Is your community ready?
The future of regional Australia starts locally
We spark the shift, you lead the change. Are you ready?
A place to prosper
Shift beyond problems
It’s easy to talk about what’s wrong in your community. What if you could flip the conversation on its head?
Imagine having a toolkit that not only brought forward conversations about what is and could be right but then could guide that into action. Imagine if that toolkit was designed specifically for regional communities.
Ready Communities supports regional communities to build on existing strengths providing tools, support and examples, all backed by extensive research, to activate the enabling conditions that make regional communities prosper.
We combine community and economic development methodologies to deliver a program with proven results in regional communities.
Kerry and Chad, in leading Kempsey through the Ready Communities program, have absolutely transformed the conversation around positive place-based change here in the Macleay Valley.
Father Jesse poole
Minister, Anglican Parish of Kempsey


About Ready Communities
Who are we?
Ready Communities was founded by Kerry Grace and Dr. Chad Renando in 2023.
The combined work and life experience of the founders enables a new approach to regional development which supports both community and economic development and leaves ongoing capacity and capability in the community.

What's in the toolkit?
We meet your community where it is at providing a combination of the
- Mapping system: Our online mapping system provides a comprehensive overview of your community highlighting gaps and alignment across stakeholders, policy, funding and resources.
- National conference: Each year our national Social Impact in the Regions conference brings together changemakers and impact investors from across Australia to our host community.
- Flagship program: We work in our host community for 24-months with our national conference as the centrepiece of this program. Each year our flagship program generates over $420K in the host community.
- Local Impact Facilitator Program: Our next intake is in February 2026. Successful applicants create change in their regional community as they learn alongside Ready Communities.
- Workshops: We offer a range of workshops for regional communities.
- Advocacy: We use our networks to advocate for change in regional communities. One of our advocacy tools is our annual White Paper and Impact Report.
Who do we work with?
Is your regional community ready?
If you are ready for change in your regional community get in touch. We work with community members and organisations (like Chambers of Commerce), business owners, government and not for profits to build on readiness indicators we believe make communities thrive. These are:
- Clarity and understanding
- Connection and connectivity
- Capability and capacity
- Collaboration for purpose
- Advocacy and promotion
What this (Ready Macleay) did was both do basic community development, community connection, economic development as well as marketing the town to a broader audience. It brought a whole range of things together through a 12 month process.
Craig Milburn
(former) General Manager, Kempsey Shire Council (to 2024)
