Back to School 2021: Detailed FAQ's Key dates - Foundation for Rural & Regional Renewal

Back to School 2021:
Detailed FAQ’s
Key dates
When does it open?
Thursday, 1 October 2020

When does it close?
5pm AEDT Friday, 30 October 2020

When will I find out if I have been successful?
Estimated Friday, 27 November 2020

When are the vouchers sent out to us?
The vouchers will be available for you to download in late January before the start of the 2021 school year
(see ‘Distribution of the Vouchers’ below).

I’m late with my application. Can I submit anyway?
Unfortunately, no. To be to fair to all others who submitted on time, and due to the short assessment timeframe,
late applications will not be accepted.

Who can apply?
Community Foundations and not-for-profit organisations in rural, regional and remote areas that:
 1. Have strong connections with schools and/or families with children attending rural, regional and remote
    primary or secondary schools; and
 2. Have the capacity to administer the program.

Community Foundations:
 • Priority will be given to Community Foundations.
 • Where there is no Community Foundation, FRRR will accept applications from eligible not-for-profit
   community-based organisations.

Not-for-profit, incorporated community organisations:
 • Not-for-profit organisations that have strong connections to families in need through their welfare / financial
    / counselling / support programs or youth programs. This includes:
    o    Neighbourhood Houses;
    o    Aboriginal Services;
    o    Community Support Centres;
    o    Family Support Services.
 • If an eligible Community Foundation already exists and has also applied to this program, it is likely that
   applications from a community organisation in the same area / community will be assigned a lower priority.
   FRRR encourages community organisations to instead seek support from their local Community Foundation.

How do I know if there is a Community Foundation in my area?
 • Search this report by Australian Community Philanthropy listing Community Foundations -
   http://australiancommunityphilanthropy.org.au/community-foundations/community-foundations-in-
   australia/.
 • www.australiancommunityphilanthropy.org.au also provides information on Community Foundations and
   their contact details.

Schools
 • Schools can apply through their appropriate not-for-profit organisation or through the P&C / School Council.
 • Schools can apply for vouchers for the school uniform shop.
 • FRRR prefers to receive one application per community / region in order to support a range of families across
   each community (rather than the families of only one school), so if you can combine an application with
   other organisations in your area, you are likely to have a higher chance of success.

I’m an individual, can I apply?
No, unfortunately not. The program is only open to organisations.

Can Kindergartens / Preschools / TAFEs apply?
No. This program is focused on primary and secondary schools.

How does the program work?
The program will look a little different in each community – generally the application stage involves applicants:
 1. Identifying the level of need in the community;
 2. Determining how many vouchers are required;
 3. Considering which stores would provide the best range / outcomes for families in need in your community,
    and if locally-owned stores, obtaining their permission to be involved in the program;
 4. Determining how your organisation will administer the vouchers to those most in need;
 5. Completing the relevant online application form and submitting to FRRR.

FRRR will then conduct due diligence on all applications received and determine successful applicants based on
available funding and level of need. Many will not get the number of vouchers requested due to level of demand.

If successful:
  • Your organisation is required to enter into a grant agreement with FRRR;
 • Vouchers are distributed from FRRR in early January;
 • Vouchers are distributed by your organisation across the community to families in need of support;
 • The voucher recipient redeems the vouchers for school-based items;
 • Your organisation gathers evidence of impact and outcomes for families and students in your area (noting
   that FRRR does not require personal details to be collected);
 • An acquittal report to FRRR is required on or before May 2021.

Why are there different ‘streams’?
FRRR has been providing the national Back to School program since 2005, supporting disadvantaged students and
their families, living in rural, regional and remote communities with the costs associated with the start of the
school year.

In the wake of the 2019 / 2020 bushfires, funds were provided by our generous donors to support students and
families directly impacted by the bushfires, and so FRRR now has two funding streams available for the 2021
program:
 1. General Stream - focusing on disadvantaged students.
 2. Bushfire Response stream - focusing on and prioritising disadvantaged students within local government
    areas with a bushfire disaster declaration, from September 2019 to April 2020.

We know that is takes time to recover, and young people will be significantly affected by the fires, now and into
the future. Items such as summer uniforms, shoes and stationery will be needed as families recover.

How do I know if my community is within a local government area with a bushfire disaster declaration, from
September 2019 to April 2020?
A list is provided in this link - declared fire-affected areas. If you consider that your community has been affected
by bushfire but is not on the list, please contact FRRR at info@frrr.org.au referencing the Back to School program
in your email.

