The Northern Rivers Community Foundation is proud to announce that we will soon be officially endorsed as a Deductible Gift Recipient 1 (DGR1) community charity – a milestone that significantly expands the ways our community can give, invest, and strengthen the future of our region.
This reform is part of a historic national shift recognising community foundations as vital place-based philanthropic organisations. For the first time, community foundations across Australia can operate with a fit-for-purpose legal structure that enables broader giving, greater flexibility, and deeper community impact. For the Northern Rivers, it marks the beginning of a new chapter.
Why DGR1 Status Matters
Until now, community foundations like NRCF could only receive certain types of donations through specific structures. With DGR1 status, giving to NRCF will become easier and more accessible, enabling:
- Donations from Private Ancillary Funds (PAFs) and broader philanthropic trusts
- Workplace giving, corporate donations, and payroll contributions
- Direct tax-deductible gifts from individuals and families
- Bequests and legacy gifts to be made with greater flexibility
- Support for a wider range of charitable organisations, including many grassroots groups that do not have DGR status of their own
This change will strengthen NRCF’s ability to champion place-based philanthropy: local people supporting local solutions, guided by lived experience and deep regional knowledge.
As CEO Sam Henderson noted in his speech at the 2025 Community Grants Giving Night, “This change isn’t about growing the Foundation for its own sake – it’s about growing what’s possible for our region. DGR1 gives us more ways to back the people and organisations doing the work on the ground, and that means more support reaching more communities, when and where it’s needed most.”
What This Means for the Northern Rivers
Achieving DGR1 will open new pathways for giving at a time when the Northern Rivers continues to face complex social and environmental challenges, from rising housing and mental health needs to ongoing climate driven disasters. Many local not-for-profits are small, volunteer-led, and without their own DGR status, limiting access to major philanthropic funding.
DGR1 removes these barriers. NRCF will be able to grant to any registered charity, allowing more small and emerging grassroots groups to receive vital support.
“For example, when we think back to the 2022 floods, many grassroots and volunteer groups were doing vital work in their communities for weeks before any formal support or resources arrived,” Sam Henderson noted. “With this DGR1 endorsement, we will be able to support community work immediately, without the need to wait for formal disaster declarations or other bureaucratic processes that slow down essential support.”
It also enables larger gifts, workplace giving, and bequests to flow into long-term community funds, including the newly launched Northern Rivers Arts & Culture Fund and Climate Action Fund – two key areas where community demand is growing.
As Sam Henderson shared, “DGR1 gives us the tools to match the ambition of our region. It allows us to dream bigger, plan deeper, and partner with donors in ways that weren’t possible before.”
A New Chapter for Community-Led Philanthropy
This national reform recognises the critical role community foundations play in strengthening local communities. With DGR1 status, NRCF will be positioned to mobilise more resources, support more organisations, and invest more deeply in the issues that matter most to our region.
Over the coming months, NRCF will share new opportunities for donors, families, businesses, and private foundations to give through our updated structure, along with resources to support bequests, workplace giving, and long-term community investment.
DGR1 status means every gift, large or small, will now go further and reach more local organisations. This is a milestone not just for NRCF, but for the entire Northern Rivers.
If you’d like to learn more, make a donation, or explore giving options, contact our team at info@nrcf.org.au