In a Good Place (IAGP)

Supporting mental health in rural communities

The In a Good Place program gives small remote, rural and regional communities across Australia, particularly farming communities, the opportunity to access funds for a broad range of community-driven projects, services, activities or initiatives, which clearly and directly focus on strengthening mental health, social / emotional health and wellbeing.

The program supports community-based approaches that:

  • are preventative or responsive in nature;
  • focus on reducing mental health stigma and promote open discussions about mental health;
  • encourage, support and enable people to seek help; and
  • reduce social isolation by fostering social participation, inclusion and connection.

There are now two streams within the program:

  • Community wellbeing for projects focussing on mental health and wellbeing within remote, rural, and regional communities;
  • Farmers and farming communities for projects specifically supporting the mental health and wellbeing of farmers and the communities they live in.

 

NOTE: Farming communities refers to remote, rural, and regional communities with a high dependency on agriculture and related industries.

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IAGP Round 10 is now closed

Funding announced mid December 2025

How to apply

Please read the information on each of the three 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?

Jeanice Henderson

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

The In a Good Place program gives small remote, rural and regional communities across Australia, and particularly farming communities, the opportunity to access funds for a broad range of community-driven projects, services, activities or initiatives, which clearly and directly focus on strengthening mental health, social /emotional health and wellbeing.

The program supports community-based approaches that:

  • Are preventative or responsive in nature;
  • Focus on reducing mental health stigma and promote open discussions about mental health;
  • Encourage, support and enable people to seek help; and
  • Support good mental health and wellbeing by reducing social isolation, fostering social participation, inclusion and connection.

Projects must be undertaken within 12 months of receiving the funding, reporting back to FRRR on the outcomes of the project within three months of project completion.

In a Good Place is a national grants program, with a preference to support projects serving communities with populations under 10,000 in remote, rural and regional communities.

Applications from regional centres (over 10,000) will also be considered if the project can demonstrate it supports people from surrounding smaller communities.

In a Good Place offers grants of up to $20,000, from a funding pool of at least $240,000. These grants are available thanks to the generous support of APS Foundation and CCI Giving, Macdoch Foundation, Jibb Foundation, Morris Family Foundation, Norman Family Foundation, Rebecca Gorman & John Sevior, and Well Thanks Foundation.

There are two streams of funding available:

  • Community wellbeing for projects focussing on general mental health and wellbeing within remote, rural, and regional communities.
  • Farmers and farming communities for projects specifically supporting the mental health and wellbeing of farmers and the communities they live in.

 

NOTE: Farming communities refers to communities with a high economic dependency on agriculture and related industries.

While all requests will be considered, priority will be given to:

  • Projects that address specific mental health and wellbeing issues within a local community;
  • Projects that are initiated and delivered by local community and not-for-profit organisations, rather than organisations from outside of the beneficiary community.NOTE: Organisations from outside of beneficiary communities applying for funds will need to provide sufficient evidence from the local community that it endorses the organisation and the project, or has initiated the partnership to deliver the project, such as support letters. FRRR is unlikely to fund without evidence of local community support;
  • Projects that serve remote, rural and regional communities with populations under 10,000 are preferred. Applications from regional centres (over 10,000) will also be considered if the project can demonstrate it supports people from surrounding smaller communities;
  • Projects that do not duplicate an existing service or program;
  • Projects that are sustainable beyond the period of the grant.

The program is open to charitable projects that use non-clinical approaches to engage people, are community-based and easy to access. Priority will be given to initiatives that:

  • Are delivered by non-clinical providers of mental health care, such as school counsellors and teachers, pastoral care teams, neighbourhood or community groups;
  • Improve accessibility and availability of mental health services, tools, or support to areas with limited or no access to the same, through technology or other innovative / creative methods;
  • Improve knowledge of mental health services, tools, or support through the development and sharing of local community resources;
  • Create innovative and inclusive responses which build social connections that improve mental health, such as delivering or providing activities, events, programs and services.
  • Confront stigma, negativity and hesitancy surrounding help-seeking behaviour in locally responsive ways, such as community events and / or activities with strong and positive mental health messages;
  • Support local organisations to develop skills and resources to confidently and safely provide mental health and wellbeing support to others in their community.

There are several areas that we can’t fund through this program. If in doubt, please contact us.

  • Projects that support core business and areas of responsibility of Federal, State, and Local Governments;
  • Clinical / acute mental health projects;
  • Ongoing core organisational operational costs (e.g. rent, utilities, regular wages, loan repayments);
  • The encouragement or advancement of sport, recreation, and social activities are not considered charitable activities under Australian law. Applications from sporting organisations need to clearly demonstrate charitable outcomes and benefits to the wider community that are above and beyond the sporting activities of the club;
  • Overseas travel and overseas projects;
  • Prizes, gifts, trophies or awards;
  • Political lobbying;
  • Projects that primarily benefit private business, a sole trader, or private interests;
  • Projects solely focussed on animal welfare.

To be eligible, your oganisation must meet the following criteria:

  • Applicant organisations must be a not-for-profit organisation with an ABN or  Incorporation Certificate.
    If you are unsure if your organisation is a registered not-for-profit (for example, if you are a Co-operative, Other Unincorporated Entity, Public Company, or Trust), please contact FRRR on 1800 170 020;
  • Project must be for charitable purposes and offer clear public benefit;
  • Not-for-profit organisations with or without DGR-1 endorsement are eligible;
  • Organisations can submit one application per grant round; and
  • Projects must benefit communities in remote, rural or regional Australia.

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 that holds the ABN / Incorporation number;
  • Application is submitted without required financial documentation (see additional information on the second tab);
  • Overdue final report/s from any FRRR grants awarded in the previous seven years have not been acquitted (delivery organisations should check with the 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.

