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.

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.

Spirit of charity shines bright in a tough year to help rural communities adapt and evolve

A unique Australian charity significantly increased its year-on-year grantmaking, giving remote, rural and regional communities across the country a much-needed funding boost as they adapted to the impacts of natural disasters and COVID-19.

FRRR (the Foundation for Rural & Regional Renewal) supports small not-for-profit organisations across rural Australia through a mix of grant funding and capacity building activities. Their aim is to ensure local grassroots groups have the tools and support they need to implement projects that strengthen and sustain the vitality of their communities, and their organisations.

Last financial year, FRRR awarded nearly $20 million through 917 grants, an increase of around a third on the prior year. A significant portion ($4.1 million) went toward 203 recovery projects in communities impacted by the Black Summer bushfires, who were also grappling with economic and social fallout of COVID-19.

For the last 20 years, FRRR has created collaborative partnerships with Government, philanthropy, business and private funders to provide support to local organisations to fill the gaps, and address inequities in services in these areas and, critically, to strengthen community resilience.

Despite it being a tough year, everyday Australians and the philanthropic sector in particular continued to give, enabling FRRR to reach some of the smallest and most remote communities.

FRRR CEO Natalie Egleton said that while many grants to community groups are project-based, last year, in response to community needs, the organisation adapted its approach to also support more operational costs.

“The places we support are really small communities – sometimes just tens or hundreds of people – and so very few volunteers carry a lot of the load. Between the impacts of bushfires, drought, floods and COVID-19 restrictions, traditional fundraising was simply not possible. We were able to step in and support projects in more than 540 different postcodes across the country.

“With these communities being so resourceful, most projects don’t actually need all that much funding. In fact, our median grant was only around $13,000. While that figure has increased over time, we still award many grants that are just a few thousand dollars.

“It’s surprising just how big an impact can be created with relatively little, especially when people come together and given collaboratively, as they have this year,” Ms Egleton said.

“While it’s been a tough 12 months, thanks to the support of our corporate and philanthropic partners, and hundreds of individual donors, we are proud to have been able to sustain and indeed strengthen many rural communitites,” Ms Egleton concluded.

FRRR’s FY2020/21 Annual Review is available at www.frrr.org.au/AR21.

More than 50 communities to benefit from Nutrien Community Grants

Community organisations across rural and regional Australia will share in more than $250,000 as Nutrien Ag Solutions, in partnership with FRRR, announced the recipients from the first round of the Community Grants Program.

This year the program will deliver 57 small grants for projects, leaving a big impact in their local communities.

The funding is directed towards projects that will create long-term positive outcomes that benefit and strengthen local communities.

The projects that have been funded reflect the diversity of communities in which Nutrien Ag Solutions operates and the different needs found in each place. Some of the 57 projects awarded include:

• Hay Inc, NSW – Hay Inc Rural Education Program: Increase access to agricultural training and mentoring through their Rural Education Program – $5,000
• The Historical Society of Katherine, NT – Refurbish Outdoor Function Equipment: Refurbish outdoor function equipment to enhance the facilities and attract Museum visitors – $5,000
• Central Highlands Science Centre Inc, Emerald QLD – Curiosity Club – Exploring STEAM through Engineering, Technology and Robotics: Support and foster inquisitive minds to explore STEAM through engineering, technology and robotics resources – $5,000
• Coomandook Amalgamated Pastime Club, SA – Coomandook Community Postal Agency – Reverse cycle air conditioning unit: Boost volunteer vitality by installing reverse cycle air conditioning at the community-operated Coomandook Postal Agency – $2,685
• Northern Midlands Radio Initiative Inc, Longford TAS – Northern Midlands Radio Initiative Inc Community Radio Development: Build organisational capacity by equipping two new community radio stations – $5,000
• The Trustee for The MAC Trust, Mansfield VIC – No More Silent Movies: Boost access to community activities with the provision of speakers for the Mansfield Outdoor Cinema – $4,335
• Katanning Regional Business Association Inc., WA – Summer Ready: Get summer-ready and build community resilience through disaster preparedness workshops – $2,560

Natalie Egleton, CEO of FRRR, said that this was one of the most popular programs that FRRR has run in recent years, thanks to both its flexibility and the strong connections that local Nutrien staff have in their communities.

