Grantseeker resources

Have all your grant-related questions answered and find all the know-how on grantseeking and funding. 

You can also sign up to our monthly eNews which contains Community Tips and all the latest updates on our grant programs. You can also check our FAQs if you have a question about the grantseeking process with FRRR.

You can also check our FAQs if you have a question about the grant seeking process with FRRR.

Visit FAQs

Many of FRRR’s webinars are recorded and uploaded to YouTube.

The Know and the How series playlist

Many of FRRR’s webinars are recorded and uploaded to YouTube.

Grant Seeker Workshop playlist

Finding and applying for grants:

Four key stages of applying for a grant:

A great place to start when you are planning to apply for a grant is with these four animated clips:

If you are new to grantseeking, we’ve developed this handy Insights and Tips on the Four Grantseeker Stages.

Use our simple Project Planning Tool (PDF) to record information

Fill out a template of standard information you will need at hand when applying for grants – This template from Our Community (PDF)

The FRRR Expertise Pool is a network of highly-experienced consultants from around the country, with a proven track record of working in collaboration with community organisations to achieve their mission.
Experts are located all over Australia, including remote, rural and regional areas. Some are based in metro areas but have proven experience working with grassroots organisations in remote, rural or regional areas.
Learn more about how you can have a free no-obligation conversation about your needs, as you plan or implement your project.

Expertise Pool

Understand the funding requirements:

Set yourself up for financial success:

Fundraising beyond grants

Making a plan and devising a strategy to fundraise for your project is crucial. Find out more below about fundraising avenues beyond grants that may be available to your community group.

Download the Fundraising help sheet.

Accessing tax deductible donations for community organisations

FRRR Not-for-Profit Fundraising Accounts

Did you know that all taxpayers can make tax-deductible gifts or donations to organisations with deductible gift recipient (DGR) status, and keep the receipts to claim back from the ATO on their tax bills as a deduction?

This is a major incentive for giving, as donors to these groups are effectively directing where their tax money is going. Having DGR status greatly assists groups to fundraise by receiving donations from businesses and individuals in their community, and to access philanthropic funds, as Trusts and Foundations often require grantseekers to have DGR status.

By partnering with FRRR via a Not-for-Profit Fundraising Account, community organisations can leverage FRRR’s special tax status to assist in achieving their fundraising goals for specific projects or activities to address a community need.

See more about Not-For-Profit fundraising accounts.

Tax deductible donations through the Australia Sports Foundation

Another group that is able to help communities fundraise is the Australian Sports Foundation (ASF). The ASF program enables tax-deductible donations in support of a sport-related project – an area not normally considered charitable for philanthropic funders. The ASF works with sporting clubs, sporting organisations (regional, state, and national), government and independent schools, councils, government agencies, and community groups to increase opportunities for Australians to participate in sport, and/or excel in sports performance. You can find out more from their website.

Crowdfunding

Crowdfunding is a great way for community organisations to raise much-needed funds. It is the practice of raising many small amounts of money from a large number of people, typically via the Internet. Pozible is an online crowdsourcing tool.

It provides the platform for project creators to present their ideas to a connected audience, worldwide. Around 10,900 projects have raised more than $45m in crowdsourcing pledges on the Pozible site.

Pozible’s Crowdfunding Handbook (8MB).

Planned Giving and Bequests

Natalie Egleton, CEO of FRRR, Patrick Moriarty, Director of Training and Development at Our Community, and special guest Wendy Brooks, MD and Founder of Wendy Brooks Consulting, discussed what is planned giving, how to organise it, and how to manage it.

Funding Beyond Grants – Webinar:

The ACNC’s Small Charities Library has a range of great resources that cover topics including Tax, DGR and other concessions; reporting; managing conflicts of interest; managing staff and volunteers, complaints handling; meetings and preparing a practical agenda; plus templates, checklists and self-assessments to help you effectively manage your small organisation.

ACNC Small Charities Library

Applying with FRRR

When you are ready to start your application to an FRRR grant program, the Applying page will walk you through the things you need to check off.

Each FRRR grant program has its own specific application form, which all applicants must complete and submit via FRRR’s online grants administration system called Grants Gateway.

