efficient water use for growing fruit and vegetables for community access.
• Manoora Centenary Park Incorporated, in Manoora, SA, has been awarded $5,000 to enhance community first aid access at the Manoora Centenary Park by creating a dedicated space for first aid to be administered and improving hygiene, secure storage and patient privacy.
• Huon Valley Police & Community Youth Club Inc, in Huonville, TAS, has been awarded $5,000 to host a program focused on disadvantaged-youth that helps them learn about the importance of teamwork, co-operation, communication and leadership.
• Committee of Management of Dunrobin Public Hall and Reserve Inc, in Dunrobin, VIC, has been awarded $2,746 to build community capacity through the purchase of new chairs and a stainless steel urn to support safe and comfortable use of the Dunrobin Hall.
• Dumbleyung Community Resource Centre, in Dumbleyung, WA, has been awarded $4,597 to support community connection with the purchase of an inflatable screen to enable inclusive access to free movie nights across the year for a small remote community.

The fourth round of the Program is expected to open around June 2024. Community groups looking for funding in the interim should head to www.frrr.org.au/find-funding.

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

Applications for Nutrien Ag Solutions Community Grants Program are now open, with eligible not-for-profit organisations invited to apply for a grant of up to $5,000 to support remote, rural or regional community projects. The Nutrien Ag Solutions Community Grants Program is run in partnership with FRRR.

“Since the launch of the Community Grants program in 2021, Nutrien has supported 110 projects by awarding over $500,000 in grants to rural and regional communities across Australia,” said Mady Muirhead, Corporate Affairs Coordinator at Nutrien Ag Solutions.

“The success of agriculture and the well-being of regional Australia are inextricably linked. We’re proud to play a leading role in helping to build a safe and sustainable future for our farmers and their communities. We are going further by investing in meaningful projects and supporting local grassroot organisations.

“We have thousands of employees living and working in rural and regional Australia, ingrained in their local communities. They have a deep understanding of what makes a community thrive – and it’s all about the people.

“Last year we saw many parts of our country face environmental disasters on a significant scale, with many still facing recovery. This placed significant unanticipated stress on grassroots organisations and groups that work tirelessly to support their local communities. Nutrien Ag Solutions is so proud to provide a much-needed boost to the rural and regional communities we are a part of,” said Ms Muirhead.

The Community Grants Program has supported more than 100 local projects over the past two years, including the installation of an Indigenous artwork and Bush Tucker Garden at Childers, Queensland; contributing to a purpose-built beach ramp and wheelchairs at Swansea, Tasmania; child protection workshops at Dowerin, Western Australia and the installation of solar power panels at the Cambrai Sports Club in South Australia.

“We work in partnership with our communities to support them at a local level, in ways that best suit the individual needs of that community,” said Ms Muirhead.

“Rural communities continue to deal with so many challenges and the role of local not-for-profit groups is becoming ever more critical in filling gaps and helping create vibrant, sustainable communities. Many of these organisations have wonderful volunteers who do so much but projects to improve community facilities or resource new projects or operations also need funding,” said FRRR CEO, Natalie Egleton.

“Over the last two years local fundraising has been made increasingly difficult due to COVID and increasing economic pressures, meaning locals have less capacity to give. As a result, we’re seeing more and more demand for funding support.

“We are grateful for Nutrien’s ongoing partnership, as it enables grassroots groups to access grants that can go toward these projects. But it’s more than just money, as Nutrien’s support continues locally for groups that get funding, staying connected to the local branches as projects are implemented. So, we look forward to seeing what projects come forward this year,” Ms Egleton said.

Applications for the 2023 Nutrien Ag Solutions Community Grants Program are open now and close 10th August 2023, with successful applicants announced in October this year.

An online webinar will be held to support grant seekers from 12.30 – 1.30 (AEST) on Monday 24 July. Sign up for the webinar via the FRRR website or via this LINK.

For more information and to apply, visit: https://frrr.org.au/funding/place/nutrien/

Ravensthorpe Community Resource Centre (CRC) Inc is integral in coordinating and managing community and business events throughout the Ravensthorpe Shire in Western Australia. They have expanded to the Fitzgerald Business Network, which is focused on connecting and skill building businesses throughout the district including social development activities such as Study with a Buddy After School Program; Seniors Computer Club and major annual events such as Wellness Weekender and Galaxy Country Carnival and Street Parade.

