- Healthy Communities
Research shows Australian farmers are facing a mental health crisis.
Driven by years of compounding pressures — catastrophic floods and droughts, volatile prices, rising costs, and economic uncertainty — the suicide rate among farmers is nearly 59% higher than the national average. That’s the equivalent of losing one farmer every 10 days.
With a long-standing commitment to rural resilience, Macdoch Foundation collaborated with partner, the Foundation for Rural and Regional Renewal (FRRR), to explore how philanthropy could deliver meaningful, place-based support specifically to farming communities.
FRRR has a proven model for community-led grant making in rural Australia. Together, we identified an opportunity to adapt this approach specifically for farmer mental health—resulting in the launch of In A Good Place, a national, farmer-focused grants program.
About In A Good Place
In A Good Place is a targeted funding initiative supporting community-driven mental health solutions led by and for rural Australians. The program empowers farming communities to develop and deliver initiatives that are locally relevant, culturally safe, and designed for long-term impact.
The program provides small grants to community-based groups working to:
- Reduce social isolation
- Strengthen community connection and participation
- Encourage proactive approaches to mental health and wellbeing
Support may take the form of peer networks, community events, local leadership training, or mental health first aid initiatives. By resourcing communities to lead, the program fosters ownership, sustainability, and trust — critical elements in overcoming stigma and driving lasting change.
A Collective Philanthropic Effort
Recognising the scale and urgency of the issue, Macdoch Foundation convened the Farmer Funder Collective — a group of like-minded philanthropic partners that now co-fund the program’s farmer wellbeing stream. This includes the Jibb Foundation, Morris Family Foundation, Rebecca Gorman and John Sevior, and the Norman Family Foundation.
Together with FRRR, the collective supports the distribution of flexible, responsive grants to grassroots initiatives across rural, regional, and remote Australia.
Enabling Systemic Impact
“The power of this program lies in its simplicity and trust. When people apply, they’re already taking a step toward connection—and that’s where real change begins” – Jeanice Henderson, Program Manager, FRRR.
Farmer mental health is a national concern with direct implications for the resilience of our food systems, regional economies, and climate adaptation efforts. As climate change, economic pressures, and social isolation compound the stresses of modern farming, ensuring farmers have access to timely, community-based support is essential.
Programs like In A Good Place help build the social infrastructure needed for rural resilience. They empower farmers to shift the narrative around mental health — from one of silence and stigma to one of connection and strength.
The demand continues to grow – and so does the opportunity. With continued support from philanthropic and institutional partners, In A Good Place is well-positioned to scale its impact and reach more communities across Australia.
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Partner Grant: SevGen
SevGen is an Indigenous-led organisation pioneering a sustainable enterprise model that embeds social and environmental benefit.
Partner Grant: Capitals Coalition
The Capitals Coalition is a global collaboration driving a shift in how the world defines and measures value — embedding nature, people, and place into the heart of economic and business decision-making.
Partner Grant: Taskforce on Nature-Related Financial Disclosures
The International Funders for Indigenous Peoples is a network of funders working to advocate for direct access to equitable funding for Indigenous peoples initiatives and shift philanthropic practice.
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Macdoch Foundation acknowledges the First Peoples as the first inhabitants and Traditional Custodians of the lands where we live, learn and work. We pay our respects to Elders past, present and future.