$1Million on Offer to NSW & QLD Charities

Charities based in NSW and the Gold Coast can tap into $1million in program support as part of the Greater Charitable Foundation’s annual funding round.

Foundation CEO Anne Long said each year the Foundation provides approximately $1million to local programs. Funding is a minimum of $75,000 for a one year project to a maximum of $500,000 for a three year program.

Established in 2011, the Foundation is funded from the profits of the Greater Building Society.

Long said as well as providing funding, the Foundation also provides staff from the Greater Building Society to volunteer to work with the charity partner on the project.

To date, the Foundation has allocated almost $3 million to nine charity partners and 120 Greater staff have volunteered for those charity partners, providing in excess of 50 days volunteering support.

“We partner with a small number of organisations at a time to ensure the programs are well resourced and supported to maximise the value of the funding to improve life outcomes for people living in the building society’s area of operations,” Long said.

She says the Foundation’s mantra is improving communities and long lasting changes.

She said the customer-owned Greater Building Society offers financial services to more than 250,000 customers across NSW and South-East Queensland.

Projects funded to date:

• Starlight Children’s Foundation – Establishment of regular Captain Starlight visits in regional hospitals (Gosford, Maitland, Tamworth, Armidale, Lismore and Gold Coast) and regional Wishgranting program
• KidzWish Foundation – Pilot of KidzSpeak program, an Australian first mobile speech therapy program for pre-school children in the Illawarra
• Hunter Institute of Mental Health – Pilot program to help support children with a chronic illness and their families
• Autism Spectrum Australia (Aspect) – Pilot of an Early Intervention Readiness Program to help families with a newly diagnosed child to access a range of support services.
• Inspire Foundation – Development of online outreach program to improve the mental health of young men
• Australian Children’s Music Foundation – Expansion of free music education program to schools in the Manning region
• Heal for Life Foundation – Expansion of Eva House residential program to cut waiting lists for young women who have survived childhood abuse or trauma
• HMRI – Funding for two medical research trials for Stroke. A trial of a new clot busting medication and a trial of interventions to get stroke survivors active in rehabilitation
• Cerebral Palsy Alliance – Mentoring programs for young people with cerebral palsy.

Applications for funding close Friday, July 19. To apply visit the Greater Foundation.