FDF Communities – RDRP Social Outcome Grants

Regional Drought Resilience Plan (RDRP) Social Outcome Grants support not-for-profit organisations in remote, rural and regional Australia to develop and deliver local projects that will broadly result in strengthened social capital, wellbeing and connectedness to prepare for and build social resilience to drought.

Part of the Future Drought Fund’s Communities Program, supported by the Australian Government, this program invests in the future by enabling agriculture-dependent communities to identify and act on their drought preparedness priorities at a grassroots level and in ways that best suit their communities.

Further Information & Key Resources

Round 1 is now open

Applications close 11 December 2025.

Funding announced late April 2026.

How to apply

Please read the information on each of the tabs below to make sure this is the right grant for your project.

If you want to explore other grant options, please go to Find Funding Now.

I have a question, who can I talk to?

Contact our FDF Communities team for any program related queries for the RDRP Social Outcome Grants.

  • Ruth Stevens, RDRP Social Outcome Grants Coordinator

Ph: 1800 170 020 or Email: [email protected]

Download the Program Guidelines for RDRP Social Outcome Grants

The Regional Drought Resilience Plan (RDRP) Social Outcome Grants are designed to deliver projects or initiatives that will broadly result in strengthened social capital, wellbeing and connectedness to prepare for and build social resilience to drought. The grants are available across up to 50 approved RDRP regions for projects identified in an eligible RDRP, or aligned with a social resilience theme in the RDRP. Eligible RDRPs are those that are approved by the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, and are outside of the specified Community Impact Program regions.

Funded through the Australian Government’s Future Drought Fund, this is part of the commitment to support Australian agricultural communities to build drought resilience.

RDRP Social Outcome Grants are designed to result in the following outcomes with clear linkages to show the project will help the local community in future droughts:

  1. New, expanded or diversified community-based networks.
  2. Improved communication, social connection and collaboration.
  3. Increased skills, knowledge and understanding of drought.
  4. Improved access to and use of services, resources, infrastructure and facilities.
  5. Greater diversity of community members and organisational participation.
  6. Improved implementation and effectiveness of place-based practices.
  7. Strengthened individual leadership capacity and capability.

In the long term, projects and initiatives will contribute towards stronger connectedness and greater social capital within communities, contributing to wellbeing and security.

RDRP Social Outcome Grants will be offered across three rounds. This is round 1 of 3. If funds remain unspent at the end of round 3, then a fourth round may be opened.

An indicative funding pool of $2 million is available for up to 50 approved RDRP regions to apply for a grant of up to $100,000 per RDRP region in Round 1.

Applications are sought from locally based, not-for profit organisations that seek to undertake simple, one-off, or seed-type activities or initiatives that contribute to the stated program outcomes. Local collaboration is encouraged.

Organisations may apply for no more than one request per round.

The minimum request is $1,000. The maximum request is up to $100,000, in $1,000 increments.

Priorities for program investment, which will be used to inform decisions about which applications receive support, include:

  • Projects that primarily support social resilience outcomes.
  • Activities and initiatives that focus on long-term social connection, capability building and an increased capacity for people and communities to adapt to change over time.
  • Activities and initiatives that can make a clear and distinct linkage to building drought preparedness in local communities.
  • Initiatives that are tailored to meet local needs and the unique geographical, climatic and community context.
  • Projects that are clearly identified in the Regional Drought Resilience Plan within the eligible region.
  • Initiatives that build upon learnings, sustain momentum and deepen impact of previously funded FDF projects.
  • Demonstrated community readiness to support the project at a local level.
  • Collaboration of a diverse range of community-based organisations (non-agricultural focus) who play an active role during drought.
  • Initiatives that specifically engage local young people and First Nations people or communities.
  • Projects that do not duplicate other Future Drought Fund investments, or other community resilience initiatives.

RDRP Social Outcome Grants are available in any non-metropolitan locations in an approved RDRP region outside of the regions specified in the Community Impact Program. The map below indicates the approved regions for RDRP Social Outcome Grants.