“Like FRRR, Nutrien recognises the critical role that community-led groups play in ensuring access to vital services and creating dynamic and vibrant places to live and work. Most of the requests were for infrastructure and equipment, such as mowers and generators, or to upgrade community spaces, and to improve access to services and activities. These things can often be hard to fund, especially in really small communities.

“Thanks to Nutrien’s support, we’ve been able to give some really important community projects the boost they need to address local needs and take advantage of opportunities that will encourage engagement and foster community wellbeing,” Ms Egleton explained.

Carissa Buckland, Nutrien Ag Solutions Director of Corporate Affairs, said that Nutrien is proud to support the rural and regional communities that play such a central role in achievements of the agriculture industry. 

“With the ongoing impacts of disasters, including fires, floods and drought, and of course the restrictions of COVID, local fundraising has been a challenge, so we are delighted to be able to fund these important community projects, and help relieve the pressure that many groups are under,” Ms Buckland said.

“We know this seed funding will also allow community groups to leverage the grant and attract the additional funding or in-kind contributions they may need,” Ms Buckland said.

Most of the applications came from outer-regional, remote or very remote areas (75%), again reflecting the challenges in securing funding in those areas. Around a third of the communities that applied have fewer than 500 people. The average funding requested was just under $4,700 and the smallest request was for just under a thousand.

Community groups looking for similar flexible funding are encouraged to visit www.frrr.org.au/funding to explore what other grant programs are available.

If you would like to support grants like this through FRRR, make a tax-deductible donation at https://frrr.org.au/giving/.

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

Support needed now more than ever for communities hit by multiple disasters

Port Macquarie, on the mid-north coast of New South Wales, is just one of many towns reeling from the effects of cumulative disasters. In their case, it began in July 2019 with devastating bushfires that affected many communities across the region. The fires burned until January 2020. Homes, livelihoods and, sadly, lives were lost.

Then in March 2020, COVID-19 hit, decimating visitor numbers and the vital income they bring with them, and restrictions hampered bushfire recovery activities. These cumulative impacts meant many retailers, cafes, pubs, restaurants, tourism and accommodation providers were forced to let staff go or, for some, to close.

In March 2021 – with COVID-19 and bushfire recovery still ongoing – the region was inundated by a one in 100 year flood. Thousands of people were evacuated, and five months later, many have still not been able to return to their homes. Today, pockets of the community are still without electricity.

Fewer resources, but more to do

The struggle for small organisations trying to support their community is very real, even in normal times. So, when events like the bushfires, floods and COVID-19 place greater demands on their services, their capacity is challenged. But they fight on!

Make a Difference Port Macquarie (MAD PMQ) is a local support agency helping their community to respond to these events. Over the last year, they’ve had to work through how to do more, with fewer people. When COVID-19 hit, MAD lost their volunteer base almost overnight because most of their volunteers are elderly or retired and are very vulnerable. The pandemic also had a huge impact on the organisation’s fundraising. Like many small community organisations, MAD PMQ relies heavily on events to raise the funds required to deliver their services.

Volunteer Erin Denham said they generally run four or five fundraising events a year but were only able to run one in the last year, and that’s had a massive impact on revenue. MAD PMQ was supported by an FRRR grant that funded the stage for that event and the fit out of their mobile coffee van. 

“When we got the FRRR grant, it took so much pressure off us as a charity – we hadn’t been able to run a fundraising event in nine months, and we couldn’t see a way out of COVID-19. The grant allowed us to continue our plan for our projects and support our community.”

As successive disasters have hit the community, MAD PMQ has adapted and expanded its role.

“Our focus has shifted dramatically since our inception,” Erin said. “It was originally homelessness. Now we’ve moved to supporting a wider range of disadvantaged people, so our work shifts and adapts based on the needs of the community and what’s happening around us, like fires or floods. The homeless population is transient, but there are just as many people in the community who need our help that go beyond that demographic.”

When the floods hit in March, their greatest priority was helping to address the immediate needs of those affected by the floods, particularly getting people back in their own homes by supplying white goods such as fridges, washing machines and ovens.

“It’s been a massive effort,” Erin explained. “We’ve raised approximately $50,000 so far, which we’ve since redistributed in white goods and other requests. But it feels like the funding is starting to dry up, and the demand is greater now than it was immediately after the floods.”

Emerging impacts

In fact, demand for MAD’s services is the highest they’ve ever seen, and Erin says she thinks it will continue to increase as the full impact of the “triple-whammy” of disasters takes effect.