Every application needs to be made by, or have the support of, an organisation that holds either an ABN or Incorporation Certificate. If your organisation doesn’t have an ABN or Incorporation Certificate, FRRR may still fund the project (with your organisation as the delivery organisation) but you need another organisation’s support, which we refer to as the ‘legal organisation’.

Even though your delivery organisation may complete the application (and will be doing the work), it’s the overarching legal organisation’s legal and financial information that needs to be provided. They also need to provide a Letter from the Legal Entity, confirming they are willing to play this role, with a template available here for your convenience.

The financial documentation may be the latest Annual Report financial pages usually available on the overarching legal organisation’s website. This situation often occurs when the organisation delivering the activity or project is a branch of an overarching organisation – such as a local fire agency like Country Fire Authority or SES branches.

If the funds you are applying for will be used to carry out works on property that is not owned by your organisation, you must provide a letter signed by the property owner to show that they are aware of the application and give approval for the intended project to be carried out.  Evidence of permission from the property owner can be based on the template available here for your convenience.

FRRR strongly recommends that you provide supporting materials such as letters of support, community , community plans, survey results, photographs, media clips and research reports that can show broad community support and partnerships involved in the project. Large documents should be referenced and explained in the application. Letters of support for the organisation or project can be based on the template outlined here.

For more information on the online application process:

Grants Gateway How-To Guide (PDF)

Grants Gateway FAQs

FRRR’s Assessment Considerations (PDF) – a comprehensive explanation of what information we need from you in your application, and why. Please consult the individual grant pages for specific information and supporting documents.

FRRR requires grant recipients to provide a Final Report that includes information on the completed project including full acquittal of funds expenditure and photos. Learn more about this on the Reporting page.

The Reporting Process

Every project can benefit from some media love and attention. FRRR has developed a media tip sheet (PDF) that community groups and organisations can reference when developing media releases.

Planning to share your story on social media? Please tag FRRR as we love to see your posts! Instructions on how to tag FRRR on any major social media platform can be found here (PDF).

Share your results:

Taking better photos

It’s an old adage that a picture is worth a thousand words. It’s true too – but only if it’s a good photo.

Photos will help potential funders understand your situation – what you are trying to fix or improve – and they are also invaluable in showing donors what you did with the funding. But not everyone knows how to take a good photo.

We’ve collated a number of tips that will help you take better photos.

FRRR is proud to support hundreds of remote, rural and regional not-for-profit organisations, and to work with so many donor partners.

If you have donated to, or received a grant from FRRR, you may wish to include FRRR’s logo in communications, social media, videos, signage or any other materials promoting your important work.

FRRR has a suite of logos suitable for use in communication and the promotional materials of grant recipients, partner organisations, donors and media.

We like to keep track of where our logo is appearing, so please complete the form below, and then you will be taken to our assets download page, which includes our brand guidelines document.

We also encourage you to follow FRRR on our social platforms:

https://www.instagram.com/frrr_aus/
https://au.linkedin.com/company/foundation-for-rural-&-regional-renewal
https://www.youtube.com/user/FRRRAustralia/about
https://twitter.com/FRRR_Oz
https://www.facebook.com/followFRRR

Generate Logo

You can also check our FAQs if you have a question about the grantseeking process with FRRR.

Visit FAQs

Identifying what your community needs is an important first step in planning a project.

These one minute clips outline successful strategies used by community groups:

Download the Community Needs help sheet

Making a plan and devising a strategy to fundraise for your project is crucial. Find out more below about fundraising avenues beyond grants that may be available to your community group.

Download the Fundraising help sheet.

Identify sources of diverse funding:

Accessing tax deductible donations for community organisations
 
FRRR Not-for-Profit Fundraising Accounts

Do you know that all taxpayers can make tax deductible gifts or donations to organisations with deductible gift recipient (DGR) status, and keep the receipts to claim back from the ATO on their tax bills as a deduction?

This is a major incentive for giving, as donors to these groups are effectively directing where their tax money is going. Having DGR status greatly assists groups to fundraise by receiving donations from businesses and individuals in their community, and to access philanthropic funds, as Trusts and Foundations often require grantseekers to have DGR status.

By partnering with FRRR via a Not-for-Profit Fundraising Account, community organisations can leverage FRRR’s special tax status assist in achieving their fundraising goals for specific projects or activities to address a community need.

