NRMA Insurance, through its Help Fund initiative, is committing $800,000 over the next two years to introduce a participatory grants program in the Northern Rivers region. In partnership with the Northern Rivers Community Foundation (NRCF), the program empowers locals to shape solutions to strengthen resilience against extreme weather.
The NRCF will work closely with the Northern Rivers Community Resilience Alliance (The Resilience Alliance) to co-design and facilitate community-led decision making on grant allocations, ensuring projects reflect lived experiences and local priorities. It’s anticipated that the first round of grant recipients will be announced mid-2026.
NRMA Insurance CEO Julie Batch said, ‘Northern Rivers communities have endured repeated floods, fires and storms in recent years. This partnership invests in community-led solutions to help the region prepare and thrive.’
NRCF CEO Sam Henderson said, ‘For too long, our region has carried the burden of repeated disasters. With NRMA Insurance’s Help Fund enabling us to hold funds locally and distribute them through a community-led process, this is a game changer.
‘Locals will decide the process and the best allocation of grants for optimal impact. It builds connections between individuals and local organisations, strengthening the foundation of long-term resilience.’
Supporting local groups
The Resilience Alliance, recognised as a leader in community-led resilience innovations, will leverage its established networks and proven approaches to ensure the program is locally grounded, transparent, and effective.
The Resilience Alliance Coordinator Kathie Heyman said, ‘This funding supports the local groups already doing work in their communities. Across the Northern Rivers, grassroots networks step up before and long after disasters, often with limited resources.
‘The NRMA Insurance Help Fund will strengthen coordination and provide practical support so these groups can keep showing up for their communities when it matters most.’
The program builds on Monash University’s successful Fire to Flourish model, piloted over four local government areas in NSW and Victoria from 2021 to 2025.
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