Granting and Partnership Services
FRRR was established to harness and connect the collective resources and investments of philanthropy, business, government and individuals and direct this support to communities beyond our big cities.
The generous support of our donor partners is fundamental to what we do. Some of our donors and partners are listed here, but there are many, many more. We particularly acknowledge our founding members: the Australian Government, and the Sidney Myer Fund.
In addition to receiving donations into our core programs, FRRR works with donors and partners in many different ways – from running a program on their behalf, to collaborating on programs addressing a specific issue, or simply sharing our expertise and networks.
Click on the tabs below to explore the different ways that we partner with those who want to support remote, rural and regional communities, or get in touch with the Partnerships team to discuss your options.
Would you like to discuss options?
Please contact our Partnerships Team.
Email: [email protected]
Phone: 03 5430 2399
Many businesses partner with FRRR because they recognise our expertise in getting funding to where it is most needed in remote, rural and regional Australia.
This can be via one of FRRR’s existing programs (such as Strengthening Rural Communities, Community Led Climate Solutions or In a Good Place), or by garnering FRRR’s experience, governance, deep connections and networks to deliver a bespoke community grants program on their behalf.
For example, the Kellogg Australia Charitable Foundation’s mission is to help solve food insecurity in regional and rural areas, so FRRR was a great fit. The Foundation started a three-year partnership with FRRR in 2021 and its donations contribute to FRRR’s Strengthening Rural Communities (SRC) grants program. Kellogg Australia Charitable Foundation chose to partner with FRRR because of SRC’s collaborative granting approach and its ability to be flexible and focused to respond to communities’ needs. As a result, this partnership is still going today, five years since its inception.
The ANZ Seeds of Renewal small grants program was established in 2002 and has given more than $5 million over that time to help build and sustain rural communities, to ensure the ongoing prosperity of regional Australia.
Current partners
The long-running ANZ Seeds of Renewal program focusses on and aligns with ANZ’s core giving objectives. It is updated as they evolve.
Telstra’s Connected Communities Grant Program supports community-led efforts that embrace technology and improve digital literacy or capability.
Grants strengthen resilience by undertaking community-identified and led long-term disaster recovery activities with a public benefit.
The Nutrien Ag Solutions Community Grants contributes to the success, vibrancy and wellbeing of remote, rural and regional communities nationwide.
Over many years FRRR has partnered with numerous established philanthropic trusts and foundations, who have trust and faith in FRRR to deliver funding where it is most needed.
Some partnerships centre around giving large donations to an existing FRRR grant program, like Strengthening Rural Communities. Other philanthropic foundations have asked FRRR to develop a granting program that targets a specific geographic location or centres, or funding to support specific issues.
Philanthropic foundations partner with FRRR to Give Now or Give for the Long Term. Or, explore the approaches below…
Donor Advised Programs
Philanthropic foundations can partner with FRRR to create a tailored grants program that responds to a particular geography or need. For example, the Sally Foundation has partnered with FRRR for many years to create opportunities for young people in Central West NSW, as well as supporting FRRR led programs such as Heywire and Takeover.
The Sally Foundation partners with FRRR to support programs that empower young people in rural and regional Australia, build leadership skills, increase social participation and learning opportunities and encourage youth voices to be heard.
FRRR and the Vincent Fairfax Family Foundation (VFFF) have most recently partnered to deliver Backing the Future. It’s an exciting program that supports innovative ideas benefitting young people in Queensland and New South Wales.
The Yulgilbar Foundation has been a long-time supporter of FRRR and partnered with us to run The Yulgilbar Foundation Fund program, which supported communities in the Clarence Valley and surrounding regions who had a desire and need to strengthen their capacity and resilience in response to the 2019/20 bushfires, flooding and continued challenges across the region.
Collaborative Partnerships
Philanthropic foundations can also choose to partner with FRRR on long-term initiatives. For instance, the Investing in Rural Community Futures program, which aims to build and support the capacity of grassroots community organisations was initially supported by VFFF, before the Snow Foundation, Bendigo Bank Community Enterprise Fund, and the Australian Government joined us to roll it out in eight NSW communities. Following its success, Helen Macpherson Smith Trust, the Jack Brockhoff Foundation, The Ross Trust and William Buckland Foundation joined forces to bring the program into VIC. Similar collaborations have enabled the delivery of FRRR’s Disaster Resilient: Future Ready program in NSW, QLD and VIC.
Get in touch with the FRRR Partnerships team if you’d like to discuss ways that your foundation can support remote, rural and regional communities.
The Australian Government was one of the two organisations that founded FRRR in 1999 and it continues to be an important partner.
The partnership currently includes the Future Drought Fund’s Helping Regional Communities Prepare for Drought Initiative, which provides funding to help remote, rural and regional communities, and farmers, become more prepared for, and resilient to, the impacts of drought. The Fund is part of the Government’s Drought Response, Resilience and Preparedness Plan and follows on from their $15 million donation to the Tackling Tough Times Together (TTTT) grants program that helped communities access the resources they need to support one another through the ongoing effects of the drought. The Australian Government joined the program as a funder, following its establishing with other philanthropic partners, having seen the success of the program.
This is similar to the Strengthening Rural Communities program, where funding was rolled out through the Australian Government’s Rebuilding Regional Communities stream to support COVID recovery in regional communities.
State Governments too have partnered with FRRR. One of the first was the Victorian Government, which oversaw the Victorian Bushfire Appeal Fund (VBAF) following the 2009 Black Saturday bushfires. FRRR managed and delivered a series of grants programs focussed on the long-term recovery of affected communities, which evolved as needs changed in the ensuing years. The final program – Grants for Resilience & Wellness – had a specific focus on providing assistance towards community-strengthening and resilience-building projects. Started in 2012, the program recently finished and over that time gave nearly $3 million for resilience building projects that strengthen the many bushfire-affected communities. The NSW Government has partnered with FRRR more recently to support COVID recovery.
Get in touch with the FRRR Partnerships team if you’d like to discuss ways that FRRR could deliver a grants program on your behalf to support remote, rural and regional communities.
At FRRR, our commitment to Insights and Community Engagement is central to our mission of fostering vibrant, resilient communities across rural, regional, and remote Australia.
Since 2000, FRRR has connected and built trust with community leaders, not-for-profit organisations, and local residents to understand their unique challenges, aspirations and opportunities. Through these interactions, together with our granting programs and capacity building support, we gather valuable insights and data that inform our programs and initiatives, ensuring they’re tailored to meet the specific needs of each community and they’re efficient and sustainable. We share these insights with key stakeholders across the philanthropic, corporate and government sectors, to inform decision-making and drive action.
Contact the FRRR Partnerships team to find out more about our Insights and Community Engagement work.
FRRR offers Community Renewal Funds to support communities administering renewable energy benefit funds.
Operating at a regional, local, or town level, FRRR’s Community Renewal Funds enable communities, proponents and governments to work collaboratively to identify priorities, maximise impact and create long-term benefits.
FRRR provides an independent vehicle through which to administer local community benefit funds at a regional or local level – giving community greater voice in the distribution of these vital funds.
Join-up multiple benefit funds in a region to reduce administration and the burden of multiple small grant pathways in a community – unlock opportunities for large community-informed legacy projects.
FRRR offers:
Please contact Sarah Matthee, FRRR’s Climate Solutions Portfolio Lead to discuss Community Renewal Funds further.