In a Good Place is a national grants program that provides support for community-driven initiatives that reduce social isolation, increase social participation and connectedness, and encourage people in rural, regional and remote communities who are at risk of, or are experiencing, mental health issues to seek help.
There are three objectives for this program:
- Reduce social isolation;
- Increase social participation and connectedness;
- Increase help-seeking.
By supporting local solutions and using a multi-faceted approach focused on enhancing people, place and wellbeing, our donor partner, CCI Giving, aims to give back to those overcoming challenges and adversity, and to the most marginalised in society.
Strengthening mental health in rural communities
In a Good Place supports rural, regional and remote communities in their efforts to strengthen the mental health of at-risk and vulnerable members of their communities via projects, services or activities that are preventative or responsive in nature and which are designed to engage those less likely, unable due to distance and isolation, or ineligible to participate in mainstream mental health services.
The program comprises two open call grant rounds per annum, offering grants of up to $20,000 from an annual funding pool of $200,000. There is $100,000 available in this funding round.
It is investing in local responses to measurably improve mental health in rural Australia, by supporting community-led projects. Priority will be given to initiatives that:
- Are delivered via non-clinical first providers of mental health care, such as school counsellors and teachers, members of the clergy or pastoral care teams, neighbourhood or community groups, or via technological or other innovative methods;
- Improve accessibility and availability of mental health services, tools or support to areas with limited or no access to the same;
- Provide innovative responses that are inclusive, building social connections that lead to better mental health;
- Confront stigma surrounding help-seeking behaviour.
Organisations that receive a grant through the In a Good Place program are asked to participate in an evaluation of the collective outcomes of projects supported through the grants program. This will entail agreeing to:
- Report back on achievements and learnings against the overarching grant program objectives, outcomes and indicators;
- Report back on achievements and learnings against individual project goals and measures, comparing anticipated and actual outcomes;
- measures and the methods used will be determined by the applicant, relevant to their community, project scale and approach;
- A follow up meeting (by phone) with FRRR within six months of project completion, and / or project site visits with FRRR and CCI Giving.
Preference will be given to projects that:
- Serve communities with populations under 10,000;
- Are run by and based in the beneficiary community/ies;
- Respond to specific population mental health and wellbeing issues within a local community;
- Are sustainable beyond the period of the grant;
- Can clearly measure and report on project outcomes.
Applying
The In a Good Place program is now open, and closes Thursday, 14 March. For Further information on how to apply, visit the Foundation for Rural & Regional Renewal.
Applications must be submitted via FRRR’s Grants Gateway by 5pm AEDT Thursday, 14 March 2019. Applications are invited from not-for-profit community-based organisations with an ABN or Incorporation Certificate.
Successful projects will receive the funds in late July 2019.