The Northern Rivers Community Foundation has launched two new philanthropic funds designed to meet some of the region’s most urgent and emerging needs: the Northern Rivers Arts & Culture Fund and the Climate Action Fund.
Announced at this year’s Community Grants Giving Night, the new funds reflect NRCF’s long-term commitment to nurturing the creativity, resilience, and environmental future of the region. They also respond directly to the growing demand for place-based investment in the arts and climate action, which are two areas identified by community organisations, donors, and local leaders as critical to the region’s wellbeing and long-term sustainability.
Northern Rivers Arts & Culture Fund
The Northern Rivers is home to the largest population of cultural and creative workers in NSW outside Sydney, and the largest in rural Australia. However, many artists and cultural organisations continue to face significant challenges, from limited funding and the loss of venues, to the ongoing impacts of recent disasters. According to the Arts Northern Rivers ‘Who We Are’ report, our region’s creative workforce grew four times faster than the national creative workforce from 2016 to 2021. Our creative sector plays a vital role in helping communities make meaning, stay connected, and recover from hardship. When arts and culture flourish, so does our region.
To strengthen this essential part of Northern Rivers life, NRCF has established the Northern Rivers Arts & Culture Fund – a long-term commitment to nurturing the creative heartbeat of our region. Built as an endowed fund, it will grow over time to provide sustained support for artists, storytellers, and cultural organisations well into the future.
Jane Fuller, CEO of Arts Northern Rivers, states that “Now is the time for fresh strategies and bold investment to unlock the full potential of this sector.” Rather than short-term or one-off grants, this fund enables deeper, ongoing investment in creativity. Donations become part of a lasting legacy, helping ensure artists have the space, resources, and stability they need to create, collaborate, and share their work. The vision is simple: a thriving creative community that strengthens identity, wellbeing, and resilience across the Northern Rivers for generations to come.
As CEO Sam Henderson shared at the launch, arts and culture are not “add-ons” in the Northern Rivers; they are essential to our wellbeing, identity, local economy, and the way this region tells and holds its stories.
Climate Action Fund
Seed funded by Community Owned Renewable Energy Mullumbimby (COREM), the Climate Action Fund will support community-led initiatives such as reducing emissions, cutting fossil fuel use, and strengthening environmental resilience across our region. As one of the most climate change-exposed regions in Australia, we have directly felt the impacts, and many local organisations are working on practical solutions, but often without the long-term funding they need.
To help bridge this gap, NRCF has established the Climate Action Fund as an enduring source of support for locally driven climate initiatives. The fund focuses on practical, place-based projects that make a measurable difference, whether through renewable energy and energy efficiency upgrades, reforestation and habitat restoration, or community education programs that build environmental knowledge and capacity.
Created to deliver steady, long-term support, the fund invests in climate solutions that help our region adapt, prepare, and respond. Donations become part of a long-term commitment to protecting the health and resilience of the Northern Rivers, ensuring communities can continue to thrive in the face of ongoing environmental challenges.
A Call to Grow These Funds Together
Both new funds reflect NRCF’s core belief that long-term regional wellbeing is built through community-led action, local knowledge, and collective generosity. But their impact will only grow as the community gets behind them.
By contributing to either fund, donors become part of a shared legacy that strengthens the Northern Rivers now and for future generations. Every donation, large or small, becomes part of a permanent source of local impact. Together, we can build a more creative, resilient, and climate-ready future for the Northern Rivers.
If you’d like to support these new funds, visit either of these donation links: Northern Rivers Arts & Culture Fund | Climate Action Fund
To learn more, please contact our team at info@nrcf.org.au