The Snow Foundation in partnership with Foundation for Rural & Regional Renewal (FRRR), has awarded more than $375,000 in Partnership grants to support 19 projects led by not-for-profit organisations (NFPs) in the South Coast communities of Batemans Bay, Ulladulla and Nowra, through the Investing in Rural Community Futures (IRCF) program.

The Partnership grants follow on from the Start-up Grants awarded in August 2020 and are the second stage of a five-year plan providing $2.5m in funding to help strengthen NFP organisations and ultimately enable them to thrive. It is a grassroots approach aimed at building and supporting the capacity of individual not-for-profits in each community recognising this will have a collective impact on community well-being.

At the core of the IRCF program is a community roadmap that has been developed by the community NFPs to articulate their goals and vision for their community, and what support they need to get there. Investment then supports these goals through grants, a local facilitator to support the NFPs and ongoing evaluation of the community roadmap.

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Terry Snow, Founder of The Snow Foundation, said partnering with FRRR has allowed his Foundation to have a significant impact in regional NSW in areas such as the Shoalhaven and Eurobodalla shires.

“Having a home and running a business on the South Coast, I understand how important it is to support these not-for-profit organisations. They provide crucial support and fill gaps that help to keep these communities vibrant and self-sufficient. With the resources provided by this program, these organisations will create real change”.

Projects funded through the IRCF Partnership Grants include:

Nowra $135,471

• Cullunghutti Aboriginal Child and Family Centre Aboriginal Corporation, Nowra – Laying the Foundations for the Future of Cullunghutti Aboriginal Child and Family Centre Aboriginal Corporation – $30,000 – Support the Centre’s future vision and rapid growth by appointing a temporary Community Centre Team Leader to support the CEO in an operational capacity.
• Nowra Sub-Branch of the Returned and Services League of Australia New South Wales Branch, Nowra – Nowra RSL Sub-Branch Upgrade Project 2021 – $16,469 – Accelerate digital transformation and enhance client experience through upgrades to IT equipment and furniture.
• Shoalhaven Community Preschool Inc, Nowra – The Growth Strategy Project – $22,000 – Strengthen the leadership capacity of the Centre during the Preschool’s relocation and expansion by providing a wage subsidy, expert consultants and professional development.
• Shoalhaven Health and Arts Inc, Bomaderry – Capacity Building for SHAA’s Future – $14,112 – Strengthen the capacity of SHAA to respond to community demand for their mental health, arts and events programs by paying wages for the currently volunteer-based managers.
• South Coast Beef Producers Association Inc, Nowra – Governance Training for South Coast Beef Management Committee Members – $10,590 – Strengthen the governance and strategic vision of South Coast Beef through the training of the management committee in governance foundations.
• Nowra Community Food Store Incorporated – Operation Go Digital – $14,300 – establishing an E-commerce website with an option for contactless delivery, so that families in the Shoalhaven region who don’t own a car can still access fresh food.
• South Coast Women’s Health & Welfare Aboriginal Corporation – $28,000 – building a culturally safe not-for-profit community sector.

 

Ulladulla $109,577

• Independence Ulladulla Inc – Every Body Deserves to Flourish – $20,000 – Build marketing and communications platforms, systems and staff capacity of Independence Ulladulla to market, promote and deliver a wide range of services to people with a disability with a new brand strategy, website and staff training.
• Milton Ulladulla Business Chamber Incorporated – Community Connect Southern Shoalhaven – $22,010 – Enhance the marketing and communications functions of Community Connect to develop the skills and strategic focus of their members through investments in their community database, training resources and networking events.
• Noahs Ark Centre of Shoalhaven Inc – $30,000 – Strengthen Noahs Inclusion Services through the design and implementation of a recruitment and retention program that will build a sustainable local team of allied health professionals for their Ulladulla office.
• Safe Waters Community Care Inc – Leadership Development and establishing operation of safe shelter – $30,000 – Recruitment of a shelter manager to establish the operational procedures for the Ulladulla shelter for homeless people.
• Bawley Point and Kioloa Community Association – Keeping Communities Connected – $7,567 – Expand on recent investments in governance, technology and communications improvements to ease the compliance burden and better connect people in the Bawley Point, Kioloa and Termeil communities through the purchase of a laptop, accounting software and ongoing website and IT support.

 

Batemans Bay $131,106

• The Circle Foundation Cooperative Ltd – Building capacity for operations, fundraising and community co-design – $20,000 – Critically timed support to enable the Circle Foundation to move from start-up concept to feasibility stage of development.
• Clyde River and Batemans Bay Historical Society Inc – Creative Ways to Recruit and Retain our Volunteers – $6,426 – Host a workshop to train the BBHS’s partner NFPs to create action plans for better volunteer recruitment and retention.
• Eurobodalla Education and Therapy Services – Refresh brand and update communication and marketing materials for Muddy Puddles $20,000, to increase awareness and understanding of the diverse services available.
• Eurobodalla Woodcraft Guild Incorporated – Eurobodalla Woodies Mogo Workshop – $10,000 – Commission the professional services required to support the rebuilding of the Woodies workshop that was lost in the Black Summer fires to enable reconstruction to commence and operations to resume as soon as possible.
• The Family Place Inc – Managing Growth in Recovery – $20,000 – Appoint a part-time resource to support fundraising, compliance and governance enhancements needed by the Family Place to respond to rapidly escalating demands from vulnerable families.
• Southcoast Health and Sustainability Alliance– $30,000 towards a co-ordinator role to develop programs of training to support in governance, leadership, planning, communication and advocacy for Batemans Bay’s NFP’s.
• Batemans Bay Connections – $24,680 – linking community services, charities and clubs, now and into the future.