FRRR Newsletter - eNews July 2016

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Newsletter | july 2016

A word from the CEO

As we begin a new financial year, I want to thank the generous donors and partners who worked with us to support rural, regional and remote communities during 2015/16. A number of new donors have contributed in the last couple of weeks, including a large grant from several trusts managed by Perpetual, which will significantly increase our focus on WA in the coming years. We are still doing the final numbers but we know that we have again granted out more than $6 million.

I also want to acknowledge the amazing work of the thousands of community leaders that we’ve supported. For many of you it is a labour of love, but we know that it takes so much effort and commitment and we are inspired by what you do - day in day out - to build sustainable, viable rural communities.

In coming months, we will take the opportunity to ensure we have the right systems and processes in place to support what is set to be a huge year, and for future growth, so that we can continue to support the diverse needs of rural, regional and remote communities. We have received generous support from the Department of Infrastructure and Regional Development for a new grants management system, and have begun updating our processes and systems ahead of implementing the new system. Thanks to a generous grant from our founding funders, Sidney Myer Fund, another new project we are particularly excited about will deepen our approach to evaluation, helping us better understand the outcomes and impacts that FRRR grants help to achieve. So stay tuned.

We’ll continue to get out and meet our partners and communities to explore where you need help. Last week, it was wonderful to talk to the recipients of the Gardiner Dairy Foundation Working in Dairy Communities program, and we also explored our collaboration with donors around the I4CI program, as well as participated in an Education Funders Group meeting focussed on STEM in schools. We look forward to doing more of this throughout the year and will continue to announce grant programs and opportunities for communities.

Til next time …

Natalie Egleton

Register for fundraising webinars

FRRR has teamed up with Our Community to host three webinars specifically designed to help rural, regional and remote community groups access more funding.

These webinars aim to demystify some of the funding options beyond grants, and our presenters will share knowledge and practical tools to help you get started.

FRRR's CEO Natalie Egleton will be joined by Patrick Moriarty, Our Community's Director of Training and Development, and Wendy Brooks, who provides strategic fundraising services and a range of administrative services to the community sector.

Register now for these free sessions:

Planned Giving and Bequests 101 - 1pm AEST on Thursday, 14 July
Sponsorship 101 - 1pm AEST on Wednesday, 27 July
Crowd-funding 101 - 1pm AEST on Wednesday, 10 August

Program update

The beginning of a new financial year is always a busy time. We recently announced the recipients of School & Beyond, Grants for Resilience & Wellness (GR&W) and Community Group Futures, as well as the Gardiner Dairy Foundation Working in Dairy Communities Small Grants program, and the final round of the Goulburn Valley McEwen Foundation program.

Announcements about REAPing Rewards and Innovation for Community Impact (I4CI), as well as the latest round of Small Grants for Rural Communities will be made in the next couple of weeks .

We are still assessing applications for the ABC Heywire Youth Innovation Grants and Community & Philanthropy Partnerships Week programs. Meanwhile, there are a number of grant programs open or opening soon:

Aussie Cotton Farmers Grow Communities – opened 30 June, closes 31 August.
CARA – opening 14 July, closes 19 August.
ANZ Seeds of Renewal – opening 26 July, closes 26 August.
GR&W and Community Group Futures - opening 15 August, closing 15 October.
Small Grants for Rural Communities – opening 22 August, closing 7 October.
Tackling Tough Times Together (TTTT) - 1 October closing 15 November.
School & Beyond – as a rolling grants program, School & Beyond is always open.

Check out FRRR’s grant calendar, or follow us on Twitter or Facebook so you know when grant programs open.

And finally, a warm welcome to Janet Phillips, who is backfilling Louise Mitchell while she is on extended leave. Janet is filling the role of Programs Manager - Natural Disaster Recovery, looking after all of the VBAF-funded programs, as well as Repair-Restore-Renew.

Lady McEwen’s legacy lives on

In late June, we held a grant presentation ceremony in Shepparton to present successful grant recipients with their cheques and plaques for the Goulburn Valley McEwen Foundation small grants program.

This marked the end of a productive and impactful partnership. Over the last decade the McEwen Foundation has worked with FRRR to distribute more than $607,500 to groups in the Goulburn Valley, in accordance with the wishes of the late Lady McEwen. The McEwen Foundation will continue to support the community through its partnership with The Lighthouse Project, while FRRR continues to support community groups through programs such as Small Grants for Rural Communities, REAPing Rewards and Caring for Ageing Rural Australians.

Thanks again to the McEwen Foundation for supporting such a broad range of projects in this final round, including addressing childhood heart-disease, Hepatitis C and managing autism; education, with a focus on early learning and first-aid skills for kids; and enhancing facilities at a local aged care facility.

In the media

Nhill Early Years Hub gets a boost

FRRR recently facilitated a $95,000 donation to the Nhill Early Years hub from a private donor. The Hub was a great fit with the donor's interests, which centre around community infrastructure and will bring early years service providers together in one modern, integrated facility and help ensure children are school ready. The $2.7M facility also received funding from federal, state and local governments, and local fundraising has been crucial. It's a huge undertaking for a town of just over 2000. As reported (pictured) in the Nhill Free Press, the Hub's committee is also working with FRRR to set up a donation account to further support ongoing fundraising.

Clermont Kindy & Daycare upgrade

As shared on Facebook, the Clermont Kindergarten Day Centre is delighted with their $10,000 grant from FRRR, thanks to the Tim Fairfax Family Foundation. The funds went towards stage one of the playground upgrades, and allowed them to replace an outdated babies' playground area and rebuild a beautiful sand pit for the children to enjoy.