Erin said that while there was lots of help immediately following the fires and floods from external organisations and agencies, the responsibility is now falling on the small organisations within the community to pick up the load and continue to meet the ongoing needs of a community impacted by natural disasters.

“Most of the people provided with emergency accommodation until the end of June or early July are starting to have to move on, and demand for assistance to MAD PMQ is increasing.

“Everyone’s gone back to business as usual, you can’t tell by driving through town that anything happened,” Erin said.

“Just last week we came across a gentleman who is still living in his flood-affected caravan, with no power or running water. His caravan was written off, but he’s got nowhere else to go. We provided him with a generator, so he at least has some power.

“And I’m aware of a 65 year old man who was living in a tent in his back yard, while his wife was in emergency accommodation. They were separated for months after the floods happened. The housing crisis and gentrification are big problems, with people relocating from Sydney, and many people being pushed out of the rental market. And while they might be eligible for grants, often they can’t meet all of the requirements that’s needed and therefore they miss out on funding.”

Erin said that support through FRRR, such as the new Suncorp Rebuilding Futures program, allows community organisations to be responsive in the aftermath of the situation. By offering funding support for charities like MAD, the program will allow them to help residents get back into their homes faster.

Images: Alex McNaught

Warddeken, an Aboriginal owned not-for-profit company, combines traditional ecological knowledge with Western science to manage and protect one of Australia’s most unique environments.

Arnhem Land covers 97,000 sq km of the top end of the Northern Territory.

During the second half of the twentieth century, many Traditional Owners were encouraged to move away from either remote parts of Arnhem Land and join missions, or larger communities to search for more ‘traditional’ work opportunities.

As a result, many parts of the area were left without people and ‘Country was orphaned’ – the term used for land without its people.

Over a number of decades fine-scale fire management was replaced by raging yearly wildfires, feral animals and invasive plants severely impacting the native species.

The plants and animals that make up the local ecosystems had previously evolved to rely on Bininj (the Aboriginal people of Western Arnhem Land), however the disruption in traditional Indigenous land management diminished the ecosystem and led to plummeting numbers of small to medium–weight mammals. This included culturally important species like djabbo / northern quoll and bakkadji / black-footed tree-rat. Refugia, including rainforest patches shrunk and fresh-water places were destroyed.

Getting things back on track

Warddeken is an Aboriginal-owned, not-for-profit company that combines traditional ecological knowledge with Western science to manage and protect one of Australia’s most unique environments.

Warddeken operates out of the remote homeland communities of Kabulwarnamyo, Manmoyi and Mamadawerre in west Arnhem Land. Each year up to 180 Indigenous rangers work on a variety of projects including fire management and carbon abatement, invasive weed and feral animal control, rock art conservation, education and cultural heritage management. 

Curbing the decline

Djabbo populations identified by the monitoring project are actively considered in annual early burning and wildfire suppression activities, and are targeted for further investigation for the purposes of building population resilience.

With meaningful involvement and employment of landowners and rangers, Warddeken will seek to define quoll and major predator feral cat population density and distribution to inform the design of predator suppression strategies if required.

Indigenous rangers, living and working on Country, are best placed to curb the decline in native biodiversity loss and improve habitat for future generations.

Rangers in West and Central Arnhem Land tirelessly blend Indigenous ecological knowledge and western science to control threats and help native species begin to thrive in their natural environment.

CEO of Karrkad Kanjdji Trust, Stacey Irving says “Warddeken’s vision is to have healthy people living and working on healthy country. The generous support of the ANZ Seeds of Renewal program is helping rangers care for species like the Djabbo.’’

Terrah Guymala, Senior Warddeken Ranger adds, “When we, Bininj people, see animals, we get excited because they play a big role in our life through our ceremonies.

“This year we have seen lots of animals that we love, but we hope this number increases so we can physically show our children rather than relying on rock art to tell the stories,” Terrah says.

ANZ General Manager Business Banking Jenefer Stewart says the ANZ Seeds of Renewal program has been providing grants for important initiatives in regional and rural Australia for nearly 20 years.

“Each year I look forward to seeing the difference the grants are able to make in these communities, many of which find it difficult to access the resources they need to grow, develop and prosper,” she says.