Which stream should I apply for?
 • If you are wishing to support students affected by the 2019 / 2020 bushfires, apply under the Bushfire
    Response stream.
 • If you are wishing to support disadvantaged students not affected by the 2019 / 2020 bushfires, but
   impacted by circumstances beyond their control (i.e. low socio-economic, economic downturn, drought etc),
   apply under the General Stream.

Some students in my area were affected by the bushfires, while some students come from areas that were not
affected by the bushfires at all. Can I apply in both streams?
If the region you are applying for has a discrete locality that was affected by the 2019 / 2020 bushfires, but
another area that was not affected by the bushfires, you could apply in both streams.
  • To support students affected by the bushfires, apply under the Bushfire Response stream.
 • To support disadvantaged students not affected by the bushfires, apply under the General Stream.

Can I apply for both streams on the one application form?
No. As the two streams are funded by different donor partners, and because FRRR must account for the streams
separately, there are two separate application forms. Also, if successful, you will be required to complete two
grant agreements and two separate Final Reports. We know this is a little more work for applicants, but it is our
hope that the separation will provide clarity for both you and FRRR.

Vouchers
What is the value of each voucher?
$50

What format are the vouchers?
The vouchers will be eGift cards (Target and Kmart) and soft copy vouchers for local businesses. FRRR no longer
sends out hardcopy / physical gift cards / vouchers. Vouchers will be made available for download through a
secure site.

Which businesses are the vouchers for?
You can apply for any of the vouchers below:
 • Target
    o Target eGift cards can either be presented in store or redeemed online for general school uniform
         items, shoes, socks, underwear and other items required for children to participate in school.
    o Note: There may be a postage charge associated with ordering online.

 • Kmart
    o This year FRRR is offering Kmart eGift cards which can only be presented in store for general school
      uniform items, shoes, socks, underwear and other items required for children to participate in school.
    o Note: Kmart cards CANNOT be redeemed online.

 • Local business
   o Gift vouchers can be requested from local businesses such as uniform suppliers, shoe retailers or textbook
      suppliers.
    o Applicants requesting vouchers from local businesses will be required to speak with the local business/es,
      before applying, to communicate the Back to School program objectives, collect required contact
      information and to ensure that the business agrees to be part of the program. There is a separate form to
      download, complete and upload to your application prior to submission.
    o School Councils / P&C Committees can request vouchers to be redeemed at their School Uniform Shop.

Can I get vouchers for other places like Big W or Officeworks?
Not at this time.

Can I request a mix of Target / Kmart and local business vouchers?
Yes, there are sections for both on the application form.

What can the vouchers be used for?
 • Vouchers are to be used by students and their families to purchase essential school items such as uniforms,
   clothing, shoes, school bags and school stationery items.
 • Vouchers must not be used for the purchase of alcohol, tobacco, food / groceries, nor be given out as
   rewards, raffle prizes, used by schools to make bulk purchases, nor used to purchase goods for resale to
   parents.
 • Vouchers must be treated as cash, as they cannot be replaced if lost.

How many vouchers can I ask for?
 • Due to the level of funding available, there is a different cap for each stream:
    o Requests submitted under the General Stream are capped at 500 x $50 vouchers.
    o Requested submitted under the Bushfire Response stream are capped at 1,500 x $50 vouchers.
 • The number of vouchers you request should be based on your local community / school need, and your
   capacity to administer the program.
 • The program is national, in high demand and has limited funding.
 • Requests generally range from five vouchers for small volunteer organisations to 800 vouchers for large
   organisations with structured administrative and reporting processes.

How do I work out how many vouchers to request?
 • You will need to work out and demonstrate the following on the application form:
    1. What approach and criteria you are going to use to assess the level of need in your community; and
    2. How you will determine who you will give the vouchers to.

• Data to demonstrate need could include:
    o ICSEA value of school;
    o family income data;
    o classroom teacher knowledge and observation;
    o SEIFA, or other ABS locality data and local government data;
    o Service provider client assessment tool for current assistance programs.
 • The number of families experiencing financial stress due to current drought conditions and the economic
   impacts of COVID-19 will also be taken into consideration.

Can I get vouchers from a local business? (e.g. local uniform or stationery supplier)
 • Yes, but you must speak with them first to let them know you are applying to the Back to School program for
     vouchers from their business.
 • You will need to provide details of your preferred local store by downloading the Local Business Form,
   completing it and uploading it in the Attachments section of the application form. There is a link in the online
   application to this Local Business Form.

Where do I find the Local Business Form on the online application?
It is under the Funding Request tab; Section B. Look for the words Local Business Form in bold, blue writing at the
bottom of the green box. Click on this link to download the form, complete it, then upload it again in the
attachments section of the application form.

