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FAQs - Future Drought Fund’s Communities Program

General FAQs

Can the FDF’s Communities Program grants be used for supporting projects that provide in-drought support?

Applicants will need to specify how a proposal supports drought preparedness and/or resilience in response to the approved guidelines. Grant funds cannot be used for projects that support personal hardship or duplicate any other available government funding.    

  • CIP discussions have begun with community activity in region starting February 2026. Leadership development will be designed based on community needs and more information can be found on the ARLF website. 
  • SNG and RDRP grants are now open for applications. Projects will need to be delivered by October 2027.  
  • Mentoring: Expressions of Interest for Cohort 1 opened 1 – 12 November 2025 to commence February 2026. At least one additional round will be available. More information will be available when details are confirmed. More information can be found on the ARLF Website.  
  • FRRR is determining the approach for the CBI and will advise further information when available.  

FRRR appreciates that things often change in community, but before you make any changes, reach out to the team and discuss what is happening, and how you are looking to address it. While we are open to variations where needed, it is important that FRRR are aware of what you are doing, to ensure alignment to program objectives and Australian Charity Laws.   

FRRR: Email futuredrought@frrr.org.au, phone 1800 170 020 or reach out to your Community Engagement Coordinator directly. It is important to let FRRR know if you have a change in staff leading your project, particularly your CEO/President, or Project Officer.  

ARLF: Please advise Gemma Rostron, Community Engagement Lead at ARLF of changes within your organisation – gemmar@rural-leaders.org.au or 02 6281 0680. 

FRRR will use a combination of informal and formal reporting requirements. FRRR will monitor projects during their delivery with key points of contact being at the six- and 12-month mark. This could be in the format of an emailed form, a phone call or a site visit. A Project Report will be available in your Blackbaud Grant making account to complete when the project is finished. FRRR will seek information on Changes, Activities, Outcomes and Learnings related to your project. A Financial Acquittal form will need to be completed to detail how the grant funding is spent. Any additional information to supplement the report, such as photographs, videos, surveys or links to webpages are highly encouraged. For more information on reporting to FRRR, please visit our website.  

Yes, the FDF’s Communities Program, and its individual elements will be evaluated, but in a simplified way compared to Helping Regional Communities Prepare for Drought. .

Yes. The Final Evaluation Report will be publicly available via the FRRR website HRCPDI page, once approved by DAFF. You can also attend a public webinar to hear about the Evaluation Insights on 4 December 2025, 1pm AEDT.  

Please email us at futuredrought@frrr.org.au if you wish to receive a copy of all Final Evaluation and Impact Documentation, including the  

  • Insights and Impact Report 
  • Summary Evaluation Report 
  • Full Evaluation Report 
  • Videos, and  
  • Podcasts 

FRRR and ARLF will host a series of information sessions and Grant Seeker Workshops to share key information, timelines. If you wish to receive regular updates on the program, please email us at futuredrought@frrr.org.au  , and we can add you to the FDFC mailing list with your permission.  

Community Impact Program (CIP)​

What regions are eligible for CIP?

A full list of the included Local Government Areas (LGAs) in each region can be found here.

The Communities Program has 5 elements, one of which involves a Community Impact Program (CIP) in 12 preselected regions. These regions align with one or more Regional Drought Resilience Plan (RDRP) regions. Regions were selected through feedback from the previous program, complementarity across FDF programs, departmental policy objectives, discussions with state and territory governments, feedback from regional organisations, the situation and capacity of eligible regions, and multiple other factors such as drought sensitivity both now and into the future. Regions not covered by the CIP are still covered by Small Network Grants, and the RDRP Social Outcome Grants, where an RDRP has been approved – no area misses out on funding opportunities. 

The grants component of the Communities Program has been designed to ensure that every community across the country – whether in an RDRP region or not – has opportunity to access funding to support social resilience activities. If you have feedback on the regions selected, please contact the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry at droughtresilience@aff.gov.au. FRRR and ARLF are committed to working with all regions that experience drought, so please get in touch for a discussion about how the program can support your community in your specific locality. The maximum amount per SNG has also been increased to $50,000 to offset the reduced number of eligible regions, and CIP eligibility.

These conversations will commence between early February through to the end of June 2026. It will involve a range of steps including:  

  1. Not-for-profit organisations from a range of sectors in the 12 CIP regions will meet in person and online to design collaborative projects that respond to local drought preparedness needs.  
  2. FRRR will lead the Project Design Process with an independent facilitator engaged by FRRR, responds to the local RDRP/s, and other local conditions and context. 
  3. Projects are then documented in Regional Roadmap.  
  4. NFP Organisations apply to FRRR to deliver individual projects, and where approved, multi-year grant funding brings roadmap, and the projects to life.
  5. 1 x Region Coordinator Organisation per region applies to FRRR to act as paid local contact and network convenor. A detailed Role Description of this is available.
  6. A pool of $900,000 per region is available.
  7. Organisations may apply for projects up to $150,000 per project.
  8. 2 x ‘Loops’ of Project Design and Collaborations will occur over a multi-year period to end Dec 2028. This has been designed to ensure that adequate time is dedicated to project development and collaboration.

 

These projects will achieve social resilience outcomes and build community resilience to drought, preparing the region for the future. Based on previous learning, roadmap development per region has been extended, and will now occur over a 6-month period, and occur twice, not once, and be guided by a facilitator engaged by FRRR.

