Investing in Rural Community Futures Program

IRCF NSW

The multi-year program began in 2018 when the Vincent Fairfax Family Foundation (VFFF) partnered with FRRR to work alongside local not-for-profit (NFP) organisations in three communities – Leeton, Junee, and Nambucca Valley. The IRCF VFFF program has helped these communities identify where support is needed and to provide regular opportunities for community discussion and planning for the future.

Through the Investing in Rural Community Futures (IRCF) program, FRRR is currently supporting a range of initiatives in these towns including organisational governance, communications and marketing, technology upgrades and fundraising strategies. By supporting such initiatives, FRRR and VFFF seek to invest in the long-term viability of the local NFP sector.

With the support of the Snow Foundation and Bendigo Bank, FRRR was able to roll out the program to the NSW South Coast region, with a focus on boosting the confidence, ability and skills of NFPs in Ulladulla, Batemans Bay, Nowra and Bay & Basin. The Australian Government has provided additional funding to expand the program in the Shoalhaven region.

In 2022 the IRCF program was further expanded into the Bega Valley thanks to the Australian Government’s Black Summer Bushfire Recovery Program. In partnership with the Bega Valley Council, the IRCF Bega Valley – Resilience Connection and Place Project supported the NFP sector to identify common areas of interest, shared assets and needs for capacity building.

 

IRCF Victoria

The program is now underway in three Victorian communities, thanks to the support of four philanthropic organisations – Helen Macpherson Smith Trust, Jack Brockhoff Foundation, The Ross Trust, and William Buckland Foundation.

After an extensive research and community engagement process, Colac, Maryborough, and Swan Hill have emerged as the communities ready to maximise the opportunity the IRCF program offers and achieve significant positive impact.

Over the next five years, each community will travel their own path, guided by local voices and actions, which will be informed by the development of a Community Roadmap. The Roadmap will establish each community’s goals and priorities for the not-for-profit sector and be a living resource that will evolve throughout the program.

To learn more about the next steps, read the Victorian Partnership Announcement or visit the IRCF Victoria program page.

This program is for partner communities only, and not for public application.

 

 

 

Highlighting the value of local NFPs

The quality of life in a town – i.e. what makes it liveable – often depends on NFPs. They fill the gaps where there is most need. The IRCF program is based on the belief that local leaders are best placed to know what is going to make the biggest difference in their community. By supporting local solutions and using a multi-faceted approach, our overall aim is to build resilient and vibrant communities.

The IRCF program offers a toolbox of support, including access to a facilitator, grants, participatory planning processes, skill development, and external resources to strengthen community networks and foster social capital through community-led initiatives.

An overall IRCF Evaluation Framework has been developed to allow for reflection and promote adaptive responses, so as we move through the program, we will adjust to community need and allow for new solutions to local problems. This is also helping us refine our approach to working with communities more generally.

The evaluation focus will be on measuring the impact of the program, the change and effect on the capacity and sustainability of the individual NFP organisations, and on the communities overall.

Flexible Support

FRRR’s aim is to give these local not-for-profits the confidence, ability and skills to continue the great work they do, and to help them achieve their goals on an ongoing basis. From our work to date, we have identified that a successful local community sector is strong across four areas:

  • People – leadership, succession planning, volunteer recruitment and retention, training and development
  • Not-for-profit structure and internal systems – legal compliance and capability, human resources, finance, policy and procedures, small scale infrastructure
  • Strategy – developing organisational plans and strategies, fundraising and revenue, accessing opportunities that are fit for purpose, implementing key capacity building initiatives identified in NFPs strategy
  • Efficiencies – local solutions, networking, creativity and responsiveness, collaboration with NFP sector, sharing of resources, recognise that efficiencies can be made due to excessive cost due to the remoteness of their location

The IRCF program therefore focuses on how best to strengthen local community groups in each of these areas.

IRCF Priorities

 

Learn more about how the program is being implemented on the IRCF Hub

For more information on the Investing in Rural Communities program, please contact IRCF Program Managers Jo Kemp (VIC sites) or Carolyn Ardler (NSW sites).

This is an invitation-only program and details of how to apply will be sent to you via email, if you are eligible.

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

 

I have a question, who can I talk to?

Please contact IRCF Program Managers Carolyn Ardler (NSW sites) or Jo Kemp (VIC sites).

 

I find FRRR and IRCF is the most understanding of what a regional area and NFPs need. There’s a real understanding of NFP of their struggles and time constraints.

 

Dunn & Lewis Youth Development Foundation

There are better partnerships and collaborations between organisations in the community. We share a lot of our resources now. We used to be in competition with each other, but now we all talk more to each other. When there’s funding and it’s not our core business, we send the information to other organisations. We didn’t do that before.

Nambucca Valley participant

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