Strategic Initiatives

In addition to our core granting and capacity building work, FRRR works on a number of strategic initiatives. These are designed to either trial new approaches or work more deeply with community groups or with partners to find new ways to approach ongoing challenges.

Sometimes we do those through partnerships, and other times we run programs or commission research to help move the dial on key issues that affect remote, rural and regional communities.

Read about some of our deep place-based programs and our partnerships.

Disaster Resilient: Future Ready

Disaster Resilient: Future Ready is a national initiative that supports remote, rural & regional communities to lead initiatives that improve wellbeing, increase preparedness and strengthen resilience. This enables them to have greater capacity to endure, adapt and evolve positively when faced with the impacts of climate, disasters and other disruptions.

Over several-years, FRRR works at a hyper-local level with grassroots organisations and community representatives to build local knowledge of climate risks, catalyse leadership and facilitate collective action to enact solutions that build on local knowledge and strengths at the intersections of people and place to strengthen social capital and build community resilience.

We’re currently working with communities in the Burnett region of Queensland, having piloted the program in regional NSW and then worked in Korumburra, Myrtleford and Whittlesea Township and surrounds.

Read more

Investing in Rural Community Futures

Investing in Rural Community Futures is a grassroots program aimed at building and supporting the capacity of not-for-profits. After piloting it in NSW in eight communities, we are now working in the regional Victorian communities of Swan Hill, Maryborough and Colac.

The program is embedded in the community for five years and focusses on strengthening local not-for-profit (NFP) organisations and ultimately enable them to thrive, which in turn will have a positive impact on community wellbeing.

Read more

Partnerships and Alliances

Collaboration is part of FRRR’s DNA and so where we can add value on issues that affect remote, rural and regional communities, we have formed partnerships and alliances.

Below are some of the ongoing initiatives and alliances that we are involved with, as well as some of the memberships we hold.

DSS Stronger Places, Stronger People National Leadership Group

FRRR’s CEO, Natalie Egleton, sits on the Stronger Places, Stronger People National Leadership Group, an advisory group to the Minister for Social Services, which meets quarterly. The Group’s key purpose is to support the Stronger Places, Stronger People strategy and implementation of place-based collective impact as an approach to building stronger futures for children and their families and disrupting disadvantage.

The Group has four key roles:

  1. to advise on strategy and implementation of Stronger Places, Stronger People

  2. to generate national support, new networks and investment in Stronger Places, Stronger People and place-based collective impact

  3. to reform funding and institutional arrangements

  4. to engage with Stronger Places, Stronger People communities and champion resolution of systemic barriers.

Natalie will bring a rural perspective to policy discussions about regional development and economic opportunity.

Thriving Kids in Disasters (TKiD) is an initiative of the Thriving Queensland Kids Partnership’s Country Collaborative. FRRR is participating in the TKiD Leadership Alliance to define and guide outcomes and practical next steps. TKiD contributes a Queensland-based analysis of strengths and opportunities for improvement of current and future capabilities of disaster management systems, as they relate to Queensland kids. By bringing together current research with stakeholder insights, TKiD offers a number of principles and systems-level recommendations to better support kids’ resilience and wellbeing through prevention, preparedness, response and recovery in Queensland.

TKiD draws on findings from growing science and burgeoning evidence about the general incidence and impacts of adverse childhood experiences, entrenched disadvantage and impacts of trauma on health, development, learning, behaviour and relationships across the life-course and as a result of disaster experiences. Additional insights are gleaned from current evidence and best practice concerning child development, resilience and wellbeing, with consideration given to how this relates to disaster resilience and what this means for the resourcing and governance of systems supporting kids.

FRRR is working alongside Australian Red Cross, who have commissioned research by Deakin University to better understand the connection between social capital and disaster resilience, and the monetary value of investing in social capital throughout the disaster cycle to strengthen wellbeing.

Social capital, which refers to the social ties and connections between people and communities, can play a critical role in disaster management by enabling collective action, information sharing, and trust-building. While there is a growing understanding of the role of social capital in community resilience, more evidence is needed on the extent to which social capital can mitigate the adverse impacts of disasters and the extent of the economic value of the resulting benefits, particularly in remote locations.