Map of Australia showing the approved RDRP Social Outcome Grant regions.

Please review the list of regions and LGAs that are supported by this program.

Applications are sought from locally based, not-for profit organisations that seek to undertake simple, one-off, or seed-type activities or initiatives that contribute to the stated program outcomes. Local collaboration is encouraged.

The RDRP Social Outcome Grants will fund networks, community events, training initiatives, community infrastructure, development and learning initiatives that assist local people and communities to strengthen social capital and capability to prepare for future droughts.

Projects may include:

  • Networks: Initiatives to strengthen the capacity, capability and collaboration of professional, social or community networks and/or locally based not for profit organisations.
  • Community Events: Field days, conferences, forums, summits and seminars that facilitate professional, social and community connection to build understanding of drought and climate change associated risks.
  • Training: Initiatives to improve skills, knowledge and capacity in community risk management, planning and project delivery in relation to drought.
  • Small Scale Community Infrastructure: Projects that improve local community meeting places, including purchase of minor equipment, to support increased usage, social connectedness and community wellbeing.
  • Development and Learning: Initiatives to facilitate professional, personal, and leadership-related development and learning to support drought preparation.

There are a range of areas that we cannot fund through this program, including:

  • Projects that are not located in remote, rural and regional Australia;
  • Projects that support core business and areas of responsibility of Federal, State, and Local Governments;
  • Activities that primarily result in economic or environmental outcomes relating to drought preparedness, not social outcomes;
  • Utilising funds to re-grant to other organisations;
  • Applications from sporting organisations need to clearly demonstrate charitable outcomes and benefit to the wider community that are above and beyond the sporting activities of the club, and clear linkage to drought resilience. This is because the encouragement or advancement of sport, recreation, and social activities are not considered charitable activities under Australian law;
  • Prizes, gifts, trophies, or awards;
  • Projects solely focused on animal welfare;
  • Activities that do not directly support agriculture-dependent communities;
  • Activities that do not directly strengthen community networking, wellbeing, drought preparedness, or reduce the risk of social isolation associated with drought;
  • Activities that duplicate existing projects or services in a particular community;
  • Activities where costs have already been incurred because the activity has already been undertaken or will have been undertaken prior to the start of the activity;
  • Activities outside of Australia or involving overseas travel;
  • Activities that provide private and/or commercial benefit rather than not-for-profit or social enterprise activities that enhance the public good in agricultural-dependent communities;
  • Business activities where the primary purpose is for profit;
  • Activities already funded through another Australian, state or territory, or local government program;
  • Provision of funding to any person or organisation that has outstanding final reports from a prior Australian Government grant of financial assistance;
  • Any costs that are not directly related to carrying out the activity, such as:
    • Preparation of grant application materials;
    • Protecting or patenting intellectual property;
    • Activities of a distinctly commercial or proprietary nature aimed at selling or attracting investment;
    • Developing, building, or producing commercial prototypes to commercialise a research project outcome;
    • Creation of new institutions;
    • Establishing new commercial ventures;
    • Core business expenses not directly related to carrying out the activity, including administrative, overhead (and infrastructure not specified in a project budget) costs, staff salaries (unless directly engaged in delivering the Funding Program), and relocation costs, travel and living allowances;
    • Financial support for feasibility studies, or master plans;
    • Alcohol;
    • Hospitality and catering beyond reasonable costs for providing refreshments at activity-related events such as workshops or field days;
    • Purchasing of infrastructure not specified in a project budget;
    • The conduct of activities that could be considered part of normal business or ongoing operations, unless integral to the delivery of the activity;
    • Purchase or acquisition of land or buildings;
    • Capital expenditure;
    • Activities involving political advocacy;
    • Production of clothing, equipment, or merchandise for distribution;
    • Subsidy of general ongoing administration of an organisation such as electricity, phone and rent; and
    • Major construction or large capital works.