A $5,000 Nutrien Ag Solution Community Grant in 2021 provided the opportunity to improve community organisations’ employee and volunteer management. The grant funded bringing in a local human resources consultant to develop tailored solutions for paid and unpaid personnel in local community groups, run workshops on volunteer management software systems and set up a central register for formal volunteer documents. Additionally, a project manager was paid to plan and co-ordinate the work. 

Volunteers are the lifeblood of many communities. However, this is a great example of how funding can temporarily increase organisational capacity to complete work effectively. In this case the original plan of completing one group training was not possible so several sessions had to be coordinated to ensure all local community groups could participate.

There have been some great outcomes:

• Position descriptions and employment contracts were developed for seven community groups or volunteer programs, including the Community Spirit Committee and Ravensthorpe Regional Arts Council.
• A volunteer certificate register was developed and promoted. It has benefited three groups (and will continue to benefit others) who have volunteers that require Working With Children Checks, Responsible Service of Alcohol Certificates and that want to store these certificates in a central location.
• Two workshops on cloud-based volunteer management options were delivered.

Chairperson Tracy Ebert was delighted with the project outcomes. “We have developed a suite of tailored resources for some of our most important local community groups.  The volunteers on these groups now feel much more confident to engage volunteers and paid staff knowing that they are meeting all legal requirements. The volunteers have enjoyed having very clear expectations and have remained engaged. There are now at least three other groups in the community using the volunteer software system presented to manage volunteers and the reporting to committees and management of tasks has been vastly improved in these instances.

“And that’s not all,” she continued. “Excitingly, we have been able to provide these resources to a region-wide project – South Coast Enviro Experiences – with similar objectives (as the challenges with managing volunteers are universal), which means they don’t have to reinvent the wheel and can direct their resources into other essential elements of the project which we will benefit from.”

There are learnings in all projects and the Ravensthorpe CRC are conscious of the security of the data they hold on behalf of their volunteers, and have taken all measures for its secure keeping.

Overall, 60 people from Ravensthorpe community organisations directly benefited from the training and presentations, and there is the ongoing benefit to human resource documentation and administration skills to support current and future employees and volunteers in Ravensthorpe.

In November, around 25 supporters joined the FRRR directors, CEO and Partnerships Team for a donor event held at the Nutrien Ag Solutions offices in Docklands, Melbourne. Dialling into the event as a guest speaker was Jacqui Bramwell from Alpine Valleys Community Leadership (AVCL) program.

Based in the Alpine Valley in north east Victoria, AVCL is dedicated to supporting their region by building strong leadership among locals, to create thriving, connected and resilient communities.

Back in 2019/20, the Alpine Valley was heavily affected by the Black Summer bushfires. The fires destroyed homes, livestock, 3,387km of fencing, and in the Alpine Shire 30% of the shire footprint had some of the worst air quality in the world, causing smoke taint on the grapes in the many local wineries.

For these communities in the north east, recovery took many forms. Immediate recovery needs included finding food and shelter for displaced people and repairing fences to keep livestock contained. But as time passed, recovery needs changed and the focus turned to the future.

In 2021, AVCL received a $90,000 multi-year grant from FRRR, through the Bushfire Recovery Fund, funded by the Helen Macpherson Smith Trust (HMSTrust) and the Sidney Myer Fund. The grant was to build their capacity to strategically plan and deliver leadership training that will effectively support and build community recovery in the area.

This FRRR grant program supports not-for-profit community groups who play a central coordinating or networking role in supporting communities to recover from the Black Summer bushfires and to build organisational capacity.

Jacqui joined the meeting to share progress to date in implementing their grant and to provide some insights into the ongoing recovery.

A key goal for AVCL was to develop a recovery component in their organisation’s strategic plan, including developing specific workshop programs and resources and to make them more accessible to community members.

To understand what the broader community needed, they started by consulting widely. They connected with their 500 alumni across the north east region. They also contacted local authority Recovery Managers and Neighbourhood Centres who are well connected within their communities to hear first-hand what locals need.

“The key themes from those consultations were the challenges around supporting and sustaining community-led recovery. For the community to lead the recovery process, they need to have the leadership and project management skills,” Jacqui explained.

She noted that the scale of the recovery has affected all other activities in the Shires, taking community leaders away from other organisations they are normally active in.

“In this region, there are up to 10 Community Recovery Committees due to the vast impacts of the fires and the geography. That means a lot of people. This highlights the importance of building the next generation of leaders to backfill those positions on the committees of organisations such as CWA, the SES, the local cemetery management committee etc. Improving the leadership skills of more people can help to expand the reach of recovery efforts and strengthen the future of community more broadly.