We love hearing these stories, so please tag or message us on Facebook and let us know what you've been able to do in your community.

Vibrant communities and tips for grassroots philanthropy

This month's edition of Generosity Magazine features an article FRRR helped put together about vibrant philanthropy helping to create vibrant rural communities. There is a great case study about how the township of Wycheproof in north-west Victoria strengthened their community by offering empty farmhouses for rent for just one dollar. Another article features some great tips for philanthropists looking to fund grassroots projects from FRRR's CEO, Natalie Egleton.

There are also some great articles from some of our donor partners too, so it makes for a good read! You can subscribe or register for a free three month trial to read these articles and more.

Distance & isolation create challenges

The June/July in-flight magazines for Cobham and Alliance Air are both generously running a complimentary advertisement about the work that FRRR does. These magazines will be travelling around the country and read by thousands of passengers. Let us know via Facebook or Twitter if you see our ad!

Handy tips for community groups

Community Foundations Forum scholarships

FRRR is again offering scholarships to assist with travel and registration costs to attend the National Community Foundations Forum. There are a limited number of partial and full scholarships available. Priority will be given to rural, regional and remote Community Foundations who have significant travel costs. To spread support widely, FRRR’s preference is to assist only one representative from each Community Foundation. Applications close Monday 1 August - visit our website to apply.

What's your emergency plan?

ACOSS has recently launched the ‘Resilient Community Organisations Toolkit'. Developed by and for the community sector, the Toolkit is designed to help organisations to measure and improve their resilience to disasters and emergencies. It includes:

A benchmarking system – assess your current state of preparedness for disasters and emergencies, and identify areas needing improvement.
The Six Steps to Disaster Resilience – including information and resources for organisations to take actions.

We encourage all community groups to check out this practical tool.

New Justice Connect NFP Law web

Justice Connect's Not-for-profit Law service has launched a new website that provides automated free legal help to not-for-profits, charities and community groups. The service can answer the basic questions most people face when looking to set up a not-for-profit.

	1.	A word from the CEO
	2.	Free fundraising webinars
	3.	Program update
	4.	Lady McEwen's legacy
	5.	In the media - Nhill Early Years Hub - Clermont Kindy - Generosity - In flight
	6.	Handy Tips - Scholarships - Emergency Plan - NFP Law Hub
	7.	Grants in Action - Tasman Trailer, TAS - Maldon Market, VIC - Whitton RFS, NSW

Grants in action

New home for tool trailer

The Tasman Council works with many local volunteer groups to maintain the foreshore reserves and national parks on the Tasman and Forestier Peninsulas.

In 2008, the community secured a trailer to house and transport the safety equipment and tools used by volunteers. Originally housed at the Council’s premises, it was then garaged at the homes of various volunteers. So anyone wanting to access the trailer had to find out where the trailer was, who had the keys, and then hope that the person was home.

After Tasmania's devastating bushfires in 2013, demand for the trailer increased significantly, as volunteers set about repairing, restoring and rehabilitating damaged areas.

A $3,500 grant from the Small Grants for Rural Communities program, funded by the Pratt Foundation, helped them to build a centrally located shed on a Council-managed site. A Green Army team removed rust and repainted the trailer, which had some wear and tear from not being appropriately stored. The grant also funded signage explaining how to access the trailer and recognising those who contributed funding. There was even some money left over to buy more new tools and equipment.

The trailer can now be booked through Council, and volunteers can access the shed using a pin code, which means the trailer is now safe and secure and easy to find.

Maldon market flourishes

A report commissioned by the Mt Alexander Shire Council in Victoria showed that the number of vacant retail outlets in Maldon were increasing, and the level of visitor and local spending was decreasing.

Jenny Merkus, President of the Maldon Neighbourhood Centre saw a great opportunity to turn this trend around.

“The two main gaps were fresh fruit and vegetables and ‘speciality’ shops. Maldon and the surrounding communities are bursting with growers, as well as talented artists, jewellery designers, sewers and bakers – so we thought a monthly market, utilising the local talent, could fill this gap,” said Jenny.

“A $5,000 ANZ Seeds of Renewal grant gave us the opportunity to promote the market across the region. We advertised in local papers and did a targeted postcard distribution to households, information centres, shops and cafes.”

The initial aim was to attract 500 people to the market in the first few months. Now an average of 1,200 people turn up each month. So obviously the grant was well spent.

Hung out to dry in Whitton

Located in the NSW Riverina, a region known for its long, hot and dry summers, the local rural fire service is very important to the town of Whitton, population 400.

Lorraine Kefford from the Whitton Rural Fire Service explained that the canvas hoses must be completely dried after use to ensure they don’t rot or get mouldy.

A local cotton farmer nominated the Whitton Rural Fire Service for an Aussie Cotton Famers Grow Communities grant to install a motorised canvas hose drying pole. But after considerable research, it was clear that this type of equipment didn’t exist.

They called on a local engineer to design a custom made drying pole. It was quite a complex undertaking, involving earthmoving, concrete footings and a crane to place the pole in the footings.

Lorraine says the Whitton Rural Fire Brigade was not in a financial position to erect the drying pole without the grant. But by thinking outside the box, the drying pole will remain safe and strong and be used well into the future.

The FRRR Mission is

"to champion the economic and social strength of Australia's regional, rural & remote communities through partnerships with the private sectors, philanthropy and governments."

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