We believe the most transformative change starts close to home, and the Seed Northern Rivers Giving Circle is our response to that belief. We know that resourcing local leaders, deepening collaboration, and backing grassroots action is how we shift systems from the ground up. The Giving Circle makes that possible: it’s community-led, deeply local, and unapologetically hopeful.

By pooling resources and decision-making power, members join a movement that amplifies regenerative climate, community and environmental projects while strengthening the backbone of a thriving regional ecosystem of changemakers. This isn’t traditional philanthropy — it’s collective power in action. Members don’t just give; they connect, vote, and shape the future of our region.

Globally, Giving Circles are revolutionising giving, with over $3.1 billion contributed collectively between 2017 and 2023, according to Philanthropy Together. Now, this transformative model has arrived in the Northern Rivers — turning shared purpose into lasting impact.

The Seed Northern Rivers Giving Circle is a collaborative model of community giving—a shift away from top-down philanthropy toward collective decision-making and shared stewardship.

Unlike traditional models where one donor decides where the money goes, Giving Circle members pool their contributions and co-decide how funds are distributed, ensuring transparency, shared purpose, and a deeper connection to the impact we create together.

Our greatest power lies in our ability to give flexible, responsive grants to small-scale initiatives that need trust, not red tape. As our circle grows, so does our impact—more members mean more funds, more grants, and more local projects powered from the ground up.

At the Seed Northern Rivers Giving Circle, we fund bold, grassroots initiatives that are making a real impact in our region. Whether it’s shifting narratives, sparking collective action, building community resilience, regenerating ecosystems, or reimagining systems, if your work contributes to climate, community resilience and or environmental outcomes in the Northern Rivers, we want to hear from you.

We honour First Nations knowledge systems, governance traditions, and cultural continuity, and we prioritise projects led by or centring First Nations Peoples and their enduring connection to Country. We back diverse voices and lived experience, especially from communities historically excluded from environmental spaces, because real climate justice means everyone is at the table.

And we know that collaboration is where the magic happens. We support efforts that build relationships, share knowledge, and strengthen networks across generations, communities, and sectors. If you're cultivating connection and growing something regenerative from the ground up, you’re in the right place.

The Northern Rivers is on the frontline of climate disruption—facing intensified fires, floods, and deep systemic strain. In the wake of the 2022 floods, grassroots response efforts flourished, yet the burden on local leaders remains profound. Many are under-resourced, isolated, and stretched thin, with little space to reflect, collaborate, or recover. At the same time, new and emerging leaders are stepping up—often without the support or pathways needed to grow their capabilities or work across complex systems.

The Seed Changemakers Collective is a direct response to this reality. After 18 months of listening to changemakers across the region, one message is clear: leaders need support that is relational, responsive, and rooted in place. Grounded in systems leadership, this program will create the conditions for collective resilience by equipping changemakers with the skills, tools, and relationships needed to lead with care. Through training, mentoring, and capacity-building, the Collective will help local leaders and organisations thrive and seed transformative change across the region.