Give Where You Live Foundation has won the Small Business category at the 2019 Deakin University Geelong Business Excellence Awards.
With only 13.2 equivalent full-time staff, Give Where You Live Foundation (GWYLF) describes itself as a “lean, for-purpose, not-for-profit business”.
“If measured by the quantum of our grants, we’re one of the largest regional community foundations in Australia,” GWYLF’s awards entry says.
“Annually, we grant $1.3 million to $1.5million to the community sector, helping fund programs and organisations that address disadvantage, increase social and economic participation and are having an impact on 20,000 people in the G21 region.”
GWYLF is the “operational backbone” of GROW, providing $2 million a year to the regional “Collective Impact initiative’s” work addressing place-based entrenched disadvantage through increasing employment opportunities for long-term jobseekers.
Another beneficiary is regional food insecurity strategy Feed Geelong, which receives $140,000 from GWYLF to provide emergency relief vouchers. GWYLF also provides the initiative with grants to “increase capacity in food agencies”, support through a dedicated Feed Geelong Appeal, and research and advocacy assistance via GWYLF’s Food for Thought Report.
A third local program benefitting from GWYLF, ENGAGE, helps young people identify and address their “key issues” with the help of funding.
“Our unique business model doesn’t rely on building a financial endowment and distributing only a small portion of the income generated,” GWYLF’s entry says.
“Our model assumes people and communities need assistance now. We dedicate resources to the immediate challenge of increasing social and economic participation.
“Our model ensures we engage with 300-plus regional businesses via their CSR activities through sponsorships, volunteerism, a very active event calendar and workplace giving.
With in-excess of 5000 individual donors and 500-plus volunteers, GWYLF connects with over 120 community organisations.
