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Small grants can have a big impact in rural communities


Small grants make a big difference in remote, rural and regional communities across Australia. They help to strengthen their economy; enhance wellbeing and create connections; and build disaster resilience. Small grants also enable communities to take advantage of opportunities, and generally empower locals to create more vibrant, sustainable places to live and work.

They are in high demand and each year, FRRR receives far more requests for small grants than we can fund. In our last small grants round, there were 85 funding-ready projects that we couldn’t support because we didn’t have enough money.

Projects that would enhance community facilities to respond to the changing climate; support those doing it tough or with special needs, like older residents; provide access to music and cultural experiences for younger people; host events that bring a remote community together to celebrate what makes it unique or to recover after difficult times, just to name a few.

We’re proud that our small grants help local leaders bring their ideas to life. From talking to community groups, we’ve identified nine reasons why they are in such demand:


1. Confidence-building: A small grant is a great place to start. They build confidence in applying for, managing and acquitting grants.

2. Connections: Grants help strengthen connections within the community and encourage groups to work together.

3. Test and learn: Community groups can pilot an idea, refine their thinking and demonstrate its impact on a manageable scale.

4. Recognition: Receiving a grant acknowledges the group’s capacity and capability, encouraging other organisations to work with them.

5. Leverage: A catalyst for more money – e.g. matched funding or another grant – or simply a vote of confidence towards future funding.
 
6. Flexible and responsive: Provide funding for needs identified by the community and can be varied if priorities change, like after a disaster.

7. Capacity-building: Enable not-for-profit organisations to take action and make progress, while building their understanding, capability and capacity to take on larger projects.
 
8. Accessible: Many small not-for-profits or grassroot community groups aren’t eligible for regular philanthropic funding – FRRR’s special tax status allow us to support these groups.
 
9. Simplicity: Our application process is simple to navigate, with additional help just a phone call away.


By donating to FRRR, you help remote, rural and regional groups to create vibrant, sustainable and empowered communities, for the long-term.

Find out more at FRRR.org.au/small-grants

Why give to a collaboratively-funded program?

We know from experience that local communities are best-placed to know what their communities need – because every place is different. By contributing to this program, together with a range of our donors, you allow community groups to have access to funds for the things that they prioritise. This could be issues as diverse as health and wellbeing, social connectedness, infrastructure, economic empowerment, organisational capacity and much more. Our collective donations are pooled, and fund the grants we’re able to make through the Strengthening Rural Communities program.

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Our Item 1 DGR entity tax status is our superpower – we reach community groups that often can’t access tax deductible donations.


“We would recommend FRRR to any donor wishing to reach small communities in regional Australia. The aspect of FRRR that allows funding of non-DGR projects is a distinct advantage, as is the reach into areas that metro-based entities cannot easily achieve. We have found the FRRR team flexible and accommodating in recommending projects that fit our charter, and importantly meet the needs and priorities of local communities.”
Paula Thomson
Formerly Portland House Foundation
We are locally-driven – so funds go to where communities most need them.


“FRRR sits alongside communities and within community, it doesn’t dictate to communities how things should happen. They are very much there as a trusted partner and enabler. I knew FRRR would deliver and would do it in a way that respected the agency that communities need to have in these times of disaster.”
Michelle Gortan
CEO, Macdoch Foundation
We diligently assess the organisations and projects that receive grants, so you can be confident that your money is going to make a difference.


“We really wanted to partner with FRRR to support rural communities. We also knew that with FRRR the funds would get to where they needed to go in a timely fashion for the purpose we intended.”
Lucy Watson
AMP Foundation
We act with ethical exclusions, and positive screens – and take steps to consider and articulate how each of our choices contributes to positive social, environmental, cultural and economic impacts across remote, rural, and regional Australia.


“We recognise that FRRR will be able to get the funds to places that the Sidney Myer Fund wouldn’t be able to reach. FRRR has a deep understanding of needs on the ground. FRRR is very hands on and great at supporting applicants every step of the way.”
Kirsty Allen
Senior Program Manager, Sidney Myer Fund
We are the only national foundation specifically focused on ensuring social and economic strength in remote, rural and regional areas of Australia by aligning government, philanthropic and local community purpose and investment.


“FRRR plays an amazing role – really working deeply with communities to understand needs, and I credit them with the work that they do on the ground with communities to help them navigate – often complex – granting regimes that we impose as funders, and to understand how we can practically make a difference.”
Debra Morgan
CEO, Helen Macpherson Smith Foundation