Nutrien Ag Solutions Community Grants Program

Nutrien Ag Solutions is partnering with FRRR to invest across Australia in charitable projects that will contribute to the success, vibrancy and wellbeing of remote, rural and regional communities. By partnering with FRRR to provide funding for meaningful community projects, Nutrien Ag Solutions seeks to support the local grassroots organisations that are the heartbeat of remote, rural and regional communities across Australia.

This grant is open to all communities in remote, rural and regional Australia. Organisations wanting to apply will need to have their project endorsed by a Nutrien Ag Solutions Branch Manager. Please contact FRRR if you do not know where your local Nutrien Ag Solutions branded store is located.

We understand that Nutrien Ag Solutions Branch Managers may themselves volunteer or be involved with local community or not-for-profit organisations wanting to apply for a project. When this is true, the Nutrien Branch Manager can still endorse the project, but simply needs to declare the conflict of interest in the endorsement ‘Letter of Support’ email, i.e.  ‘In making this endorsement I declare a conflict of interest as I am affiliated with the applying organisation as a volunteer board member’ .

Nutrien Ag Solutions Branch Managers can endorse multiple projects in their community, so this will not prevent other local groups being endorsed to apply. Project assessments will be based on application merit and completed by an independent Program Advisory Committee.

Please note: Organisations that were successful in the 2023 Nutrien Ag Solutions Community Grant Round 3 are not eligible for funding through the program in 2024.

Thanks to the generous support of Nutrien Ag Solutions, grants up to $5,000 are available to not-for-profit or incorporated organisations in rural and regional Australia to deliver projects that have a charitable purpose to broadly benefit their local community, contributing to its strength and creating long-term positive outcomes. For example:

• 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;
• Enhancing places where communities gather;
• Promoting connection to place and enabling initiatives that champion a community’s social, cultural or economic aspirations.

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 such as community facility upgrades;
• Organisational capacity building such as strategic planning; and
• Developing community resources such as volunteer programs, community gardens or providing access to training and skills development

Examples of projects up to $5,000 that have received funding through FRRR:

• Support community engagement and participation through the creation of a sensory garden.
• Improve health and welfare of Women through the delivery of a Women’s workshop during Women’s Health Week.
• Drive local tourism and strengthen community connection through the delivery of a community-based street art beautification project.
• Strengthen community access and inclusion through an upgrade of the entrance pathways to a well-used community facility.
• Improve volunteer support and the upkeep of community infrastructure through the purchase of appropriate gardening equipment.

There are several areas that we can’t fund through this program. If in doubt, please contact us on 1800 170 020.

• Projects that support core business and areas of responsibility of Federal, State or Local Governments;
• Ongoing core organisational operational costs (e.g. rent, utilities, regular wages, loan repayments);
• The encouragement or advancement of sport, recreation and social activities are not considered charitable activities under Australian law. Applications from sporting organisations need to clearly demonstrate charitable outcomes and benefit to the wider community that are above and beyond the sporting activities of the club;
• Overseas travel and overseas projects;
• Prizes, gifts, trophies or awards;
• Political lobbying;
• Projects that primarily benefit private business, a sole trader or private interests;
• Projects solely focused on animal welfare.

To apply, you must meet the following criteria:

• Applicant organisations must not have received a grant through Round 3 of the Nutrien Ag Solutions Community Grants program in 2023;
• Applicant organisations must be a not-for-profit organisation with either an Incorporation Certificate and/or an ABN. If you are unsure if your organisation is a registered not-for-profit (for example, if you are a Co-operative, Other Unincorporated Entity, Public Company or Trust), please contact FRRR;
• Project must be for charitable purposes and offer clear public benefit;
• Not-for-profit organisations with or without DGR-1 endorsement are eligible;
• Organisations can submit one application per grant round;
• Projects must benefit communities in remote, rural or regional Australia.