FRRR joins Australian Institute of Disaster Resilience, University of Melbourne and Natural Hazards Research Australia in supporting the leadership displayed by Australian Red Cross in advocating for a balanced investment in both social, human and built infrastructure to meet the future challenges of increasing disasters, disruptions and climate related events. Read the findings of the report. 

FRRR acted as an advisory on https://communityresilienceinsights.org.au/

FRRR’s CEO, Natalie Egleton, sits on the Stronger Places, Stronger People National Leadership Group, an advisory group to the Minister for Social Services, which meets quarterly. The Group’s key purpose is to support the Stronger Places, Stronger People strategy and implementation of place-based collective impact as an approach to building stronger futures for children and their families and disrupting disadvantage.

The Group has four key roles:

  1. to advise on strategy and implementation of Stronger Places, Stronger People;

  2. to generate national support, new networks and investment in Stronger Places, Stronger People and place-based collective impact;

  3. to reform funding and institutional arrangements; and

  4. to engage with Stronger Places, Stronger People communities and champion resolution of systemic barriers.

Natalie will bring a rural perspective to policy discussions about regional development and economic opportunity.

Soon to be established, this committee will involve members of the Outback Alliance and enable FRRR to focus more on enhancing the liveability of remote communities.

Our Town is a ten-year, place-based mental health initiative supporting community-determined and preventative responses to mental health challenges. The Our Town network consists of two models. The first model includes four communities – Ceduna / Far West, Cummins, Kangaroo Island, and Kimba, who are each fully funded for the ten years under the initiative by Fay Fuller Foundation. The second model includes the communities of Berri and Mid Murray who to date have been supported through seed funding and short term government grants. All six communities receive funded capability development and participate in network learning opportunities.

A partnership between The Next Economy, RE-Alliance, FRRR and Projects JSA to work with community leaders across Australia to find a better way to develop renewables in regions and test a new pathway for transparent agreement making between the renewables industry and regional communities.

Across 2024 – 2025, through meaningful engagement with communities and key stakeholders, SaND will develop resources to help support regions manage the roll out of large scale renewables for the benefit of their community. We will:

  • Connect: Establish a national network of regional leaders managing the roll out of large scale renewables to share knowledge and experiences, and inform the development of a place-based approach.
  • Partner: Work with one community to pilot the place-based approach to manage the energy transition for the benefit of their community.
  • Inform: Help shape future industry practices and government policies at state and national levels.

Creative Recovery Network is a not-for-profit organisation working to develop and embed the vital role of culture, creativity and the arts in Australia’s disaster management systems. FRRR partnered with CRN to undertake research into the long-term impacts of the arts in recovery.

Launched in July 2024, She Gives is a one-year campaign that seeks to highlight women’s giving at any scale, to any cause, accelerating positive social change. Its ambition is to celebrate, share and inspire women’s giving in Australia. FRRR’s CEO, Natalie Egleton, sits on the Advisory Committee.

In May 2024, Tanarra Social Purpose launched a campaign designed to strengthen and support charities in a challenging operating environment. It included a range of perspectives on what makes a good charity from a variety of sector leaders, including FRRR CEO Natalie Egleton, alongside resources to support not-for-profit organisations and charities.

FRRR is a stakeholder group representative in the Community Reference Group (CRG), the role of which is to provide an open forum for discussion between community representatives, key stakeholders and EnergyCo about the Central-West Orana REZ. The CRG discusses matters relating to the planning and delivery of the REZ transmission network, as well as broader REZ issues.

The Community Connector for Resilience works to support communities by connecting diverse people and organisations focussed on building disaster and climate change resilience to enable sharing knowledge and learning. By working together, combining our strengths, and supporting community-led resilience, we can all build the resources and expertise needed for a healthy and sustainable future here in our city of Melbourne, regional Victoria, and across Australia.

FRRR is a founding member, alongside Lord Mayor’s Charitable Foundation, Emergency Management Victoria and Victorian Council of Social Service.

FRRR is part of the Community Resilience Allliance, alongside Australian Red Cross, Australian Institute for Disaster Resilience, Melbourne University and Natural Hazards Research Australia.

FRRR is also proud to be an active and contributing member of:

  • Philanthropy Australia (PA)
  • PA Rural Funders Network
  • PA First Nations Network
  • Community Foundations Australia
  • Australian Environmental Grantmakers Network (AEGN)

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