This video is from the Nambucca Valley, one of the partner communities that has participated in the IRCF program.

The IRCF PROGRAM

Investing in Rural Community Futures (IRCF) is a five-year program that works closely with grassroots not-for-profits (NFPs) with charitable purpose, to strengthen their organisations in their local communities.
 
FRRR has worked with each community to develop a Community Roadmap, which sets out their goals and priorities. Supported by a local facilitator, ongoing grants and a toolbox of expert assistance and resources, this digital hub charts their activity over the lifetime of the IRCF program.

This program is for partner communities only, and not for public application.

This program is made possible thanks to support from:

Logo of the Bendigo Bank Community Enterprise Foundaiton

IRCF Newsletter

Keep up to date with all of the latest news across the entire IRCF program, with these regular newsletters.

Latest IRCF News

The local NFPs in each community, in partnership with FRRR and its donor partners, are working hard to create lasting change. To see everything that is happening, visit the individual community’s News and Events page from the main menu of this site.

The IRCF model

Our aim is to work with NFPs towards becoming high-functioning, collaborative, more viable and sustainable, so that they can fulfill their missions with greater impact.

This image illustrates the key elements of the IRCF model including access to a facilitator, grants, participatory planning processes, skill development and external resources to strengthen community networks and foster social capital through community-led initiatives.

This image shows icons that represent the different components that make up the IRCF model. In cartoon style, the image shows a group of locally governed NFPs, a local facilitator, community roadmaps, a moneybag (symbolising funding), a digital hub, supporting collaboration, toolbox of support and ongoing evaluation.

IRCF Focus Areas

IRCF offers support in four focus areas: People, Sector, Systems and Strategy. Each community develops goals relating to each area that aligns with their local needs and unique circumstances.
Below we’ve outlined examples of activities for each focus area.
Click on the menu tab at the top of the page for each community to see the locally-prioritised goals and roadmaps.

a group of three people and the word people

Developing leadership capabilities, a renewed sense of community spirit and fostering skill development to create strong organisations that bring together various leaders, groups and residents.

Activities

  • Volunteer recruitment and training.
  • Encouraging inclusivity.
  • Time management.
  • Leadership development.
  • Digital inclusion.
  • Mentoring.
an image of cogs turning and the word systems

Supporting community leaders to gain new insights and energy by sharing knowledge, systems and structures that demonstrate best practice.

Activities

  • Legal structures, compliance and governance.
  • Financial management.
  • Communications and measurement.
  • Board skills development and financial literacy.
  • IT and security.
  • HR and performance management.

Fostering relationships and practices that support efficient and effective collaboration with other not-for-profits to enhance community impact.

Activities

  • Partnership development and management.
  • Collective impact training.
  • Peer to peer mentoring.
  • Lead agency support.
  • Networking and sharing platforms.
  • Forming the NFP working group.
icon of a lighthouse and the word strategy

Providing tools and measures that support and enable the sustainability of organisations, well into the future.

Activities

  • User-centred design.
  • Grassroots innovation and creativity.
  • Developing and embedding a framework for change.
  • Purpose and vision development.
  • Strategic planning and monitoring.
  • Revenue strategy.