If unsure, please contact us to discuss your eligibility prior to lodging your application.

Please note: Staffing and reasonable program delivery costs to support the coordination and delivery of planned activity or project are considered an eligible expense.

To apply, your organisation must meet the following criteria:

  • Applicant organisations must be a not-for-profit organisation with an ABN or Incorporation Certificate.
  • Organisations with or without DGR-1 endorsement are eligible.
  • The proposed project must be for charitable purposes and offer clear public benefit.
  • Projects are considered eligible if they are either identified in an eligible RDRP or align with a social resilience theme in the RDRP.
  • Organisations that participated in the development of the RDRP will be prioritised.
  • Organisations can submit one application per grant round.
  • Projects must benefit communities in remote, rural, or regional Australia that are agriculture-dependent.

Please note, you will be considered ineligible if the:

  • Application is submitted by individuals, sole traders, private or commercial businesses (as per the submitted ABN).
  • Application is submitted by an organisation that is not a legal entity (i.e. a registered not-for-profit), without the written consent of the governing / partnering body who holds the ABN / Incorporation Certificate.
  • Application is submitted without required financial documentation (see below).
  • Overdue Final Report/s from any FRRR grants awarded in the past seven years have not been acquitted (delivery organisations should check with legal organisation to see if there are any outstanding final reports).
  • Application is for a project or activity that has already occurred / is occurring prior to the announcement of  funding.
  • Application is incomplete. Note: Due to the volume of applications received, applications are assessed based on the documentation received at the time of application. FRRR is unlikely to follow up missing documentation after applications have been submitted.
Gather information to support your grant application

Please read the information below to support the planning and preparation of your project. It also sets out what you MUST include for your project to be considered.

Please contact FRRR if you have any questions about the following information.

Every application needs to include an organisation that holds either an ABN or Incorporation Certificate. If your organisation does not have that, FRRR may still fund the project, but you need another organisation’s support, which we refer to as the ‘legal organisation’ (with your organisation being the delivery organisation). This situation often occurs when the organisation delivering the activity or project is a branch of an overarching organisation – such as a local CWA or YMCA branch. In this case, the CWA or YMCA would be the legal organisation.

Even though your organisation may complete the application (and will be doing the work), it is the ‘legal organisation’s’ legal and financial information that needs to be provided. They also need to provide a letter of support, confirming they are willing to play this role, with a template available here.

FRRR conducts a broad range of due diligence queries when reviewing applications, such as reviewing current and past incorporation, DGR and ACNC status. If your organisation has happened to have their incorporation status, DGR status or ACNC status changed or ACNC registration revoked or voluntarily withdrawn, please let us know the reasons for this.

Applications from ACNC and/or unincorporated associations are required to submit their organisation’s Constitution.

Why is this important?

The Future Drought Fund’s Communities Program will only distribute funds to not-for-profit organisations with an ABN or Incorporation Certificate and FRRR needs to know that the organisation with that ABN / Incorporation Certificate understands and agrees to fulfil their responsibilities in relation to your project, if successful.

Applications received without the requested financial information are ineligible. Providing incorrect financial information is currently the most common reason applications cannot be considered. You must attach the following:

  • For organisations that have audited financial reports: Attach the most recent annual audited statements.
  • For organisations that do not have an annual financial audit: Attach the most recent 12 months Income and Expenditure Statement. If you have a Balance Sheet, please also submit this.
  • For organisations less than one year old: Provide Bank Statements for the period you have been operating.

Please note:

  • If financial documents are more than 18 months old, please provide an explanation as to why the organisation does not have more recent documents.
  • Bank Statements are only acceptable as financial documentation if your organisation has been operating for less than one year.
  • Please explain any deficits and steps to sustain the organisation financially.
  • Provide a brief explanation of any large financial surplus or current assets and reasons why FRRR funds are still required.
  • Income and Expenditure statements must cover a full 12-month period.
  • Please contact us if you cannot provide required financials or are unsure about what to provide.
Why is this important?

