The Foundation for Rural and Regional Renewal (FRRR) has announced the Strengthening Rural Communities (SRC) Program with an aim to give the thousands of small rural, regional and remote communities across Australia an opportunity to access funding to support broad community needs.

The Strengthening Rural Communities program gives small rural, regional and remote communities across Australia the opportunity to access funds that can benefit and help secure their future success. Grants are available for a broad range of initiatives that directly and clearly benefit local communities.

Outcomes

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, regional and remote communities endeavouring to reduce the impacts of the changing climate within their community.

Funding Streams

• Small & Vital - up to $10,000 grants available. Communities in non-metropolitan areas with fewer than 15,000 people are prioritised.
• Bushfire Recovery – up to $25,000 grants available. Projects that enhance the recovery of communities affected by the Sept 2019 to Feb 2020 bushfires are eligible.

Projects that 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;
• Community resource development.

Eligibility Criteria

To apply, you must meet the following criteria:

• Applicant organisations must be a not-for-profit, community-based organisation with an ABN or Incorporation Certificate;
• Project must offer clear public benefit (i.e. has a charitable purpose);
• Organisations with or without DGR endorsement are eligible;
• Organisations can submit one application per grant round;
• For Bushfire Recovery Stream, applicants must be in a declared fire-affected area;
• Applicants must be in a rural, regional or remote area (defined as outside ‘Major Cities of Australia/ Code RA1’ of the 2016 Australian Standard Geographical Classification (ASGC)).

For more information, visit FRRR.