Australia: Nutrien Ag Solutions Community Grants Program

Deadline: 3-Sep-21

The Foundation for Rural & Regional Renewal (FRRR) is pleased to announce the Nutrien Ag Solutions Community Grants Program to support local grassroots organisations with funding for projects that are meaningful for their communities.

Nutrien Ag Solutions Community Grants is a small grants program aiming to contribute to the success, vibrancy and wellbeing of rural and regional communities nationwide.

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.

Funding Information

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.

What can be funded?

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.

What can’t be funded?

There are several areas that they can’t fund through this program.

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.

Eligibility Criteria

To apply, you must meet the following criteria:
- 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 including a project budget and timeline of project delivery;
- 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;
- Application is submitted by an organisation that is not a legal entity (i.e. a registered not-for-profit), without the written consent of the governing / partnering body who holds the ABN / Incorporation Certificate;
- Application is submitted without required financial documentation;
- 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.