FRRR uses this information to understand your organisation’s financial viability and ability to manage grant funds.

You must include a project budget that clearly shows the items that FRRR grant funding will be used for and shows all income and expenses related to your project.

Budgets should be realistic and must add up – i.e., total expenditure must match total income.

Applicant contributions in cash or in-kind are highly regarded. Quotes or detailed rationale for items over $1,000 are required, where possible. Note: FRRR suggests costing unskilled volunteer labour at $45 per hour.

For more info on costing volunteer labour, visit: https://explore.fundingcentre.com.au/help-sheets/valuing-volunteer-labour.

Why is this important?

A clear budget helps FRRR to understand the size of your project, exactly how FRRR funds will be spent and helps demonstrate community support for your project through in-kind contributions either from your organisation or partners / community members.

FRRR strongly recommends that you provide supporting materials such as letters of support, evidence of permission from the property owner, community plans, survey results, photographs, media clips and research reports that can show broad community support and partnerships involved in the project. For more information on supporting documentation, watch this recording.

Large documents should be referenced and explained in the application.

Why is this important?

FRRR seeks to fund projects that are well-supported by the broader local community, are locally led and delivered, show good partnerships and benefit multiple parts of the community. As FRRR is not always familiar with your community, our staff consider support material as evidence toward understanding level of community need, benefit and support.

A clear description is required of exactly what the grant funds will be used for, when and where the project will happen, who will benefit and who will be involved in delivering the project, why the project and grant funds are needed, how funds will be spent and how the activities and success of the project will be recorded, evaluated and shared.

Where possible, we encourage you to make it clear that your community is ready and able to deliver the project and if required, can provide ongoing support for the initiative.

Why is this important?

FRRR needs to clearly understand your project to assess its merits. Applicants should focus on addressing what, when, where, who, why and how of the project, as this is the best way to clearly communicate the details of the project.

A ready community is best placed to achieve the aims of your project, so during assessment, our staff look for information that tells us that good leadership, skills and awareness exist in your community to support the project now and in the future.

FRRR has moved to a new online granting system called Blackbaud Grants Portal. All applications must be submitted via this system.

Applications close at 5pm VIC time (AEDT) on 11 December 2025.

Please contact FRRR if you have questions about any aspect of the Blackbaud Grants Portal online application system.

To access any active grants you have with FRRR, click on the Login button at the top right of this page.

Apply now for an RDRP Social Outcome Grant up to $100,000
Return to your current application here

Helpful resources:

It is time to submit your application. If it is helpful, you can download a sample copy of the application form.

Before you submit your application online via the Blackbaud Grants Portal, please ensure you have:

  • Confirmed you are eligible to apply for this grant
  • Provided clear information about your project
  • Checked that you are an eligible legal entity
  • Provided the financial information required
  • Created a budget for the project
  • Gathered supporting materials
  • Spoken to an FRRR contact person where you were unsure of any requirement
  • Gathered community support for the project
  • Checked the information you are providing to make sure it is clear and relevant to the project
RDRP Social Outcome Grants Program: Definitions and Frequently Asked Questions

Please read the information below to help you learn more about the program.

If you have any further questions, please contact Ruth Stevens, RDRP Social Outcome Grants Coordinator, by emailing [email protected] or free call 1800 170 020.

  • Social Resilience: Drought can cause strain on maintaining the social fabric or social capital of remote, rural and regional Australia, which may threaten the viability of some communities. Social capital is built on social networks of trust, mutual support and understanding. When people are part of social networks, they are more involved in community life and can be better supported through challenging times. Maintaining positive mental health is also an important aspect of personal resilience. Drought can undoubtably cause personal and family stress which can be lessened when social connections and networks are strengthened. 1
  • Drought Resilience: The ability to adapt, reorganise, or transform in response to changing temperature, increasing variability and scarcity of rainfall, and changed seasonality of rainfall, for improved economic, environmental, and social wellbeing.
  • Agriculture-Dependent: Agriculture-dependent communities refer to remote, rural and regional communities with a high economic dependency on agriculture and related industries.
  • Networks: An interconnected and open-ended circle of people linked by a shared interest, occupation, etc.
  • Not-for-Profit: An organisation that does not operate for the profit, personal gain, or other benefit of particular people (for example, its members, the people who run it or their friends or relatives).
  • Strategic Drought Resilience: Drought resilience that is achieved through a considered and collaborative process (with involved parties / stakeholders), which includes a plan to achieve a particular outcome. 2
  • Innovative Activities: Generating, diffusing and applying knowledge in order to do new things or do existing things in new ways. 3

