Rural Communities Increasingly Reliant on Philanthropy
4 July 2013 at 10:54 am
Communities across rural, regional and remote Australia are increasingly looking to the philanthropic sector to help them create and maintain basic community infrastructure needed to enable social connection and inclusion, according to the Foundation for Rural and Regional Renewal.
The FRRR says this was reinforced in the 661 applications made to the bi-annual FRRR Small Grants for Small Rural Communities program.
“More than 50 per cent of the organisations applying in this round were new to FRRR, which demonstrates the program is still reaching new community groups in need of support,” FRRR CEO, Alexandra Gartmann said.
“The Foundation will be able to fund some $472,000 of the $2.6 million total grants applied for – roughly a quarter of the applications received.
"Every dollar has an impact and every grant we make enables another community to achieve a locally-developed solution to a pressing issue in their community,” Gartmann said.
“These projects not only improve infrastructure, but they help build social capital and create vibrant and adaptive rural, regional and remote communities.
“One hundred and fifty-five community organisations will start the new financial year with funds to undertake projects.
“Grants stretch the length and breadth of Australia – from Nhulunbuy NT to Dodge Ferry in Tasmania and across to Northampton in WA. Grants range from $145 to $5,000, with the average around $3,000.
The next round of the Small Grants for Small Rural Communities program opens on August 1, 2013.
The ANZ Bank and the Foundation for Rural and Regional Renewal have also announced the opening of the national 2013 Seeds of Renewal program, providing $250,000 in grants for education and employment projects in regional communities of fewer than 15,000 people.
ANZ General Manager Regional Business Banking Tania Motton, said: “Supporting local communities is a key part of our Banking on Australia program. Since we started Seeds of Renewal in 2003, ANZ has provided more than $3 million in grants to 635 regional communities across Australia.
Applications close at 5pm on August12, 2013 and successful applicants will be notified in November 2013.
FRRR says it will soon launch a new national program to foster community leadership and capacity building in rural, regional and remote communities, after receiving a $500,000 grant from the Federal Department of Regional Australia.
“The grant follows a proposal from FRRR to strengthen the foundations of communities in rural, regional and remote Australia,” Alexandra Gartmann said.
“The program will require collaboration with community leadership organisations and the various leadership programs and Community Foundations operating in rural, regional and remote communities, and will leverage the experiences and knowledge of communities that have experienced the effects/impact of change.”
Anyone interested in collaborating with FRRR on this program should email Alexandra Gartmann at info@frrr.org.au or phone 03 5430 2399.
