Thanks to your incredible generosity, we’ve raised more than $2.1 million in flood relief funds for the Northern Rivers region in just 8 (very busy) weeks, to support recovery after two major flooding events.

What an incredible effort!⁠

With the flood hitting Lismore and the Northern Rivers on 28 February and the second flooding event just weeks later on 30 March, our locals were understandably exhausted, disoriented, traumatised and in a state of near defeat.

Our primary goal was to understand how the need in our community was developing in the emergency phase, and where help was needed most. An amazing group of voluntary researchers got on the phones and on the ground for NRCF, to speak directly with our community organisations.

Nearly 300 community organisations were contacted and almost a quarter of those identified a critical need in their communities. These organisations were then supported in writing a grant application for the Northern Rivers Flood Relief Fund (a partnership with Byron Community Centre). As a result nearly $1 million in fundraising was distributed within 8 weeks of the Flood Relief Fund being open.
Please see our article here for more info on the Flood Relief Fund.

Our other goal was to consider how the Foundation could be of help in the more medium to longer term recovery phase. Once the spotlight is off, and the longer-term needs start to emerge, the Foundation’s role is to advocate for our community groups and support them and our communities in the longer term by distributing community grants and measuring the impacts of those grants to ensure needs are being met. To support this, we have been fundraising through our Resilience and Regeneration Fund through a combination of initiatives, partnerships and donor pathways. Namely,

• Partnering with disaster recovery organisations such as Resilient Lismore and supporting them in fundraising
• Partnering with businesses, both locally and nationally who have run some incredible fundraising events and online campaigns, such as RhinoRack, Meluka Australia and our current campaign with Gaia Retreat & Spa
• Funding from local and national private foundations to support organisational capacity so the Foundation can continue to conduct research and advocacy and provide granting solutions
• Connecting with our local community of donors who have entrusted their donation with the Foundation and our close connections with the community orgs who tell us where funds are most needed

Through this community of donors and partners and through hundreds of generous people from as widespread as Japan to Melbourne, to the United States to Perth, NRCF’s flood appeal will continue to provide relief and recovery to a community that has been through so much.

We would like to thank everyone who has donated (both time and money) and recognise the enormous effort of those on the ground delivering services, despite many impacted by floods themselves. It truly is an incredible community we live in.

Disaster relief and recovery is a marathon not a sprint, and we will soon open our next round of grants for all community organisations. For information or to donate, visit the Resilience & Regeneration Fund.