Up to $15K for Rural Not-for-Profits, Free Board Scholarships and 6 More Grant Rounds Now Open

3 min read
27 Oct 2026

It's been a big week for grant seekers. We added 29 new grants to The Grants Hub and updated 99 more, and a string of popular programs have opened new rounds.

This week's standouts are a brand new fund from FRRR to help rural not-for-profits build their skills and systems, and fully funded governance scholarships for charity board directors. Below you'll find eight programs worth a look, from disaster resilience in Queensland to sport in schools, wildlife conservation and First Nations business.

Timelines are tight on a few of these. The first closes on 6 November, so read on and get them into your calendar.

This week's grant highlights

Top pick: Strengthening Rural Communities – Capacity Building

Foundation for Rural & Regional Renewal (FRRR) · New grant · Up to $15,000 · National · Closes 3 December 2026

This new FRRR fund helps not-for-profits in agriculture-dependent communities build the skills, systems and expertise they need to support social resilience in rural and regional Australia. Capacity-building money is hard to find, so if your organisation has been putting off training, planning or systems upgrades, this is the one to look at first.

View the grant

Top pick: Centre for Social Impact Scholarships – Governance for Social Impact

Centre for Social Impact · New round · $2,310 scholarship · National · Closes 10 November 2026

Fully funded scholarships for current charity board directors to complete the Governance for Social Impact short course. Strong governance underpins strong funding applications, and funders notice it. Share this with your board now, as the deadline is only two weeks away.

View the grant

Hireup Impact Grants

Hireup · New round · $5,000 · National · Closes 6 November 2026

Funds goals that let Hireup clients and support workers express who they are, keep their choice and control, and live their good life. This is the first deadline of the week.

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Sporting Schools Grants

Australian Sports Commission · New round · Up to $4,150 · National · Closes 13 November 2026

Helps primary schools, and secondary schools for Year 7 and 8 students, deliver sport-based activities before, during or after school.

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Rebuilding Futures Program

Suncorp and FRRR · New round · Up to $25,000 · QLD · Closes 26 November 2026

Supports Queensland communities hit by Tropical Cyclone Alfred or the 2025 western Queensland floods. Funding goes to community-led disaster recovery, prevention and preparedness projects run by not-for-profits in eligible regional areas.

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International Trans Fund (ITF)

International Trans Fund · New round · $10,000 – $50,000 · International · Closes 1 December 2026

Supports trans-led groups working for their communities, including activism, movement building and work with communities facing greater marginalisation.

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Amazon First Nations Business Accelerator

Amazon · New round · Valued at up to $9,578 · National · Closes 31 December 2026

A free 90-day program helping First Nations businesses with a physical product expand online, from brand marketing to fulfilment.

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Australian Wildlife Society Awards

Australian Wildlife Society · New round · $500 – $5,000 · National · Closes 31 December 2026

Rewards individuals and community groups working to save Australia's native wildlife and habitats, with categories including rescue, rehabilitation and youth awards.

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Making the most of this week's rounds

  1. Work back from the deadline. Three of these close within three weeks. Block out time now for drafting, a review and sign-off, rather than starting the week it's due.
  2. Check eligibility first. Several programs are tightly targeted: agriculture-dependent communities, specific disaster-affected areas of Queensland, Hireup clients and workers, or trans-led groups. Read the criteria before you invest time in writing.
  3. Don't overlook capacity-building funding. Grants that pay for skills, systems and governance are rarer than project grants. They also make your next project application stronger.
  4. Get your board involved. The governance scholarship is an easy win to share at your next board meeting, and it's fully funded.
  5. Reuse what you have. Keep your organisational description, outcomes data and budget templates up to date so each application starts from a solid base.

Find your next grant

These eight are just a snapshot. Right now there are 2,686 open grants on The Grants Hub, and 243 of them close in the next 14 days. Search by topic, location and who can apply to find the ones that fit your organisation.

Search open grants on The Grants Hub

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