News

Backing the Future for Youth in NSW

Applications now open for $50,000

VFFF and FRRR are inviting applications from individuals for grants of $50,000 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 supported 28 individuals by investing $1.4 million in their rural youth-focussed projects.

Jenny Wheatley, VFFF CEO, said VFFF 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. 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, they are connected in with the staff from FRRR, who provide additional capacity building, connections and networking to ensure that grantees have an opportunity to pilot innovative ideas,” Jenny 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.

Natalie Egleton, FRRR CEO, said that the innovative partnership between FRRR and VFFF means the Foundation can respond to the needs of community and young people in an agile way which has resulted in impactful projects for young people.

“We have been so impressed by the previous Backing the Future cohort, and are really looking forward to working with this next group. The growing Backing the Future network is quickly becoming a high-impact alumni of next-gen rural leaders, and it’s exciting to see the momentum growing.” Ms Egleton shared.

“We are keen to make sure more rural NSW communities know about the Backing the Future program, so Dubbo, Forbes, and the mid-Murray region can expect to see the Youth Futures team in late June. We encourage any interested applicants in these regions to reach out to organise a face-to-face chat with our team members about your project ideas"

The Youth Futures team will also be holding a webinar at 12pm (AEST) Monday 7 July, and FRRR encourages interested applicants to register here to learn more.

VFFF’s Stories of Giving and Receiving podcast features the journeys of past recipients, highlighting their learnings, successes and advice. It’s a valuable resource to changemakers looking to apply for Backing the Future.

The program is now using an Expression of Interest process, with EOIs open Monday 16 June, and due Monday 28 July. Successful EOIs will be invited to submit a full application from Wednesday 13 August. Full applications close 5pm AEST on Monday 8 September. Applications are open to anyone aged 18+ with an idea to benefit young people in their remote, rural or regional NSW community.

To learn more, head to www.frrr.org.au/backing-the-future or call 1800 170 020 and speak to FRRR’s Youth Futures Manager, Lauren Ryan.