See more about Not-For-Profit fundraising accounts.

Tax deductible donations through the Australia Sports Foundation

Another group that is able to help communities fundraise is the Australian Sports Foundation (ASF). The ASF program enables tax deductible donations in support of a sport-related project – an area not normally considered charitable for philanthropic funders. The ASF works with sporting clubs, sporting organisations (regional, state and national), government and independent schools, councils, government agencies and community groups to increase opportunities for Australians to participate in sport, and/or excel in sports performance. You can find out more from their website.

Note: the above webinars were part of a collaboration with Our Community to demystify some of the funding options beyond grants, and to share knowledge and practical tools to help you get started.

These sessions built on the Seeking Funding – how to access the funding to turn your project into a reality webinar, run in 2014, as well as other resources like the tips from Ann Bichel on successfully seeking funding.

Many of FRRR’s webinars are recorded and uploaded to YouTube.

Finding and applying for grants:

Four key stages of applying for a grant:

A great place to start when you are planning to apply for a grant is with these four animated clips:

If you are new to grant-seeking, we’ve developed this handy Insights and Tips on the Four Grant-seeker Stages.

Use our simple Project Planning Tool (PDF) to record information

Fill out a template of standard information you will need at hand when applying for grants – This template from Our Community (PDF)

Natalie Egleton, CEO of FRRR, Patrick Moriarty, Director of Training and Development at Our Community, and special guest Wendy Brooks, MD and Founder of Wendy Brooks Consulting, discussed what is planned giving, how to organise it, and how to manage it.

Funding Beyond Grants – Webinar:
Understand the funding requirements:

Set yourself up for financial success:

Natalie Egleton, CEO FRRR, Patrick Moriarty, Director of Training and Development Our Community, and special guest Wendy Brooks, MD and Founder of Wendy Brooks Consulting discussed “What are the different sponsorship options in rural and regional Australia and how do you prepare a business case to bring in funding, then manage these important relationships?

 
Sponsorship options:
 
 

The ACNC’s Small Charities Library has a range of great resources that cover topics including Tax, DGR and other concessions; reporting; managing conflicts of interest; managing staff and volunteers, complaints handling; meetings and preparing a practical agenda; plus templates, checklists and self-assessments to help you effectively manage your small organisation.

ACNC Small Charities Library

Evaluating the success of your project should not be a last-minute thought. Planning how to measure your impact should happen before you even start your project.

Download the Evaluation help sheet. (PDF)

Ways to evaluate success:

When your group applies for a grant from FRRR or any other funding body, you will be asked how you plan to measure your project’s success. Here are some tips on some of the simple but effective methods of measuring the success of your project:

  1. Clearly identify what you want to achieve/ change and ensure there is broad support for this aspiration from those to benefit and be involved.
  2. Consider and identify what the Inputs, Outputs and Outcomes will be:
    • Inputs are the things that will go into the project to make it happen: money, people/skills, time, equipment etc.
    • Outputs are the things that happen or are done as a result of the inputs: a course run with 10 participants, 50 volunteers plant 500 trees, website created, etc.
    • Outcomes are the things that improved or changed as a result of the project – these link back to your goals and objectives: participants more confident in the use of computers, increased level of community participation in volunteering, local businesses reported an increase in revenue during a festival or shop-local campaign.
  3. Record and track your project’s inputs, outputs and outcomes. It is best to determine how you are going to do this before starting your project so that you can collect information as you go and save time in the long run. Some ways of recording and tracking your project’s success include:
    • Recording quantifiable results, e.g. number of participants, trees planted, cakes baked, etc.
    • Feedback questionnaires and interviews gather information about the impact of a project straight from those it intended to benefit.
    • Photographs are a great way to tell your project’s story and are a powerful means of tracking a project over time, especially where there is physical change such as a plant-out or building restoration. Tip: make sure they are digital and of high enough quality to be printed.
    • Before and after surveys with participants and stakeholders – enabling a comparison of change.

Every project can benefit from some media love and attention? FRRR has developed a media tip sheet (PDF) that community groups and organisations can reference when developing media releases.

Planning to share your story on social media? Please tag FRRR as we love to see your posts! Instructions on how to tag FRRR on any major social media platform can be found here (PDF).

