The Regional Drought Resilience Plan (RDRP) Social Outcome Grants are designed to deliver projects or initiatives that will broadly result in strengthened social capital, wellbeing and connectedness to prepare for and build social resilience to drought.

The grants are available across up to 50 approved RDRP regions for projects identified in an eligible RDRP, or aligned with a social resilience theme in the RDRP. Eligible RDRPs are those that are approved by the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, and are outside of the specified Community Impact Program regions.

Funded through the Australian Government's Future Drought Fund, this is part of the commitment to support Australian agricultural communities to build drought resilience.

RDRP Social Outcome Grants are designed to result in the following outcomes with clear linkages to show the project will help the local community in future droughts:

1. New, expanded or diversified community-based networks.
2. Improved communication, social connection and collaboration.
3. Increased skills, knowledge and understanding of drought.
4. Improved access to and use of services, resources, infrastructure and facilities.
5. Greater diversity of community members and organisational participation.
6. Improved implementation and effectiveness of place-based practices.
7. Strengthened individual leadership capacity and capability.

In the long term, projects and initiatives will contribute towards stronger connectedness and greater social capital within communities, contributing to wellbeing and security.

A maximum of $100,000 is available to up to 50 RDRP regions over the life of the program, with 42 regions still eligible for some or all their allocated funding.

• Applicant organisations must be a not-for-profit organisation with an ABN or Incorporation Certificate. Organisations with or without DGR-1 endorsement are eligible. The proposed project must be for charitable purposes and offer clear public benefit.
• Projects are considered eligible if they are either identified in an eligible RDRP as a project that will enable increased social resilience or align with a social resilience theme in the RDRP.
• If the RDRP identifies a Lead Agency to deliver a social resilience project, then the applicant must be that Lead Agency or provide a letter of endorsement from the Lead Agency.
• Organisations that participated in the development of the RDRP will be prioritised.
• Organisations can submit one application per grant round, in either the RDRP Social Outcome Grants or Small Network Grants streams (organisations cannot apply to both streams within the same funding Round).
• Projects must benefit communities in remote, rural, or regional Australia that are agriculture-dependent.

• Email: futuredrought@frrr.org.au