Written by Karly Dwyer, ANZ

Funding awarded for 112 locally-led projects

FRRR has awarded $1,589,612 in grants for 112 projects that will help build the resilience and long-term vitality of smaller remote, rural and regional communities across Australia, through its Strengthening Rural Communities (SRC) program.

The SRC program is collaboratively funded, and its broad scope enables smaller remote, rural, and regional communities to receive funding for a wide range of initiatives that are led by local people and address local needs. The awarded grants will give these rural places a boost to achieve long-term viability and vitality.

This round of SRC includes funding across three streams – Small & Vital, Larger Leverage and Bushfire Recovery grants. Grants range from $323 for first aid and snake bite kits for the Harts Range Amateur Race Club in remote Northern Territory, through to a $25,000 grant to support healing and the preservation of culture by providing the opportunity for Kullilli people to travel to Thargomindah in Queensland and be on Kullilli country to celebrate NAIDOC Week.

For regions continuing to recover and renew following the 2019/2020 bushfires, grants range from $2,500 to encourage locals to participate in recovery activities at the Maclean Spring Festival in New South Wales, through to $25,000 for the installation of local fauna sculptures that will increase connection to place and enhance public spaces in Marlow, Victoria.

Natalie Egleton, CEO of FRRR, said this round of SRC has seen rural communities across Australia seek funding for inspiring initiatives that build community resilience and support individual and community health and wellbeing at a local level.

“Many communities have been impacted by multiple disasters, including the recent flooding in NSW and parts of QLD. For these regions, economic recovery from the disasters has been severely challenged by COVID-19. For community organisations, the pandemic has hampered fundraising efforts and their capacity to provide services. Understandably, local volunteers are pretty worn out. In response, we have awarded a number of grants for projects that will relieve volunteer-fatigue and alleviate the pressures that many volunteer-led groups are dealing with.

“Rural communities gain strength and vitality when locals have places to gather and connect, so it’s not surprising that we continue to see strong demand for projects that build community resilience by investing in local community assets and infrastructure, particularly the maintenance of community halls. And, as gathering restrictions ease, we are seeing more requests for work on outdoor spaces and for community events, as people come together to strengthen community engagement and participation,” Ms Egleton said.

The Small & Vital grants stream provides funding of up to $10,000 for local initiatives that enhance the wellbeing, strength and resilience of rural communities. This round of SRC has seen 52 projects in places across all States and Territories sharing in a total of $356,342 in Small & Vital grants.

Larger Leverage grants provide funding of up to $25,000, generally for remote or very remote parts of Australia. The larger grants are intended to help overcome logistical barriers that can limit the opportunity for multifaceted projects in these regions. A total of $595,362 has been awarded to 27 projects through the Larger Leverage stream.

This round the Bushfire Recovery stream awarded a total of $637,908 in grants to 33 initiatives designed to help seed and strengthen the recovery of communities impacted by the 2019/2020 summer bushfires. Further information on these Bushfire Recovery projects is available here.

Some of the 79 Small & Vital and Larger Leverage projects awarded include:

• Cootamundra Development Corporation Limited, Cootamundra NSW – Capable Coota! – $3000 – Help volunteer organisations in Cootamundra to attract high quality executive members by providing Governance training.
• Circulanation Ltd, Borroloola NT – Indigenous Entrepreneurship Facilitators Training Manual – Language Translation – $10,000 – Support Indigenous women to develop entrepreneurship and employability through translation of facilitator’s training manual into Kriol language to enable locally-led delivery of the training program.
• MultiSkill Centre Ltd, Cloncurry QLD – Work-it-out Room – $9,910 – Improve access to social and physical wellbeing opportunities for disadvantaged youth in remote township by provision of an exercise room.
• Wudinna RSL Memorial Kindergarten, Wudinna SA – Wudinna RSL Memorial Kindergarten – $25,000 – Provide pre-school children access to safe, sun-smart outdoor educational play areas by building a permanent roof structure.
• Derwent Valley Community House Inc, New Norfolk TAS – Blair Street Community Facilities – $10,000 – Boost the use of a Community House through an upgrade of facilities.
• Barengi Gadjin Land Council Aboriginal Corporation RNTBC, Wail VIC – Educate, Regenerate and Inspire – Dalki Garringa Arboretum Biodiversity Program – $25,000 – Strengthen connection to local culture through the development of a First Nations educational project.
• Environs Kimberley, Broome WA – Strengthening the Kimberley Community Seedbank: a sustainable social enterprise – $24,995 – Build Indigenous business skills and support a sustainable bushfoods industry through establishment of two seed collecting enterprises.

