2025 Northern Rivers Grants Recipients
We are excited to announce the recipients of our 2025 Grants Program, where $184,000 will be donated to nine local not-for-profits.
Our grants programs funds initiatives that address our impact areas:
Community capacity building
Social cohesion
Ecological resilience and climate action
Systems change and social innovation
Through focusing on resilience, wellbeing, inclusion, diversity and social cohesion, we believe we can build a regenerative region with thriving communities that future generations will be proud to be part of. We look forward to working alongside the recipients this year, as they continue to create change within our community.
The recipients of the 2025 Grants Program are:
Agape Outreach - Agape Soup Kitchen Lismore
“Lismore is still suffering, and people either cannot afford or access nutritious food. It is heartbreaking to see young families going with meals.” - Theresa Mitchell, Founding Director
Agape Outreach Inc provides comprehensive support across prevention, intervention and postvention stages of homelessness. The Agape Soup Kitchen in Lismore will provide meals to the residents and the broader public experiencing homelessness and hunger.
Through the funding provided by Ingrained Foundation, they hope to create lasting, systematic change by integrating food security and community support, fostering a resilient and inclusive Lismore community.
Byron Youth Services - The Future Forest Regeneration Project
"We are so grateful for the support of In-Grained. This type of local support goes such a long way to making The YAC one of the most unique youth and community spaces in NSW. Place based initiatives such as Ingrained make the work we do possible." - Christian Tancred - BYS General Manager
Byron Youth Services is a not-for-profit charity organisation working closely with the community to develop and deliver innovative and supportive programs that are responsive to the needs of young people and their families.
The Future Forest is a community food garden that was built at The YAC to support young people to address fears around climate insecurity, learn about food production and engage with their environment in meaningful ways. The funding provided by Ingrained Foundation will help to restore the cyclone-damaged Future Forest community garden at The YAC and provide new habitat for native wildlife that have been displaced by tree clearing.
Coolamon Community Inc - Strong Beginnings
"The Ingrained Grant to fund our Strong Beginnings project is supporting Coolamon Community to expand in a way that aligns with the core of who we are and prioritise relationships with Aboriginal Health Services that lead to real impact at the very start of life for a new Aboriginal mum and her baby."
- Evie Wood, Co - Founder & President
Coolamon Community is a not-for-profit organisation dedicated to supporting Aboriginal mothers and babies at the start of life. Aboriginal mothers and babies in the Northern Rivers region face significant challenges in accessing consistent, culturally safe perinatal care. Designed for healthcare professionals and mothers, this initiative will produce a suite of short, impactful videos to strengthen the delivery and long-term sustainability of their Coolamon gift program—a culturally significant care package and powerful engagement tool.
Gungyah Ngallingnee
"Being able to access this grant means that we can plan for activities that build capacity, connection and create opportunities for our community. " - Roxanne Smith, CEO
Gungyah Ngallingnee is an Aboriginal community community located slightly west of Tabulam village. Due to their remote location, it is difficult—and often very costly—to access qualified tradespeople. This funding will support them to upskill their community members in basic carpentry and home maintenance, empowering them to take control of their own housing needs.
Miracle Babies - Miracle Babies Foundation Nurture Program - Northern Rivers
Region
“We are extremely grateful to the Ingrained Foundation for their generous support. Miracle Babies is here to support families through the most challenging moments of their lives, providing critical support and comfort to families affected by a premature or sick birth. This grant allows us to be able to increase our presence in the Northern Rivers region, which means more regional NSW families will be able to access our support services and our resources, ensuring less families walk this isolating path alone.”
- Cassandra Panto, Sponsorships, Grants & Events Coordinator
Miracle Babies Foundation is Australia’s leading organisation supporting premature and sick newborns, their families, and the hospitals that care for them. Through the funding provided by Ingrained Foundation, Miracle Babies Foundation will deliver essential resource packs to families of sick and premature babies at Lismore Base Hospital and Tweed Hospital.
NR for Refugees - Refugee Networking Pathway
“The refugee networking project will support successful resettlement by providing the tools for community support groups and newly arrived refugees to identify important pathways in education, employment, health and friendship within their supportive communities”.
- Isabelle Borrell, Vice President
Northern Rivers for Refugees vision is to welcome, respect and support refugees and people seeking asylum. They do this by actively fundraising to support the resettlement of refugees into the Northern Rivers.
From 2022 until now, NRFR has facilitated the resettlement of 11 families (42 individuals) from Syria and Venezuela across three shires. Through the funding, NRFR will develop a bilingual ebook for resettled refugees to use to identify their needs, goals and networking capabilities.
NR Wildlife Hospital - Climate-Resilient Wildlife Rehabilitation Practices Project
'Northern Rivers Wildlife Hospital are very grateful to Ingrained Foundation for their support towards an essential aspect of full animal recovery - the construction of an animal rehabilitation enclosure. '
- Julie Burton, Fundraising Manager, Northern Rivers Wildlife Hospital
The Northern Rivers Wildlife Hospital (NRWH) is a community-owned and operated facility, built by and for the people of this region to protect and care for our unique wildlife. The project will develop and implement sustainable, climate-adaptive rehabilitation strategies to better support wildlife, especially when impacted by extreme weather.The initial stage of the project is the construction of the first outdoor enclosure at the Hospital.
Pets in the Park - Pets In The Park Northern Rivers Health and Wellbeing Project
"As a new charity to the region but one with big goals, Pets In the Park Pets is both thrilled and grateful to have been successful in our Ingrained Foundation funding application. These funds will support our volunteer veterinary team with essential equipment, protective clothing, volunteer training, and the establishment of a surgical fund to support the companion pets of those experiencing homelessness in the Northern Rivers region. It is humbling for us to be in such great company with other local charities that are also doing much needed work supporting the vulnerable in our community". - Kim Michod; Development Support Officer
Pets in the Park (PITP) is a national charity whose aim is to build positive relationships with, and improve the mental wellbeing of, homeless people in society living with their animal companions.
This program directly addresses the unmet need for low-cost or free veterinary services in the Northern Rivers, and the funding will support the growth of this much needed service, ensuring the homeless and their pets can continue to access the free veterinary healthcare they need.
Shara Community Gardens - Community Garden Beds Upgrade: Growing Space for All
“We’re absolutely delighted to receive this grant. It will have a huge impact on what our community can grow, share and enjoy in the garden. With safer, more accessible beds and a refreshed space, the garden will be more welcoming and productive for everyone—from preschoolers to older residents. Thank you, Ingrained Foundation, for helping Shara Community Gardens grow stronger from the ground up!” - Shara Community Gardens
Shara Community Gardens is a member-based community garden supporting the coastal communities of North Ocean Shores, South Golden Beach, New Brighton, Billinudgel and Ocean Shores.
As a volunteer-run association, it exists to support and inspire regenerative, resilient living through hands-on learning, food growing and community connection. The funding will support them to upgrade a number of Shara Community Gardens’ aging garden beds, improving the safety, accessibility and usability of the site.
Thank you to everyone who applied, and congratulations to the successful recipients. We are looking forward to walking beside them over the next year.
If you are interested in finding out more about our Grants Program, contact us at [email protected]. You can also support our work by making a donation.