Grant to Help Not for Profit 'Businesses'
20 October 2008 at 4:27 pm
In Victoria, the Brumby Government and a private family trust have joined forces to help Not for Profit businesses get up and running in what has been described as funding enterprising ways to fight poverty.
Under the scheme announced as part of Anti-Poverty Week, a new $8 million agency would be set up in partnership with a private family trust to support community enterprises which help provide job training and work opportunities for people.
The private contributors have chosen to remain anonymous.
Community enterprises are Not for Profit businesses that aim to meet local community needs rather than simply turning a profit.
The scheme, known as the Social Traders, is in collaboration with the Victorian Government and a private philanthropic family trust, which will each contribute $4 million over four years to the agency. It will be run by a consortium of cross sector organisations with extensive experience in community and social enterprise development
Premier Brumby says community enterprises can provide invaluable opportunities for people to break out of the poverty cycle by providing real work and training opportunities that translate to mainstream employment.
He says the agency offers a new and creative way to support enterprises, by providing them with services and financial and management advice.
It will provide emerging community enterprises with business support services to help them get started and succeed.
Community Development Minister Peter Batchelor said that on top of the Social Traders initiative, the Brumby Government had also allocated $3 million dollars in grants to help kick-start new community enterprises and support existing enterprises.
He says that in the last four years more than 80 community enterprises have created 350 new jobs and job training for more than 400 people who have struggled to use the mainstream system.
Anti-Poverty Week is convened in partnership between Melbourne Citymission and Hanover Welfare Services. For more information, visit www.antipovertyweek.org.au