1 Future Drought Fund Act 2019 Future Drought Fund (Drought Resilience Funding Plan 2024-2028) Determination 2024, Page 8 and 9, Clause 5 – Strategic objectives: Social resilience, https://www.legislation.gov.au/F2024L00150/asmade/downloads.
2 https://www.macquariedictionary.com.au/features/word/search/?search_word_type=Dictionary&word=strategy, retrieved 2022.
3 Department of Agriculture, Water & Environment (2022) National Agricultural Innovation Agenda: Digital foundations for agriculture strategy (awe.gov.au). p.37.

$100,000 is available for up to 50 approved RDRP regions to activate social initiatives identified in the region’s RDRP.  This may support one or several projects, where clearly identified in the RDRP.

Locally based not-for-profit organisations in non-metro regions with an approved RDRP and outside of the 12 CIP regions are eligible to apply for these grants.

The map below indicates the approved regions for RDRP Social Outcome Grants.

Map of Australia showing the approved RDRP Social Outcome Grant regions.

Please review the list of regions and LGAs that are supported by this program.

Round 1 will open on 5 November 2025 and close on 11 December 2025. Outcomes will be announced late April 2026 for projects delivered between April 2026 and October 2027. Please see the guidelines for more information. This is 1 of 3 rounds.

RDRP Social Outcome Grants: Program and Reporting Resources

The information below will help you through the reporting and acquittal process for your RDRP Social Outcome Grant from FRRR. Click on each of the headings to learn more.

We would love to receive photographs and videos, along with your Final Reports. Please send them through to the email address below.

If you have any further questions, please contact Ruth Stevens, RDRP Social Outcome Grants Coordinator, by emailing [email protected] or free call 1800 170 020.

  • Project Changes: Were there any changes to your project? If so, please describe.  
  • Project Activities: What did you do? What specific activities took place, where, when and who participated/benefitted?
  • Project Outcomes: Tell us about what you achieved. What was the most successful? What are you most proud of?
  • Project Learnings: Were there challenges? What would you do differently next time?

FRRR will use a combination of informal and formal reporting requirements. FRRR will monitor projects during their delivery with key points of contact being at the 6 and 12 month marks. This could be in the format of an emailed form, a phone call or a site visit. A Project Report will be available in your Blackbaud Grantmaking account to complete when the project is finished. FRRR will seek information on Changes, Activities, Outcomes and Learnings related to your project.

A Financial Acquittal form will need to be completed to detail how the grant funding is spent. Any additional information to supplement the report, such as photographs, videos, surveys or links to webpages are highly encouraged.

For more information on reporting to FRRR, please visit our website. More details on reporting requirements for the FDF Communities Program will be available in the future.

If you have significant issues accessing a stable internet connection, please contact our team to discuss an alternative way of applying:
Ph: 1800 170 020 or Email: [email protected]

“Lessons learnt from previous drought shared amongst the network are of such high importance, and this funding has created a platform for us to be able to do that across our community: making brave decisions to pick up your commodity and move it to a more safer place off your farm where someone else looks after it; for fear of hanging onto it in a drought, would devastatingly mean losing it all together. It is important to share real & raw drought stories like this within our drought preparedness forums, as it allows others insight, energy and a safe educational space other to think outside the box.”

Grant recipient from Networks to Build Drought Resilience program

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