I can’t upload the Local Business Form – what do I do?
  • Make a note in the online application form that you are sending it through separately.
 • Submit your online application and make a note of the number that is assigned to your application, which
   will be contained in the automated email you will receive when the application is received in the online
   system.
 • Send the Local Business Form through to info@frrr.org.au with your organisation name, application number
   and Back to School 2021 in the subject line.

Distribution of the vouchers
How will I receive the electronic vouchers?
 • When the vouchers are ready, you will be notified by email and given access to a secure site to download
   your allocation. Each file is an individually numbered ‘swing tag’ that contains the link to the eGift card.
 • Local business e-vouchers do not contain additional links.
 • Detailed instructions will be provided prior to the download process.

How do I distribute the electronic vouchers?
Vouchers can either be sent to the school or directly to families via email, or they can be printed out for
distribution.
  • Target and Kmart eGift cards are sent as a link contained within an individually numbered, electronic ‘swing
     tag’. This ‘swing tag’ has information about the FRRR Back to School program, acknowledges the program
     donors, and an individual number to help you track the distribution of the vouchers. The actual eGift card /
     voucher is accessed when the unique link in the centre of the ‘swing tag’ is opened.
 • Local business e-vouchers have information about the FRRR Back to School program, acknowledge the
   program donors, are individually numbered, and contain the information of the local business where they
   can be redeemed. These vouchers will need to be printed to be presented in-store.
 • Each file should only be printed once to avoid duplication of single-use vouchers that will not be valid after
   they are used the first time.

When do I have to distribute the vouchers by?
 • It is expected that you will distribute the vouchers early in Term 1 of 2021 to help families and students with
   the costs associated with the start of the school year.
 • It is up to the parents / recipient to redeem the vouchers when required; they may be redeemed for winter
   uniforms later in the year if desired.
 • As a distributing organisation, you can keep a few vouchers aside to distribute later, i.e. change of season to
   help families defray costs associated with winter uniforms, or to support families in need who are new to the
   school.

Are there restrictions on what the vouchers can be used for?
Yes. The vouchers are only redeemable for items required to return to, and participate in school. These include
school uniforms (or clothing in school colours), shoes, socks, clothing required for school-based activities, school
bags, school books and school stationary. Vouchers cannot be used for:
     o Rewards, incentives or raffle prizes;
    o Bulk purchase of items for school use;
    o Bulk purchase of items to give to or resell to parents at a reduced rate;
    o Purchase of unrelated personal items, alcohol or tobacco, food or grocery items.

Why can’t we use the vouchers to purchase bulk clothing or shoes for parents?
One of the strengths of the program is spender discretion – the ability for families to purchase what they need,
not what others think they might need. If there are local, extenuating circumstances, this will need to be
discussed with FRRR program staff.

Why can’t we use the vouchers to purchase resources for the school?
The program is designed to benefit and support students and their families, not the school.

Do I have to give you the name of the families / students getting the vouchers?
No. One of the strengths of the Back to School program is that it is discrete. We do not wish to know the names of
the families who have benefited.

How many vouchers can I give each family?
FRRR’s expectation is that only one $50 voucher is issued per student, so if a disadvantaged family has three
students at a school, they can receive 3 x $50 vouchers.

How long are the vouchers valid for?
By default, Target and Kmart vouchers are valid for four (4) years, but it is expected that the voucher be used in
2021. Local business vouchers will have an expiry date on them, generally three years after they are issued.

What if we lose a voucher - can it be replaced?
No. Your organisation will be expected to store the vouchers safely, print them only once, and treat them like
cash. If they are lost, they cannot be replaced.

Administration of the program by the applicant
What is involved in the administration of the program?
If successful, your organisation will enter into a Grant Agreement with FRRR.
You will be expected to:
 • Be contactable in December / January, before the start of the school year;
 • Be confident in using electronic platforms and have the appropriate IT infrastructure and procedures in place
   to store the electronic vouchers safely and distribute them efficiently;
 • Distribute the e-vouchers either through schools or directly into the community through your programs /
   contacts, to those families most in need of assistance;
 • Track the redemption of any local business vouchers;
 • Ensure that the families receiving the vouchers understand the purpose of the Back to School program;
 • Provide a detailed report to FRRR on the distribution of the vouchers.

Is there any financial assistance to administer the program?
No. Distributing organisations must take on any costs associated with the administration of the program in your
area.

If you have any further questions about the FRRR Back to School program, please contact the Back to School
team via email - info@frrr.org.au, or call 1800 170 020.