FRRR recognises the good work undertaken to date by communities in developing their RDRP and this program offers much needed support in activating opportunities focused on social outcomes already identified. CIP funding can be used to activate social outcome focused projects within the approved RDRP.  Given the scope and age of RDRP’s vary nationally, the CIP provides an opportunity to extend existing priorities and open opportunities for wider collaboration with non-agricultural focused organisations in the local region where not identified in the original RDRP. Existing contributors and any other local organisations wishing to participate in a regional approach to drought preparedness are welcomed.

FRRR will remain connected to RDRP coordinators to ensure alignment to regional priorities and avoid duplication where possible.     

A maximum of $150,000 per grant will be available in CIP regions, with an overall pool of $900,000 per region.  

No. Based on previous learning, regions will have access to funds at a second ‘loop’ of Project Design Process during the program delivery period in 2027. It is envisaged that some, but not all the projects identified during the first loop of the Project Design Process will be grant ready, where extra time to seek new or additional collaborative delivery partners will likely strengthen the overall project, and be ready for granting by Loop 2 of the process.  

Yes, a locally based not-for-profit organisation will serve in this capacity for each region, although now referred to as the ‘Region Coordinator (RC)’. This paid organisational role will be pivotal in coordinating with other grantees, FRRR, ARLF and the evaluation partner, whilst expanding the local network to maximise local participation in the overall Communities Program offerings. Program Guidelines will outline the responsibilities and opportunities for organisations who undertake this role.  

The timing of onboarding the RC will be later than in HRCPDI. In FDFC, the RC will be identified during the Project Design Process, whereby they apply for funds alongside all other regional projects. This is based upon feedback from many CPLO’s regarding capacity and resourcing constraints during codesign during HRCPDI, as well as role clarity.  

FRRR will now lead the initial engagement in region instead of a local organisation, and transition to local coordination once resourcing is in place.   

FRRR believe communities are best placed to decide collectively who can fulfill the role of the Region Coordinator. Accordingly, this discussion will form a part of the CIP Community Project Design Process conversations in an open, transparent and defensible, format.  

  1. An overarching, multi-modal program for a small number (5) of committed participants from each region.  This includes a National Gathering to connect with the other 11 regions; experiential learning around social resilience, systems leadership, adaptive leadership, impact networks; coaching and supervision in facilitation and hosting. 
  2. In-region residential/workshop program for up to 25 participants, which will include learning around social resilience, human-centred design, prototyping, asset mapping, stakeholder engagement, generative conversations. Includes online group coaching. 
  3. In-region forums/smaller gatherings for up to 125, which will included learning (and application to local issues/challenges/opportunities) around divergence/convergence, resistance/immunity to change, adaptive cycle, systems thinking, peer coaching.   

No. Each region has been allocated a pool of funding and there will not be proportionate reduction applied.  

Please see the Program Webpage and Guidelines for more information or contact one of our helpful Community Engagement Coordinators.

One element of Future Drought Fund activity is the Regional Drought Resilience Plan program. This enabled over 60 regions nationally to collaboratively design plans to build their economic, environmental and social resilience to future droughts. More information and all RDR Plans can be found by following visiting the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry website. 

Yes, provided that each request relates to a unique and different part, or stage of the project budget, with clear justification why this is required. Duplication checks are undertaken on every FRRR grant to ensure that, where possible, FDF does not duplicate any other form of FDF funding.  

Regional Drought Resilience Plan (RDRP) Social Outcomes Grants

How much is available per RDRP region?

$100,000 is available for up to 50 approved RDRP regions to activate social initiatives identified in the region’s RDRP.  This may support one or several projects, where clearly identified in the RDRP.  

Locally based not-for-profit organisations in regions with an approved RDRP and outside of the 12 CIP regions are eligible to apply for these grants. 

Round 1 will open on 5 November 2025 and close on 11 December 2025. Outcomes will be announced late April 2026 for projects delivered between April 2026 and October 2027. Please see the guidelines for more information. This is 1 of 3 rounds.  

Small Network Grants (SNG)

Who is eligible for Small Network Grants?

Locally based not-for-profit organisations in agriculturally dependent communities (non-metropolitan) outside of the 12 CIP regions are eligible.    

Round 1 will open on 5 November 2025 and close on 11 December 2025. Outcomes will be announced late April 2026 for projects delivered between April 2026 and October 2027. Please see the guidelines for more information. This is 1 of 3 rounds. 

Up to $50,000 is available for each grant with a total funding pool of $3 million, delivered over multiple rounds.  

Mentoring

Who is eligible for mentoring?

Anyone over the age of 18 who either lives, works or is connected to rural, regional and remote Australia can apply to be a mentor or a mentee.    

Capacity Building Initiative (CBI)

Who is eligible for the CBI?

Locally based not-for-profit organisations in agriculturally dependent communities (non-metropolitan) are eligible to participate.   

Extending from the existing Expertise Pool, the CBI aims to strengthen the capacity of regional community based not-for-profit organisations that are essential to building social resilience in rural and regional Australia. Areas of capacity building could include governance, marketing, technology and many other topics. Opportunities to upskill and access specialised support could be available via workshops, webinars, templates and resources, skills audits or mentoring. In December 2025, FRRR will be conducting a national survey to ascertain what type of support community organisations are most interested in. Based on that information, a suite of opportunities will become available from early 2026.  

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