Westpac Foundation
Our Grants
- Our approach
- The Catalyst Grant
- The Mary Reibey Grant
- Seed Funding Grant
- Re-investment Grant
- National Innovation Grant
- Infrastructure Growth Grant
- Increasing Effectiveness in the Not-for-Profit Sector
- Funding Community
Our approach
Our grant-making approach for 2012 to 2017 reflects our focus on community funding and social enterprise and innovation funding.
All applicants must have deductible gift recipient status.
The initiatives for which funding is sought must bring great outcomes for: individuals who feel socially excluded; indigenous Australians; individuals with a disability; or the education of the most disadvantaged.
The Catalyst Grant
Applications to The Westpac Foundation’s second new grant are now open.
This grant of $50,000 aims to support an existing social enterprise or social enterprise initiative within a not-for-profit which we believe has been and continues to be a catalyst for change. Up to 8 Catalyst Grants of $50,000 will be given in 2012.
If you run a social enterprise or a social enterprise initiative within a not-for-profit, this grant will be a boost to your commercial activities. It is a reward for your sustainable business model and the example you set in the not-for-profit sector. The social enterprise or social enterprise initiative must generate 20% of its revenue through commercial or trading activity.
Applications close 24 February 2012.
In addition, the recipient of The Catalyst Grant will be put forward for a Westpac Employee vote with the grant recipient of The Employee Choice Grant announced in June each year.
The Mary Reibey Grant
Described in her time as persevering and entrepreneurial, Mary Reibey had presence in colonial Sydney business circles. To celebrate and encourage such spirit, the Westpac Foundation has launched the inaugural Mary Reibey Grant to be awarded to one of today’s like-minded women.
The Mary Reibey Grant of $50,000 will be awarded to a woman founder, or women chief executive officer of a not-for-profit founded by a woman, on International Women’s Day, 8 March 2012.
Applications have now closed on 1 December 2011, and will re-open in October 2012.
Seed Funding Grant
The Westpac Foundation Seed Funding Grant is a grant of 1 to 2 years duration for new or relatively new social enterprise and innovation projects. The grant can be used to seed fund projects (at different stages of development) within established organisations or to assist small-scale start up organisations. Your organisation should have Deductible Gift Recipient (DGR) status or have an agreement to be auspiced by an appropriate entity with DGR status. Grants will be awarded in the range of $50,000 to $100,000.
Potential recipients of this grant will be proactively sought by The Westpac Foundation and as such, we will not be accepting unsolicited applications for this grant in 2012. Please see the application process for more detail.
Re-investment Grant
This grant provides ad hoc funding to past grant recipients to help strengthen an existing project funded by the Foundation (grants ranging up to $100K).
Applicants interested in this grant are advised to contact the Westpac Foundation.
National Innovation Grant
The Westpac Foundation National Innovation Grant is a significant grant of up to 3 years duration for social enterprise and innovation projects that are national/quasi-national in scope, or can be replicated in other regions within a 3 year period. The grant is intended for organisations or projects that have been operating for a length of time sufficient enough to enable them to demonstrate the beneficial social impact on their target group or community, or clearly forecast how they will create a beneficial social impact on their target group or community in the future. Grants will be awarded in the range of $150,000 to $200,000.
Potential recipients of this grant will be proactively sought by The Westpac Foundation and as such, we will not be accepting unsolicited applications for this grant in 2012. Please see the application process for more detail.
Infrastructure Growth Grant
This is a significant grant to not-for-profits that wish to re-structure their current funding model to increase their sustainability over the long term (grants in the range of $0.5 to $1M).
Applicants interested in this grant are advised to contact the Westpac Foundation.
Increasing Effectiveness in the Not-for-Profit Sector
This grant funds research on building the capacity of the not-for-profit sector (grants in the range of $50K to $200K)
Applicants interested in this grant are advised to contact the Westpac Foundation.
Funding Community
The Westpac Community Grant (55 grants of $10,000)
The grants will be given to local not-for-profits in each of Westpac’s 55 bank regions across Australia. There is no application process for The Westpac Community Grant. Nominations are put forward by Westpac employees in the Branches and Commercial Banking Centres in those regions.
Meet our 2012 Community Grant recipients.
The Westpac Community Grant – Pacific (5 grants of $20,000)
To be eligible for this grant your not-for-profit must be listed in AusAID’s Overseas Aid Gift Deduction Scheme and the initiative seeking funding must support a social need in the community that aims to improve the local economy.
