About this Grant
Grants up to $10,000 are available for a broad range of grassroots, community-led initiatives that directly and clearly benefit local communities that strengthen local people, places and climate solutions, with a preference for smaller communities (populations under 15,000).
Applications are accepted on an ongoing basis and assessed quarterly.
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;Supporting diverse groups within remote, rural and regional communities including, but not limited to, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander, culturally and linguistically diverse, those living with disability, and LGBTQIA+
- 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.
These grants are available thanks to the generous support of the donors listed at the bottom of this page.
This round, approximately $390,000 is available to fund grants up to $10,000. 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.
What can be funded?
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.
For the SRC Small & Vital stream, additional specific funding is available for:
- Indigenous Australians or health and wellbeing projects that support disadvantaged women and children nationally
- Projects that improve physical health and local food security and sustainable local food systems nationally
- Projects that support digital inclusion in QLD and NT; and
- Projects in the Wiluna and Leonora shires in WA.
What can't be funded?
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 benefit 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
- Pojects 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 if 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;
- Project 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:
- More than one application is submitted per grant round in the Strengthening Rural Communities program — either Small & Vital, Rebuilding Regional Communities or Prepare & Recover
- Application is submitted by individuals, sole traders, private or 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 who holds the ABN / Incorporation Certificate
- Application is submitted without required financial documentation (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 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.
