Locals share in $2m
Give Where You Live’s big payout
FROM clown doctors to drug rehabilitation, more than 50 local organisations have shared in a $2.03 million funding investment from the Give Where You Live Foundation.
The massive community grants pledge, announced last night at Geelong’s Library and Heritage Centre, is the largest annual philanthropic investment in the Geelong social sector.
The Give Where You Live Foundation Community Grants will go to groups such as The Outpost, which has provided food and welfare assistance to Geelong’s disadvantaged and homeless community since 1990.
The Transit Place organisation is set to receive a $30,000 grant to continue its work.
Other grants include $7000 to the Humour Foundation’s clown doctors program at University Hospital Geelong, $225,000 to the Kids Plus Foundation for a new national centre for therapy, research and training for babies, children and young adults with neuro-developmental disabilities, and $30,000 to support Foundation 61’s long-term residential rehabilitation program.
Give Where You Live chief executive Bill Mithen said the grants, part of the foundation’s $2.86 million investment in the Geelong community this year, formed one of the largest community foundation allocations in Australia.
“Our goal each and every year is to galvanise the community into collective action and catalyse sustainable change,” Mr Mithen said.
“We do this by creating partnerships with community organisations to whom we provide grants for the delivery of services and programs impacting the root causes and symptoms of disadvantage.”
Mr Mithen said disadvantage was “one the most complex and entrenched social issues facing our community”.
“Over 50 organisations will be receiving a grant ranging in value from $7000 through to a multi-year capital works grant of $225,000 that will deliver programs across our region,” he said.
Recipients of the grants were determined by a review process of 150 community volunteers, who assessed almost 100 applications and made recommendations to the foundation board for final approval.
It has been a busy month for Give Where You Live, who on July 14 launched their Target 100 strategy in conjunction with the G21 Geelong Region Alliance and the Localised business procurement network.
The Target 100 campaign aims to sign up 100 new projects to the Localised database in the 100 days to October, giving Geelong businesses in the network the heads up on tens of millions of dollars worth of upcoming tenders and major projects. Full list of recipients online: geelongadvertiser.com.au