Over five years, the Snow Foundation partnered with the Foundation for Rural & Regional Renewal (FRRR) to deliver the Investing in Rural Community Futures (IRCF) program in Nowra, Ulladulla and Batemans Bay. With a commitment of $2.65 million, the program has had a lasting impact on more than 100 not-for-profits (NFPs) and the communities they serve.

The program’s design included local facilitators and a participatory road mapping process, helping organisations identify priorities and implement tailored solutions. This approach supported communities through challenges such as bushfires and COVID-19, while encouraging collaboration and resilience. Evaluation findings confirm that the IRCF model builds more capable and sustainable organisations.

Key Outcomes:

• 103 grants awarded totalling $1.9 million to strengthen strategy, people, systems and efficiencies across 40 participating NFPs
• Capacity uplift: local NFPs reported significant increases in strategic clarity, collaboration, leadership capability and organisational resilience
• First Nations partnerships: deepened relationships with Aboriginal organisations, with communities shifting towards walking alongside First Nations leaders and embedding cultural knowledge into practice
• $6.6 million in additional funds leveraged by local organisations, multiplying the impact and stimulating the regional economy

“The IRCF program provides a framework to strengthen community capacity by empowering people and enhancing strategies and systems. It helps local organisations navigate disasters, foster resilience and collaborate in ways that enable them to thrive.”
— Georgina Byron AM, CEO, Snow Foundation

“They deliver local programs with local people – not parachuted in. Because road mapping is done first, they find out what the community wants. That listening is support in itself.”
— Milton Ulladulla Business Chamber

The Snow Foundation’s investment in IRCF has strengthened the backbone of the South Coast’s NFP sector, leaving a legacy of resilience, collaboration and local leadership that will continue to benefit communities well into the future.

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