Share your results:
 

Taking better photos

It’s an old adage that a picture is worth a thousand words. It’s true too – but only if it’s a good photo.

Photos will help potential funders understand your situation – what you are trying to fix or improve – and they are also invaluable in showing donors what you did with the funding. But not everyone knows how to take a good photo.

We’ve collated a number of tips that will help you take better photos.

Crowdfunding is a great way for community organisations to raise much-needed funds. It is the practice of raising many small amounts of money from a large number of people, typically via the Internet. Pozible is an online crowdsourcing tool.

It provides the platform for project creators to present their ideas to a connected audience, worldwide. Around 10,900 projects have raised more than $45m in crowdsourcing pledges on the Pozible site.

Pozible’s Crowdfunding Handbook (8MB).

When you are ready to start your application to an FRRR grant program, the Applying page will walk you through the things you need to check off.

Each FRRR grant program has its own specific application form, which all applicants must complete and submit via FRRR’s online grants administration system called Grants Gateway.

Every application needs to be made by, or have the support of, an organisation that holds either an ABN or Incorporation Certificate. If your organisation doesn’t have an ABN or Incorporation Certificate, FRRR may still fund the project (with your organisation as the delivery organisation) but you need another organisation’s support, which we refer to as the ‘legal organisation’.

Even though your delivery organisation may complete the application (and will be doing the work), it’s the overarching legal organisation’s legal and financial information that needs to be provided. They also need to provide a Letter from the Legal Entity, confirming they are willing to play this role, with a template available here for your convenience.

The financial documentation may be the latest Annual Report financial pages usually available on the overarching legal organisation’s website. This situation often occurs when the organisation delivering the activity or project is a branch of an overarching organisation – such as a local fire agency like Country Fire Authority or SES branches.

If the funds you are applying for will be used to carry out works on property that is not owned by your organisation, you must provide a letter signed by the property owner to show that they are aware of the application and give approval for the intended project to be carried out.  Evidence of permission from the property owner can be based on the template available here for your convenience.

FRRR strongly recommends that you provide supporting materials such as letters of support, community , community plans, survey results, photographs, media clips and research reports that can show broad community support and partnerships involved in the project. Large documents should be referenced and explained in the application. Letters of support for the organisation or project can be based on the template outlined here.

 

For more information on the online application process:

Grants Gateway How-To Guide (PDF)

Grants Gateway FAQs

FRRR’s Assessment Considerations (PDF) – a comprehensive explanation of what information we need from you in your application, and why. Please consult the individual grant pages for specific information and supporting documents.

FRRR requires grant recipients to provide a Final Report that includes information on the completed project including full acquittal of funds expenditure and photos. Learn more about this on the Reporting page.

FRRR is proud to support hundreds of remote, rural and regional not-for-profit organisations, and to work with so many donor partners.

If you have donated to, or received a grant from FRRR, you may wish to include FRRR’s logo in communications, social media, videos, signage or any other materials promoting your important work.

FRRR has a suite of logos suitable for use in communication and the promotional materials of grant recipients, partner organisations, donors and media.

We like to keep track of where our logo is appearing, so please complete the form below, and then you will be taken to our assets download page, which includes our brand guidelines document.

We also encourage you to follow FRRR on our social platforms:

https://www.instagram.com/frrr_aus/
https://au.linkedin.com/company/foundation-for-rural-&-regional-renewal
https://www.youtube.com/user/FRRRAustralia/about
https://twitter.com/FRRR_Oz
https://www.facebook.com/followFRRR

Generate Logo

If you have read this information and are still unsure of something, then we are more than happy to answer your questions.

Don’t hesitate to contact the FRRR office on free call 1800 170 020 or email us.

Have a question?
Check our FAQs

Explore

Newsletter – Sign up

FRRR issues a monthly newsletter, with updates about current grant programs. We also share stories about how communities have used grants from FRRR and our donors and partners to enhance their communities.

To subscribe, simply complete this form. You can unsubscribe at any time.

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Amy Crawford

Amy Crawford has an extensive career in complex public policy and its intersection across government and communities.