Organisations that receive a grant through the In a Good Place program are asked to complete a project report at the conclusion of their project. Project timeframes are 12 months from the date the grant is awarded. This will include:

  • Reporting on what was achieved and learnt in relation to the program’s main goals, approaches and results; and
  • Reporting on achievements and lessons learned for each project goal, comparing anticipated and actual outcomes.

Successful applicants may be contacted by FRRR during the project or within six months of project completion, and/or project site visits by FRRR and program partners.

Grant recipients will decide the best ways to measure the results and outcomes of their local projects the program’s objectives, outcomes and indicators as listed below:

Objectives:

  • Reducing stigma surrounding mental health and seeking help;
  • Encouraging vulnerable community members to seek help if they are struggling with their mental health and wellbeing;
  • Supporting farmers and farming communities;
  • Reducing social isolation; or
  • Increasing social participation, inclusion and connection.

Outcomes (all projects must measure at least one or more of the following):

  • Greater resilience among project participants and their communities;
  • Improved community wellbeing; or
  • Increased community participation, involvement and engagement.

Indicators (all projects must measure their results in two ways):

  1. Quantitative (i.e. number of participants); and
  2. Qualitative (i.e. what people gained from participating in the project).

These measures should show positive outcomes based on one or more of the following indicators:

  • Clear improvements in social connections, participation, seeking help, or people’s attitude towards life in general;
  • Improved engagement of vulnerable or hard to reach community members, and the results of this engagement, such as more connection to others, engagement with services, or repeated attendance / participation;
  • Number of farmers or individuals in a farming community engaged in the project;
  • Increased understanding of mental health issues in the community and reduced stigma for those experiencing mental health issues, leading to greater inclusion and wellbeing;
  • Improved skills, ability and capacity within the community to confidently respond to and support those with, or at risk of, developing poor mental health;
  • Stronger partnerships within the community that help people get involved and access services;
  • Likelihood of service / activity / event / program continuing once grants funds have been expended.

These indicators can be measured in ways that best fit the proposed project. This could include using surveys before and after the project / event, focus groups, feedback forms, case studies, tracking numbers of referrals and other service-related data such as participation rates. Applicants should clearly explain in the application how they will measure and report on project outcomes. Please contact FRRR if you would like assistance.

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. There are plenty of helpful resources to support you along the way.

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

Your grant application MUST include:

Every application needs to include an organisation that holds either an ABN or Incorporation Certificate. If your organisation doesn’t have that, FRRR could still fund the project (with your organisation as the delivery organisation) but you need another organisation’s support, which we refer to as the ‘legal organisation’.

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

This situation often occurs often when the organisation delivering the activity or project is a branch of an overarching organisation – such as a local CWA or YMCA branch.

Why is this important?

This FRRR program is only able to distribute funds to not-for-profit organisations with an ABN or incorporation number, and FRRR needs to know that the organisation with that ABN / Incorporation number understands and agrees to carry out their responsibilities in relation to your project if successful.

Applications received without the requested financial information are ineligible. Providing incorrect information on financials is currently the most frequent reason why applications are not considered.

  • For organisations that have audited financials: Attach the most recent annual audited statements;
  • For organisations that do not have audited financials: Attach the most recent 12 months Income and Expenditure Statement. If you have a Balance Sheet, please also submit that;
  • 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.
  • 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.
  • 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 had their incorporation status, DGR status, or ACNC status changed, or ACNC registration revoked or voluntarily withdrawn, please let us know the reasons for this.
  • Please contact us if you cannot provide required financials or you 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 funds 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.

Helpful resources:

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 the level of community need, benefit, and support.

Helpful resources:

A clear description 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, also indicate that your community is ready to deliver the project and if required, can support the initiative ongoing – i.e. awareness of need is widespread, appropriate leadership, resources, skills and knowledge exist in the community.

Why is this important?

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

Helpful resources:

We have grouped the kinds of projects communities commonly ask us to help fund in the IAGP program, which we call the Activity Tree. You will be asked to nominate one of these five areas for the IAGP program:

  • Building community resilience
  • Developing organisational resilience and capacity
  • Fostering cultural vibrancy
  • Lifelong learning and education
  • Improving community health and social wellbeing

We ask you to nominate one of these five areas when you apply. So, before you lodge your application, download the Activity Tree to help you identify your focus area.

Why is this important?

FRRR makes grants to communities, but we also need to be able to demonstrate to our funding partners where communities need support.

Important notes for successful grantees:

To receive the grant funds, successful grantees (the legal entity) must have a bank account registered under the organisation’s name. Without a bank account, the grant funds cannot be disbursed, and the grantee will not receive the funds.

When the project is complete, the grantees will be required to provide a Project Report on the project’s activities, impacts and outcomes, and include a financial acquittal of your grant. Project reporting is an opportunity for the organisation to reflect on and celebrate what has been achieved and to share learnings.

Grantees have up to 12 months to deliver their In a Good Place project. The online Project Report is due 8 weeks after project completion.

Organisations with an overdue Project Report are NOT ELIGIBLE to apply for further FRRR funding until the report is received. If the Project Report is not received, the applicant organisation may be suspended from applying for any FRRR grant programs until it is supplied.

We have a large selection of resources on our Grantseeker Resources Page to help you along the way.

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

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

Round 10 of In a Good Place is now closed. 

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

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

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]

Inspiration - Past Projects

Mental health in the Mallee

The small farming community of Pinnaroo in the Mallee region of SA is tackling the health and wellbeing of local residents head on, using a $20,000 IAGP grant.
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