Give with impact, give locally
Our collective generosity transforms the lives of women and children in the Northern Rivers.
We are a collective of passionate women taking action to tackle local disadvantage. We welcome women connected to the Northern Rivers who want to join our community to create change. Your donation contributes to supporting grassroots change.
Empowering Women & Girls Grant
The NRCF Empowering Women & Girls Grant is an annual program supporting grassroots initiatives in the Northern Rivers that help women and girls overcome inequality and disadvantage. Grants provide seed funding to pilot new programs, expand existing services, or build the evidence needed to grow their impact.
Through the Women’s Giving Circle, members take part in the grantmaking process by voting to decide which projects are funded. This collective approach reflects local priorities and demonstrates the power of giving where you live. Past grants have helped support trauma recovery, reduce isolation, and strengthen cultural identity, and more - making a lasting difference for women and girls in our region.
Our community needs your support
1,349
domestic violence related assaults
were reported to Police in the
Northern Rivers from Jan-Dec 2023.
2,310
women in the Northern Rivers sought assistance from a Specialist
Homelessness Service in 2022-2023.
10,000
people were displaced by floods and 1,800 are still living in temporary housing
How it Works
Our goal is to grow our giving collective of women donating $1,000 over each year, with 50% gifted each year to grassroots women and girls empowerment projects. The remaining 50% of pooled donations grows the Northern Rivers Women’s Fund - which guarantees projects will be supported each year into the future.
Each year, the members of the Women’s Giving Circle come together for a pitch night to hear from and learn about two local, grassroots programs being undertaken in the Northern Rivers. Each member has the opportunity to vote on who will receive the pooled funds. You are connected with the leaders and recipients of your philanthropy.
2025 Events
We gather regularly for engaging events and conversations - from celebrating the achievements of our grant recipients at the annual Grant Giving Night, to exploring topical issues affecting women and girls in our community with inspiring guest presenters, and ending the year with our much-loved Christmas Garden Celebration.
Our gatherings are open to everyone. If you’re not yet a WGC member but are curious about the connections we foster and the impact we make, we warmly invite you to join us - you’ll be welcomed with open arms and hearts.
Sign up to our newsletter to keep up to date with upcoming events.
UPCOMING EVENTS
Christmas Garden Gathering
Thursday 11 December, 2025
4:00pm - 6:00pm
Registration details coming soon!
Our goal
The Circle surpassed our aim of 100 members in 2024.
Our goal is to reach 250 members collectively giving to grassroots projects that transform our local community.
Who is NRCF?
Past recipients
Jen Parke – Human Nature Adventure Therapy
2025 Women’s Giving Circle Grant Recipient
Empower Her will provide 90 one-on-one therapeutic sessions for young women aged 14–18 in the Northern Rivers who have experienced domestic or sexual violence. These sessions are designed to be safe, personalised, and trauma-informed — supporting each young woman to heal, grow in confidence, and build the skills to navigate relationships, education, and life.
This grant means therapists can walk alongside these young women during an incredibly vulnerable stage of life, offering tools to build emotional literacy, self-esteem, and resilience. It’s about helping them see their own strength and future possibilities.
Kate Jackson – Haus of Armour
2025 Women’s Giving Circle Grant Recipient
Through Haus of Armour, we offer one-on-one styling and image coaching for women who have experienced family violence. It’s not about fashion - it’s about identity, self-expression, and rebuilding the confidence that abuse strips away.
With this grant, Haus of Armour can support more women to reconnect with who they are, walk into a room with their heads held high, and feel strong in their skin again.
Crystal Whitney - Women Up North
2025 Women’s Giving Circle Grant Recipient
Women Up North’s Empowering Self-Defence workshops teach emotional, mental, and physical strategies to help women feel safer, more confident, and capable in navigating challenging situations. It’s about prevention, personal agency, and healing through skill-building.
This funding allows Women Up North to deliver these workshops to more women in the region - particularly those who have experienced violence - equipping them with tools to feel in control and empowered in their everyday lives.”
Kirilly Dawn - Postpartum Care Program Manager
2024 Women’s Giving Circle Grant Recipient
“I’m a proud Barkindji woman who works with The Returning Indigenous Corporation to facilitate the Postpartum Care Program that creates culturally safe postpartum care for First Nations mothers, led by First Nations women. We were incredibly grateful to be recipients of a $25,000 grant awarded to us by the Women's Giving Circle which has expanded the number of mothers we can care for.
“22% to 32% of the Indigenous population experience food insecurity, we know this directly affects First Nations mothers giving birth. With the grant, we can nourish families with local, organic and native foods for the first 6 weeks postpartum, and in the next 6 months plan to support at least 15 mothers and babies and 75 family members with meal support.”
Jade Bennett - Kyogle Family Support Service
2023 Women’s Giving Circle Grant Recipient
“The Walking Tall project targeted 12 women around Northern NSW. We supported young women to find their individualism and build on their self-esteem, and their skills… put that in a package to get them work or education-ready.
It’s really about supporting that person and not putting them in a box – bringing what skills and attributes they have as a person and their style and letting them own that, with the $40,000 grant donated to us by the Women’s Giving Circle we have seen almost 50% of our cohort find employment.”
Give locally. Give with impact.
Connect with us
Connect with the Women’s Giving Circle on Facebook and Instagram
If you would like to learn more about the NRCF Women’s Giving Circle please email Amy Colli,
the NRCF Women's Giving Circle Coordinator on givingcircle@nrcf.org.au.
FAQ
Friends of NRCF Women's Giving Circle
