The NRCF Women’s Giving Circle has awarded $80,000 to four local organisations through its 2026 Empowering Women & Girls Grant Program, supporting projects responding to housing insecurity, domestic and family violence, maternal wellbeing and the mental health of frontline workers.
The four $20,000 grants were announced at the annual Empowering Women & Girls Grant Giving Night at the Brunswick Picture House on 3 September, bringing together members, supporters and grant partners to celebrate the power of collective giving.
This year, the program received 36 applications from organisations across the region. Following an assessment and shortlisting process, Women’s Giving Circle members voted for the four projects they believed could make the greatest difference for women and girls in the Northern Rivers:
Strong Beginnings: Supporting First Nations Mothers Across the Northern Rivers
Coolamon Community will use its grant to provide packages of essential maternal and infant items to 48 First Nations mothers across all seven Northern Rivers LGAs.
Distributed through Aboriginal Health Service partners, each Coolamon includes practical newborn and maternal essentials such as a safe sleep space and mattress, bedding, wraps, nappies, toiletries, maternity items, breastfeeding supports, Indigenous children’s books and other culturally relevant resources.
The project aims to ease some of the financial pressures facing new mothers while strengthening connection to health services and supporting maternal and infant wellbeing.
Workplace Wellbeing Dialogue Circles
The Northern Rivers Community Legal Centre will pilot Workplace Wellbeing Dialogue Circles across four Lismore-based domestic and family violence services.
The program will provide frontline workers with a structured and supportive space to process the trauma they absorb through their work.
Built around the principle of holding circles, the sessions are designed to create a safe and equal environment where participants can share their own experiences and support one another. By caring for the wellbeing of frontline workers, the program also aims to strengthen their capacity to continue supporting women and families experiencing domestic and family violence.
SHIFTing Gears
The SHIFT Project will use its grant to embed a qualified social worker across its residential, outreach and employment programs, including the SHIFT linen service.
In response to growing demand, the social worker will provide coordinated, trauma-informed support and case management for women rebuilding their lives after domestic violence and other periods of crisis.
The project will also deliver weekly group programs covering small business skills, emotional regulation and independent living, helping women build practical skills, confidence and stronger social connections.
Agape Women’s Haven: Safe Housing & New Beginnings
Agape Outreach Inc. will establish women-only supported accommodation in Banora Point for women and children escaping homelessness and domestic violence.
The grant will help furnish three family rooms within a seven-bedroom group home, including bedrooms and shared kitchen and laundry facilities, and contribute towards an onsite female manager.
The Women’s Haven is designed to help fill the gap between crisis accommodation and long-term housing, providing women and children with a safer and more stable place to begin rebuilding their lives.
Since 2022, the NRCF Women’s Giving Circle has now distributed $359,140 to 16 organisations supporting women and girls across the Northern Rivers.
Members contribute $1,000 each year, or around $20 a week, and collectively decide where grant funding is directed. Half of every member contribution supports current grantmaking, while the remaining half is invested in the Northern Rivers Women’s Fund, helping build a permanent source of funding for women and girls into the future.
It is a model grounded in a simple idea: when women pool their giving, individual contributions can become significant support for local organisations doing important work close to home.
Find out more about the NRCF Women’s Giving Circle:
https://nrcf.org.au/womens-giving-circle/
Join the Circle:
https://nrcf.org.au/giving/join-the-womens-giving-circle/
Photo credit: Davina Bambrick Photography
