Strengthening Rural Communities – Small & Vital

Projects funded must align with one or more of the following charitable outcomes:

• Bringing people and community organisations together to foster stronger, more resilient communities;
• Fostering and celebrating a sense of identity, diversity and cultural connection within the community;
• Supporting diverse groups within remote, rural and regional communities, including but not limited to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, culturally and linguistically diverse individuals, those living with disabilities and LGBTQIA+ communities;
• Improving community health and social wellbeing;
• Enabling people to develop skills, knowledge and confidence to lead and contribute to the prosperity and renewal of their community
• Building a sustainable volunteer base and/or supporting the wellbeing of volunteers;
• Celebrating and resourcing volunteer-led efforts;
• Increasing access and inclusion for vulnerable and disadvantaged groups, including remote communities;
• Enhancing places where communities gather;
• Promoting connection to place and enabling initiatives that champion a community’s social, cultural, or economic aspirations;
• Reducing the divide on access to digital technology and connectivity for remote, rural and regional communities;
• Enabling locally-led responses within rural, regional and remote communities endeavouring to reduce the impacts of the changing climate within their community.

Yes, SRC is a national program with funding available in remote, rural and regional regions in all States and Territories.

These grants are available thanks to the generous support of the donors listed at the bottom of this page.

This round, there are two tiers of funding available: grants up to $10,000; and grants up to $50,000. While all requests will be considered, priorities for funding are outlined below:

• Projects that support communities in remote, rural or regional Australia with fewer than 15,000 people;
• Projects initiated and delivered by local community groups and not-for-profits;
• Organisations that do not have DGR status.

A broad range of charitable projects are considered under this program, including:

• Delivering or providing activities, events, programs, and services;
• Purchasing or hiring equipment and materials;
• Community infrastructure projects;
• Organisational capacity building; and
• Community resource development.

Additional specific funding is available for:

• Projects to strengthen the digital skills, confidence and safety of adults enabling them to get online, build social connections, and access services, information, education, and employment through training, as well as acquiring the digital and connectivity infrastructure where needed;
• Environmental sustainability initiatives in grain-growing LGAs in WA, VIC, NSW and SA;
• Projects benefitting older people in VIC;
• Projects to support the education of children and young people in the Mitchell Shire, VIC;
• Social welfare and conservation projects in the Goulburn / Tarlo community in NSW;
• Projects to support ageing in Gilgandra and Warren in NSW; and
• Projects in the Wiluna and Leonora shires in WA.

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 or Local Governments;
• 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; and
• Projects solely focused on animal welfare.

To apply, you must meet the following criteria:

• Applicant organisations must be a not-for-profit organisation with either an Incorporation Certificate and/or an ABN. If you are unsure whether your organisation is a registered not-for-profit (e.g. if you are a Co-operative, Other Unincorporated Entity, Public Company, or Trust), please contact FRRR;
• There are two streams of funding available within the Strengthening Rural Communities (SRC) Program: Small and Vital and
  Prepare and Recover. Organisations may submit their application in one of these streams per SRC grant round, and any other applications in this round will be considered ineligible;
• Projects must be for charitable purposes and offer clear public benefit;
• Not-for-profit organisations with or without DGR 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:

• Application is submitted by individuals, sole traders, or private / 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 Certificate;
• Application is submitted without required financial information (see additional information on the second tab);
• Final report/s from any FRRR grants awarded in the previous seven years have not been acquitted (delivery organisations should check with their 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.