The SRC program is collaboratively supported by a number of generous donors, which are listed here.

The current round is accepting applications until 24 August 2021, with funds to be awarded in December 2021.

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

Jump to : ACT | NSW | NT | QLD | SA | TAS| VIC | WA

$500,000 in grants for rural and regional communities

The Foundation for Rural & Regional Renewal (FRRR) has partnered with Westpac Foundation to help in distributing $500,000 to not-for-profit (NFP) organisations in rural and regional communities throughout Australia.

Each of the 50 rural NFPs awarded a Westpac Foundation Rural Community Grant has received $10,000 for projects that will improve the education, training and employment opportunities in their communities. These grants reached rural communities in nearly every state and territory.

This is the first time that Westpac Foundation has partnered with FRRR to take their annual community grants program truly national, to encompass rural, regional and remote communities.

Susan Bannigan, CEO of Westpac Foundation, says the Rural Community Grants will help to create strong and more inclusive communities in rural, regional and remote areas, providing assistance in what has been one of the most challenging years on record.

“Supporting organisations focused on employment, education and training is at the heart of Westpac Foundation’s strategy. Through our partnership with FRRR we have been able to extend our reach to new communities across Australia. In addition to funding, these organisations will have access to a range of non-financial support to help them through this time and beyond.”

Natalie Egleton, CEO of FRRR, says this is fantastic for rural and regional communities, who play such a vital role in Australia’s prosperity and vibrancy.

“These communities are facing continuing challenges to growth and development – from drought, to bushfires, to floods, and now COVID-19. Targeted financial support for education, training and employment pathways is critical during these times, particularly for vulnerable groups.

“Through Westpac Foundation’s Rural Community Grants program, we can back local groups to improve the opportunities within their communities, so they can continue to prosper,” said Ms Egleton.

Some of the 50 projects awarded include:

• One Vision Productions Limited in Byron Bay, NSW received $10,000 to increase educational engagement through its One Vision Productions Online Youth Engagement Program, which will provide training in creative media vocations for young people at risk.
• Gong-Dal Aboriginal Corporation in Gapuwiyak, NT received $10,000 to empower Yolngu people through a business education program to develop tourism businesses on their homelands.
• Cape York Girls Academy Limited in Wangetti, QLD received $10,000 to empower young indigenous mothers through targeted education and wellbeing programs to support their futures and enable leadership in their communities.
• Foodbank of South Australia Inc in Murray Bridge, SA received $10,000 to enable access to food education courses for vulnerable people including those with a disability.
• Rural Alive & Well Inc in Avoca, TAS received $10,000 to support individual and community mental health through mental health education-related activities in rural Tasmania.
• Castlemaine State Festival Ltd in Castlemaine, VIC received $10,000 to expand access to arts education for youth at risk through the Castlemaine State Festival Education Program to enable vocational pathways development.
• Big hART Inc in Roeburne, WA received $10,000 to build digital skills for young people at risk through professional development and practical industry experience to increase employability.

In addition to funding, all grant recipients receive pro bono support and access to leadership development programs, legal support, and financial capability training via Westpac’s Changemaker program.

The full list of grant recipients and their activity summaries are below.