Amy is the Chief Executive Officer at the Australian Local Government Association (ALGA), representing 537 councils across the nation. Amy holds over 20 years’ experience in the Australian Public Service. She has a deep understanding of federal government policies and structures, with over 10 years’ service in the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet and has worked for the federal Minister for Regional Development, Local Government and Territories. Amy has shaped a wide range of policies and programs including regional development, telecommunications, immigration, emergency management, social policy and pandemic preparation.

Amy is a Board Director of Austroads and represents ALGA on the Public Skills Australia Industry Advisory Group, and the Australia-New Zealand Emergency Management Committee. She is also a Board Director for the Canberra Youth Theatre which provides voice for Canberra’s youth through intelligent and challenging theatre.

Amy holds a Bachelor of Laws (honours) and Bachelor of Arts (Media and Communications) from the University of Queensland, is a graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors and an alumnus of the Cranlana Centre for Ethical Leadership. Amy was appointed to the FRRR Board in January 2025.

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Kylie Hansen

Kylie brings leadership and management experience from across academic, corporate, not-for-profit, social enterprise and impact investment sectors, having deep dived into a myriad of specialisations and systems. Her six tertiary qualifications are equally as diverse and complimentary, covering commerce, politics, international development, community development, project management and law. Her breadth and depth of experience enables her to draw on a number of disciplines and innovative ways of working and thinking, and she is well recognised as consistently delivering work and services of a high quality.

Kylie uses her strong background in sustainability, governance and impact measurement to support collaborative initiatives across sectors oriented at improving social outcomes, and to support socially conscientious businesses to articulate their social impact. As founder and director at Impact Seed she has been instrumental in developing the impact measurement, evaluation, learning and ESG practice which advises numerous corporates, and is passionate about supporting First Nations empowerment particularly in the context of regional economic development.

Kylie is also a Director of the WA Social Enterprise Council, a member of the B Council (B Lab Australia and New Zealand), and a Governor of the World Wildlife Fund (WWF).

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Hon. John Anderson AC

The Hon. John Anderson AC is a sixth-generation farmer and grazier from NSW, who served in the Australian Parliament from 1989 to 2008.

He was a senior Cabinet minister in the government led by John Howard (1996 to 2005), including six years as Leader of the National Party and Deputy Prime Minister.

In the latter role, Mr Anderson played in important role in FRRR’s history, working closely with Baillieu Myer AC and others on a proposal to establish a philanthropic organisation to benefit rural Australia. The concept was discussed at the National Regional Summit in 1999 and FRRR was established shortly thereafter.

Mr Anderson currently hosts a regular podcast, where he is in conversation with thought-leaders from around the world, and is a regular media commentator.

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Regina Cruickshank

Partnerships Specialist (WA)

Regina supports FRRR as the WA Partnerships Specialist. With over two decades of experience in partnerships and marketing, she has a deep understanding of Western Australia’s social impact landscape. She brings a strong passion for leveraging purpose-built networks to create positive change.

Regina previously worked with Playgroup WA and founded a Health Promotion Charity dedicated to supporting Social Emotional wellbeing for underserved communities. She’s excited about the opportunity to connect with partners and explore ways to make a meaningful difference in WA.

She lives in Perth with her family and enjoys mindful moments of connection to Country, whether on horseback, on foot or underwater.

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Anna Palmer

People and Culture Manager

Based in Central Victoria, Anna is a senior Human Resources, Organisation Development and Industrial Relations professional, with significant private and public sector experience across every facet of people and culture leadership.

Her most recent roles have been with Don KR in Castlemaine and Mount Alexander Shire Council. She has also held senior HR roles with Victoria Legal Aid and the TAC among many others.

From Mildura originally, Anna has postgraduate qualifications in Change Management and a Masters in Organisation Dynamics.

Anna is currently completing a Bachelor of Fine Arts to balance her creative pursuits and work as an HR professional.

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Philippa Twaddle

Management Accountant

Carolyn joined the FRRR team in March 2017, and is responsible for providing executive support to the CEO, effective coordination of the FRRR office and general administrative support to the management team. A key responsibility is supporting the administration of FRRR’s Donation Account Services.

She has over fifteen years’ experience working in local government in the Tourism and Arts Sector, Civic and Event Management and Community engagement.

Carolyn has a Bachelor of Arts in Librarianship, majoring in psychology, and grew up on farming communities in Cohuna and Echuca and currently lives in Bendigo.