Strengthening social enterprise
Rob Gillies and Nick Pearce, two of the co-founders of HoMie, a social enterprise streetwear label that creates training and employment opportunities for young people affected by homelessness and hardship. They are one of four organisations to share in $200,000 in social enterprise grants. Image courtesy of HoMie.
Westpac Foundation has awarded a total of $200,000 to four social enterprises creating jobs and employment pathways for people overcoming barriers to work.
The Social Enterprise Grants, each valued at $50,000, will support HoMie, Australian Spatial Analytics, The Social Outfit and Ability Enterprises to scale their social impact to create an estimated 679 new jobs and employment pathways in the next year for Australians experiencing disadvantage
“As the nation continues to negotiate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and ongoing economic uncertainty, the funding will help these organisations strengthen their existing business models and position them for future growth,” said Amy Lyden, Acting CEO Westpac Foundation.
Grant recipient HoMie is a social enterprise streetwear label providing employment opportunities to young people affected by homelessness, helping them gain confidence and become work ready.
Their retail store operations were significantly disrupted due to multiple Melbourne lockdowns, which highlighted the need for the organisation to bolster its online presence.
The Social Enterprise Grant will support HoMie to invest in digital marketing capability to increase their online sales.
“This funding comes at a crucial time for HoMie and will enable us to grow our trading revenue so that we can continue to help more young people affected by homelessness or hardship better prepare for their futures,” said Nick Pearce, CEO HoMie.
Westpac Foundation’s relationship with HoMie dates back to 2018 when the organisation was nominated for a Community Grant.
Lyden says the Foundation’s approach is to walk alongside its social enterprise partners throughout the stages of their organisational growth.
“We provide tailored support to our partners as they mature and scale. In addition to funding, we offer capability building and other non-financial support to help social enterprises diversify funding opportunities and ultimately, transition to financial sustainability.”
Pearce says Westpac Foundation’s ongoing support has been paramount to our enduring mission.
“We have been very fortunate to work alongside Westpac Foundation for a number of years now, and their continual efforts to aid our organisation have truly been of material benefit.”
Westpac Foundation has supported social enterprise for 16 years to help create a more inclusive Australia. Grants are awarded to work integration social enterprises (WISE) helping those overcoming barriers to employment. Westpac Foundation is on a mission to help social enterprises create 10,000 jobs by 2030, and are almost halfway there.
Applications are currently open for our Inclusive Employment Grants valued at $50,000 over two years. $1.9m in grants will be awarded to small and local not-for-profits and social enterprises creating jobs for Australians overcoming barriers to work. To check your eligibility and apply, visit our grants page.