Jump to : NSW | NT | QLD | SA | TAS| VIC | WA

Organisation	Activity Summary	Location	Awarded
NEW SOUTH WALES
Bowraville Innovative Social Enterprises Precinct Incorporated	Sewing for Self Sufficiency Build organisational capacity to enable vulnerable community members to develop their skills and support enterprise opportunities.	Bowraville	$10,000
Boys To The Bush Ltd	Tooled for (Winter) Fuel Develop the skills of young people at risk through mentoring and practical building projects that support living and learning capacity.	Albury	$10,000
Bucketts Way Neighbourhood Group Inc	Work Ready Workshops Provide employment pathways and education for people with a disability through workshops focused on workplace skills.	Gloucester	$10,000
First Peoples Disability Network (Australia) Limited	Headphone Hustle Engage and support young people with a disability who are at risk of homelessness through creative workshops building skills and educational engagement.	Coffs Harbour	$10,000
Making Tracks Far West NSW Inc	Making Tracks Work Crew Foster educational engagement and skills development in young people at risk through bush education programs.	Broken Hill	$10,000
National Indigenous Culinary Institute	NICI Skills for Success Develop the employability of young indigenous people through delivering culturally appropriate mentoring and career support program.	Dubbo	$10,000
One Vision Productions Limited	One Vision Productions Online Youth Engagement Program Increase educational engagement through providing training for young people at risk in creative media vocations.	Byron Bay	$10,000
Regional Opportunities Australia Ltd	Creating Job Opportunities for Refugees and Migrants Build employment pathways through partnerships and training to support refugee and migrant employment in regional Australia.	Leeton	$10,000
South Narrabeen Surf Lifesaving Club Inc	Bush to Beach Expand educational opportunities for indigenous youth through extracurricular experiences of participating in metropolitan Surf Life Saving Club programs.	Brewarrina	$10,000
Stewart House	Disadvantaged Children Receive Health and Wellbeing Support at Stewart House Provide education opportunities and life enhancing experiences for young people at risk through access to learning and wellbeing excursions in a capital city.	Broken Hill	$10,000
The Dunn & Lewis Youth Development Foundation Limited	Future Employment Increase employment opportunities for young people at risk through targeted programs to develop skills and set employment pathways.	Ulladulla	$10,000
The Shift Project Byron Incorporated	The Linen SHIFT – Laundry with a Conscience Build skills to enhance digital operations and enhance program delivery to benefit disadvantaged women with employment opportunities.	Byron Bay	$10,000
Wagga Women’s Health Centre	Workshops for Economic Wellbeing Build organisational capacity to deliver workshops for women at risk of domestic violence to increase financial literacy and personal management skills increasing employability.	Wagga Wagga	$10,000
Western Plains Regional Development Inc	Financial Security Empowers Lives Enabling participation in evidenced based training to empower regional lives by identifying and developing transferable skills to increase employability.	Condobolin	$10,000
Women’s Centre for Health and Wellbeing (Albury-Wodonga) Inc	Our Sisters Closet Build organisational capacity through support of retail and digital programs that enable women at risk to undertake training and seek employment.	Albury	$10,000
NORTHERN TERRITORY
Djilpin Arts Aboriginal Corporation	Djilpin Arts Training and Employment Build organisational capacity to enable local indigenous women to be trained to take up employment opportunities.	Beswick	$10,000
Gong-Dal Aboriginal Corporation	Tourism Business Education Workshops Empower Yolngu people through a business education program to develop tourism businesses on their homelands.	Gapuwiyak	$10,000
The trustee for Karrkad-Kandji Trust	Preserving Kunwinjku: West Arnhem Deliver cultural education opportunities for indigenous people through developing the bilingual resources for the Nawarddeken Academy.	Kabulwarnamyo	$10,000
Wanta Aboriginal Corporation	Yuendumu Driver Training Build community capacity by supporting a new locally operated bus service to increase related training and employment opportunities.	Yuendumu	$10,000
QUEENSLAND
Base Services Inc	2nd Shot Technology Upgrade Build organisational capacity to train young people at risk through delivering programs to build employment skills.	Toowoomba	$10,000
Cape York Girls Academy Limited	Living and Learning Together Empower young indigenous mothers through targeted programs of education and wellbeing to support their futures and enable leadership in their communities.	Wangetti	$10,000
Community Spirit Foundation Limited	Innovation in Remote Indigenous Education Provide education opportunities for secondary students through a program to enable cultural empowerment and to develop resilience.	Palm Island	$10,000
Creative Regions Limited	Crash Box Crew Engage young people in education opportunities through creative learning experiences to foster personal growth and healthy relationships.	Bundaberg	$10,000
MultiSkill Centre Ltd	Wizz Up Red Hot Skills at RedDoor Enhance learning opportunities for youth at risk through social enterprise facility improvements.	Cloncurry & Mount Isa	$10,000
