Disaster Resilience and Recovery Fund

FRRR has a long history of supporting disaster preparedness and assisting affected communities to recover. We have facilitated support to communities preparing for disaster events and recovering from the 2021 NSW floods, 2019/20 bushfires, 2019 North Queensland floods, Cyclones Debbie (2017), Oswald (2013), Yasi (2011), and Larry (2006) and subsequent flooding, the 2013 Blue Mountains bushfires, the Victoria Black Saturday bushfires of 2009, and the ongoing drought in parts of every state in Australia. 

More frequent and intense climate disasters, including prolonged droughts and intense dry periods, mean we need to be more proactive in funding communities to assist with their preparedness activities, and to have funds available to support them through the medium to long-term aftermath of a disaster.

That’s why we created a perpetual Disaster Resilience and Recovery Fund (DRRF) within FRRR’s DGR1 endorsed Public Fund, the returns from which will be granted out to communities to support disaster preparedness and disaster recovery.

Natural disasters disproportionately affect rural, regional and remote areas, where the capacity to invest in preparedness or fund recovery is limited. 

FRRR believes that there needs to be greater focus on preparing for disasters at an individual and community level, and investment in locally-led approaches that build preparedness and resilience in concert with regional strategies and plans.

With disasters increasing in frequency – including more localised, yet nonetheless devastating events – FRRR wants to be able to provide support for recovery – when and where it’s needed, which is often long after the headlines have moved on to something else.

The DRRF fund ensures that donated funds reach grassroots community organisations across remote, rural and regional Australia, who collectively make up the social fabric of these communities, and who often miss out on receiving disaster donations.

How does the fund work?

Donations are pooled and invested to ensure that remote, rural and regional communities affected by natural disasters can access flexible, fit-for-purpose funding to support local preparedness and recovery efforts, when it’s needed.

All donations and gifts are pooled together and donors will be kept informed of the Fund’s value and the impact of grants made possible with their donation.

FRRR’s Board and its Finance & Audit subcommittee will safely steward funds over the long-term. The funds will be invested conservatively, alongside FRRR’s existing corpus funds, with the returns used to support communities. This means donations to the Fund will be leveraged time and time again, ensuring they keep having an impact, rather than being spent once.

Six reasons to support FRRR’s Disaster Resilience and Recovery Fund

  1. FRRR can reach community groups in rural, regional and remote Australia that often don’t have the capacity to fundraise locally, and due to their tax status, can’t access philanthropic support.
  2. We rigorously assess the organisations and projects that receive grants.
  3. All grant recipients have to report back on how they used the money, and what they achieved.
  4. FRRR’s administration costs are low.
  5. Every gift made will grow over time and continue to benefit communities in perpetuity – your donation will be a gift that keeps on giving.
  6. FRRR is trusted, known, respected, enduring, and well governed. You can be assured that your donations will be managed with care and directed to local community groups and not-for-profit organisations, for local projects, supporting local people.

Further information

Contact Sarah Matthee, Partnerships & Services Manager on 1800 170 020 or via email to make a lasting difference by joining with other donors who are passionate about rural communities and provide a helping hand in times of need.

Our generous partners

The Disaster Recovery and Resilience Fund is collaboratively and generously supported by the following donors:

♦1666 Foundation  ♦.au Domain Administration  ♦adidas  ♦ALS Limited  ♦Arup  ♦Ascodama Pty Ltd as Trustee for The Handsome Tours  ♦Aussie Farmers Foundation  ♦Bijal Joshi   ♦Capricorn Foundation ♦Channel Foundation  ♦Darville Foundation  ♦Elders Limited  ♦First Sentier Investors  ♦Frasers Property Foundation  ♦Geraldine & Mike Roche  ♦Go-To Skincare  ♦Haymes Paint  ♦Herbert Smith Freehills  ♦Levins Family Foundation  ♦Luerssen Australia  ♦Mark Nelson  ♦Metricon Homes  ♦Mitsubishi UFJ Trust and Banking Corporation  ♦One Tomorrow Charitable Fund, a sub-fund of Australian Communities Foundation  ♦Orica Payroll  ♦Qudos Bank  ♦Rex Airlines (Regional Express) ♦Rio Tinto  ♦Ross Video  ♦Sanil Rege  ♦Shaw and Partners Foundation  ♦Sporting Chance Cancer Foundation  ♦The Caledonia Foundation  ♦The Ross Trust  ♦The Unsworth Foundation  ♦The Velo Project  ♦Tonkin + Taylor Group  ♦Wilson Asset Management  ♦FRRR and Private Donors.