The Foundation for Rural Regional Renewal (FRRR) is pleased to announce the Strengthening Rural Communities (SRC) program which aims to give the thousands of small remote, rural and regional communities across Australia an opportunity to access funding to support broad community needs.
Focus Areas
They have grouped the kinds of projects communities commonly ask them to help fund into seven areas, which they call the Activity Tree:
Building community resilience
Developing organizational resilience and capacity
Enhancing environmental sustainability
Fostering cultural vibrancy
Lifelong learning and education
economic strength
Improving community health and social wellbeing
Funding Streams
Three funding streams are available:
Rebuilding Regional Communities (RRC): grants up to $10,000 to respond to ongoing impacts and recovery from the COVID pandemic;
Bushfire Recovery : grants up to $25,000 for 2019/20 bushfire recovery; and
Small & Vital: grants up to $10,000 for broad initiatives that strengthen local people, places, and climate solutions with a preference for smaller communities (populations under 15,000).
What are the program objectives?
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;
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;
Increasing capacity and capability of local community organisations to support preparedness and recovery from natural disasters;
Enabling locally-led responses within rural, regional and remote communities endeavouring to reduce the impacts of the changing climate within their community.
Eligible Activities
A broad range of charitable activities are considered under this program, including:
Delivering, or providing activities, events, programs and services; Purchasing or hiring equipment and materials;
Community infrastructure projects;
Organizational capacity building
Community resource development.
Eligibility Criteria
Grants are available for a broad range of grassroots, community-led initiatives that directly and clearly benefit local communities. Applications are accepted on an ongoing basis and assessed quarterly.
To apply, your organization must meet the following criteria:
Applicant organizations must be a not-for-profit organization with either an Incorporation Certificate and/or an ABN. If you are unsure if your organization is a registered not-for-profit (for example, if you are a Co-operative, Other Unincorporated Entity, Public Company or Trust), please contact FRRR;
Project must be for charitable purposes and offer clear public benefit;
Organizations with or without DGR endorsement are eligible;
Organizations can submit one application per grant round;
For Bushfire Recovery Stream, applicants must be in a declared fire-affected area;
Projects must benefit communities in remote, rural or regional Australia.