TRACTION for Young People Ltd	Youth TRACTION in the Scenic Rim Positively re-engage youth at risk through practical bike repair and building workshops that expose them to employment pathways.	Beaudesert	$10,000
SOUTH AUSTRALIA
Foodbank of South Australia Inc	Foodbank SA – Murray Bridge Food Education Program Enable access to food education courses for vulnerable people including those with a disability.	Murray Bridge	$10,000
Iwantja Arts and Crafts	Iwantja Arts Intergenerational Short Film Project Build capacity for cultural empowerment in an indigenous community through training and skill development to produce a local film.	Indulkana	$10,000
Nature Foundation Limited	Kids on Country Build knowledge of conservation practices in remote Australia for young indigenous people to connect with country and develop workplace skills.	Witchelina	$10,000
Youth Opportunities Association (SA)	Wellbeing, Resilience and Leadership Interventions for Whyalla’s Youth At Risk Support personal leadership development for disadvantaged or disengaged young people to engage them in education and employment pathways.	Whyalla	$10,000
TASMANIA
Disabled Surfers Association of Aust	Disabled Surfers Association of Australia Training Expand opportunities for volunteers to be trained to support people with a disability to participate in a surfing and water safety skills program.	Clifton Beach	$10,000
North and North West Tasmania Sexual Assault Support Services Inc	Send Noods – Relationships, Respect and Sex – Educational Program Build organisational capacity to deliver educational programs on domestic violence and respect for women, to vulnerable young people, and to enhance social development and educational engagement.	Burnie	$10,000
Rural Alive & Well Inc.	RAW Conversations in the Bush Support individual and community mental health through mental health education-related activities in rural Tasmania.	Avoca	$10,000
Second Echo Ensemble Inc	Second Echo Ensemble Pathways to Work Program Provide training for artists living with a disability to support ongoing education and develop employment opportunities.	Hobart	$10,000
VICTORIA
Black Duck Foods Ltd	Healing Country, Sharing Knowledge, Building Ideas Engage and reconnect Indigenous community members to traditional harvesting methods to develop Indigenous employment and enterprises.	Genoa	$10,000
Castlemaine State Festival Ltd	Castlemaine State Festival Education Program Expand access to arts education for youth at risk to enable vocational pathways development.	Castlemaine	$10,000
Christie Centre Inc	Growing Skills in Horticulture Build employment skills of people with a disability in a Learn Local horticulture course and support employees to expand work opportunities.	Mildura	$10,000
Corryong Neighbourhood House Inc	Work & Learn Enable organisational capacity to deliver training and support two apprentices in their employment skills development.	Walwa	$10,000
Down Syndrome Association of Vic Inc	Expanding Education Support Services (ESS) in Regional Victoria Increase education opportunities through expanding targeted classroom support for children with Down Syndrome in mainstream secondary schools.	Abbotsford	$10,000
Eat Up Australia Ltd	Education and Food Security Support children to participate in education by providing emergency food packages to families in need during Covid-19.	Bendigo	$10,000
Food Next Door Co-op Ltd	Small-Scale Farmer Internship Program Transport and Translation Support Mobilise community support to enable new migrant groups to access training programs that build knowledge of Australian farm operations.	Mildura	$10,000
Gallery Kaiela Incorporated Kaiela Arts	Upskilling in Digital for Delivery Build organisation capacity by developing employee’s digital skills for online service delivery.	Shepparton	$10,000
Ganbina	Scholarship for Primary School Students Enhance indigenous secondary students’ educational outcomes through a targeted support program.	Shepparton	$10,000
Health Futures Australia Ltd	S.H.I.F.T Enterprising Youth Build capacity for community development through Youth Wellbeing Innovation Labs that engage young people in social enterprise development.	Daylesford – Hepburn – Creswick	$10,000
The trustee for Kindred Spirits Foundation	Latrobe Valley Reading Program Enable literacy skill development through expanded reading programs to support employability.	Morwell, Traralgon & Moe	$10,000
Zoe Support Australia	The Wheels on the Bus Go Round and Round Provide wrap around service delivery for disadvantaged young mothers to access education, training and employment opportunities.	Mildura	$10,000
WESTERN AUSTRALIA
ABC Foundation Limited	Self-Transition through Resilience, Empowerment, Awareness and Motivation (STREAM) Program Build individual and community capacity through a program of personal development and employment pathways.	Carnarvon	$10,000
Big hART Inc	Digital Training Program Build digital skills for young people at risk through professional development and practical industry experience to increase employability.	Roeburne	$10,000
Enterprise Partnerships WA	Activating Remote Entrepreneurship Develop foundational skills for indigenous people through a train-the-trainer program to develop local enterprises.	Kalumburu	$10,000
Girls from Oz Ltd	Creating Positive Life Changing Opportunities for Girls in Remote Australia Provide educational, vocational and cultural opportunities for girls in regional Australia through learning excursions to an Australian capital city.