Another aspect that Jacqui highlighted was the need to be proactive and consider future sustainability of the region. Some communities have told AVCL that they want to take a bigger view, in the face of rapid climate change and the intensity and frequency of these events. They are interested in transformational change, such as considering changing a community’s economic base.

To support local leaders through this, they have arranged trips to other communities that have had to transform, such as Derby in Tasmania, which has evolved from a mining community into an adventure-based tourism community, attracting thousands of people. These trips are an important opportunity to explore how to take it from being a concept to being a reality. Hearing directly from the people that have driven that in a community where it’s worked is important for them. They can take those lessons on board as to how to drive that sort of change in their own communities.

Over the next two years, the remaining funds will go towards actually delivering these resources and learnings to local communities.

“AVCL will coordinate leadership development in governance, project management and other specific leadership skills requested, ideally attracting other funding so the training can remain free or at only nominal cost.”

We look forward to sharing what else they learn as this project continues to roll out.

53 priority projects receive grants through Nutrien Ag Solutions Community Grants programs

Fifty-three important community projects across the length and breadth of remote, rural and regional Australia will share $250,000 in funding, thanks to the Nutrien Ag Solutions Community Grants Program.

This is the second year of the Nutrien Ag Solutions Community Grants Program, which offers grants of up to $5,000 for projects that contribute to community wellbeing and vibrancy in remote, rural and regional communities.

Nutrien Ag Solutions Director of Corporate Affairs Carissa Buckland says they received more than 300 applications from communities right across the country.

“The strong number of applications we continue to receive for this program clearly indicates the need for this level of support for grassroots, not-for-profit organisations. So, we’re delighted to award grants to so many diverse projects that help these remote, rural and regional communities thrive,” says Ms Buckland.

“Part of the application process involves the local Nutrien store actively endorsing each project and application. Our stores are very integrated in their communities and our teams are passionate about providing meaningful support to positively impact the towns in which they live and work in, so this is a really important part of the process.

“This year we have approved grants to enhance and support the delivery of community events, including new marquees, grandstand seating and improved website functionality to support local show and expo event management. Critical funding will also go towards a diverse range of restorations, upgrades and new equipment for community facilities – from a toilet roof to rejuvenated courtyards to outdoor seating and kitchens, data projectors and lawn mowers. There’s even funding for sensory, Zen, bush tucker and community gardens, with each project designed to inclusively meet the needs of their communities. While they are not large value grants, these projects enable community activity to build connection and, importantly, support volunteers in all their efforts,” says Ms Buckland.

The Program is proudly run in partnership with the Foundation for Rural & Regional Renewal (FRRR).

FRRR CEO, Natalie Egleton says she appreciates organisations like Nutrien Ag Solutions partnering with FRRR to support the priorities of grassroots organisations that are the heartbeat of remote, rural and regional communities across Australia.

“The volume and nature of these applications is a strong sign that rural community life is returning to normal, although it also signifies just how challenging it is to raise these funds locally and the extent of the need that exists.

“It’s really pleasing for us that so much of the funding – nearly 30% – will go to communities with fewer than 500 people, which makes fundraising really hard. Most of the groups are also located in outer regional, remote or very remote areas of the country,” Ms Egleton explains.

The full list of recipients is available below. Some of the organisations and projects being supported include:

• Illabo Showground Land Manager, Illabo, NSW – Build capacity at the local show grounds with a WIFI upgrade, defibrillator installation and new broadcast system to enhance operations and experience for all users. $5,000
• Dagun Community Group Inc., Dagun, QLD – Enhance community connections with the restoration of the Dagun railway station labyrinth and Mary Valley agricultural history display, and through the community garden project. $4,900
• Limestone Coast Multicultural Network Incorporated, Naracoorte, SA – Build organisational capability with development of a strategic plan to support strengthening the Limestone Coast Multicultural Network. $4,952
• Hamilton District Agricultural Show Society, Hamilton, TAS – Build, grow and protect skills and networks with four workshops focusing on entrepreneurism, rural OH&S and resilience.$5,000
• Kyabram Blue Light, Kyabram, VIC – Increase social engagement opportunities and activities for youth in Kyabram to support their healthy growth and development. $5,000
• Lower Kalgan Community Association Incorporated, Albany, WA – Build resilience through a Fire Resilience Workshop – “Making your Property Fire Safe and Sustainable” exploring preparedness and land management aligned to changing climate impacts. $5,000

The third round of the Program is expected to open around June 2023. Community groups looking for funding in the interim should head to www.frrr.org.au/find-funding.

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.