THE Foundation for Rural & Regional Renewal (FRRR) and Vincent Fairfax Foundation (VFFF) are inviting applications for grants of $50,000 from individuals to develop innovative ideas that enhance the lives of young people (aged 12-30) in remote, rural, and regional NSW.
The grants are available through the Backing the Future program.
In NSW, the program has already supported 28 individuals by investing $1.4 million in their rural youth-focused projects.
VFFF CEO Jenny Wheatley said the foundation is excited about Backing the Future’s potential to discover transformative ideas.
“Our experience shows that the hardest part of getting a project off the ground is securing initial funding to test the idea,” she said.
“This is especially true in rural and remote areas, where high costs and smaller populations make piloting new projects even more challenging.
“Backing the Future bridges this gap by trusting that leaders in local communities can create transformative opportunities for young people, when provided with the right resources.
“Applicants not only get the grant funding, but they are also connected with the staff from FRRR, who provide additional capacity building, connections and networking to ensure that grantees have an opportunity to pilot innovative ideas,” Ms Wheatley explained.
Previous grant recipient, Bianca Bellicanta, said that the grant had more of a personal impact than what she even anticipated.
“Backing the Future gave me the chance to lead a project that truly made a difference.
“With my $50,000 grant, and support from the Backing the Future team, I was able to work alongside young emerging artists from across the Bega Valley to bring a stunning mural to life.
“I created paid opportunities for these young local artists and ran creative programs that connected and inspired young people to talk about environment and community impact.
“It’s been a huge learning curve and a really rewarding way to grow my leadership and community-building skills,” Ms Bellicanta shared.
Unlike many other programs, VFFF’s granting structure enables Backing the Future to fund individuals without requiring the backing of an established organisation, eliminating traditional barriers to entry.
The Youth Futures team will also be holding a webinar at 12pm (AEST) Monday 7 July, and FRRR encourages interested applicants to register to learn more.
Register at https://ow.ly/OWSH50W8a6c.
Applications are open to anyone aged 18-plus with an idea to benefit young people in their remote, rural or regional NSW community.
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