Please note, you will be considered ineligible if the:

• Application is received without an email endorsing your project from a Nutrien Ag Solutions branded store Branch Manager.
• Application is submitted by individuals, sole traders, private or commercial businesses (as per the submitted ABN);
• Application is submitted by an organisation that is a non-legal entity and the nominated legal governing / partnering organisation has not provided written confirmation of their willingness to assume responsibility for management of the funds and acquittal of the project;
• Application is submitted without required financial information and quotes or budget rationale for expense items >$1,000 (see additional information on the second tab);
• Overdue final report/s from any FRRR grants awarded in the previous seven years have not been acquitted (delivery organisations should check with legal organisation to see if there are any outstanding final reports);
• Application is for a project or activity that has already occurred / is occurring prior to the announcement of funding;
• Application is incomplete. NOTE: Due to the volume of applications received, applications are assessed based on the documentation received at the time of application. FRRR is unlikely to follow up missing documentation after applications have been submitted.

Every application needs to include an organisation that holds either an ABN or Incorporation Certificate. If your organisation doesn’t have that, FRRR may still fund the project but you need another organisation’s support, which we refer to as the ‘legal organisation’ (with your organisation being the delivery organisation). This situation often occurs when the organisation delivering the activity or project is a branch of an overarching organisation – such as a local CWA or YMCA branch. In this case, the CWA or YMCA would be the legal organisation.

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

FRRR conducts a broad range of due diligence queries when reviewing applications, such as: reviewing current and past incorporation, DGR and ACNC status. If your organisation has happened to have their incorporation status, DGR status or ACNC status changed or ACNC registration revoked or voluntarily withdrawn, please let us know the reasons for this.

Applications from ACNC and/or unincorporated associations are required to submit their organisation’s Constitution.

Applications received without the requested financial information are ineligible. Providing incorrect financial information is currently the most common reason why applications are not able to be considered. You must include the organisation’s:

• Annual income (total income in your financial year);
• Annual expenditure (total expenses in your financial year);
• Current assets (from your audited financials, or bank balance minus any debts).

Please note:

• Provide a brief explanation of any large financial surplus or current assets and reasons why FRRR funds are still required;
• If financial information is more than 18 months old, please provide an explanation as to why the organisation does not have more recent documents;
• Please explain any deficits and steps to sustain the organisation financially.

Please contact us if you cannot provide required financials or you are unsure about what to provide.

You must include a project budget that clearly shows the items that FRRR grant funds would be used for and that also shows all income and expenses related to your project.

Budgets should be realistic and must add up – i.e. total expenditure must match total income.

Applicant contributions in cash or in-kind are highly regarded. Quotes or detailed rationale for items over $1,000 are required, where possible. Note: FRRR suggests costing unskilled volunteer labour at $45 per hour.

For more info on costing volunteer labour, visit: https://explore.fundingcentre.com.au/help-sheets/valuing-volunteer-labour.

Helpful resources:

• How do I cost labour in my project?
• Preparing your budget

FRRR strongly recommends that you provide supporting materials such as letters of support,evidence of permission from the property owner, community plans, survey results, photographs, media clips and research reports that can show broad community support and partnerships involved in the project. For more information on supporting documentation, watch this recording.

Large documents should be referenced and explained in the application.

Helpful resources:

• Tips on taking great photos

A clear description of exactly what the grant funds will be used for, when and where the project will happen, who will benefit and who will be involved in delivering the project, why the project and grant funds are needed, how funds will be spent and how the activities and success of the project will be recorded, evaluated and shared.

Where possible, we encourage you to make it really clear that your organisation is ready and able to deliver the project and, if required, provide ongoing support for the initiative.

Helpful resources:

• Tips for great applications
• Project Planning Tool Download

We have grouped the kinds of projects communities commonly ask us to help fund into seven areas, which we call the Activity Tree:

1. Building community resilience
2. Developing organisational resilience and capacity
3. Enhancing environmental sustainability
4. Fostering cultural vibrancy
5. Lifelong learning and education
6. Economic strength
7. Improving community health and social wellbeing

We ask you to nominate one of those seven areas when you apply. So, before you lodge your application, download the Activity Tree to help you identify your focus area.