Bendigo and Adelaide Bank has continued pouring millions of dollars into local communities across Australia, thanks to its foundation which it established over 18 years ago.
The bank’s Community Enterprise Foundation (CEF) offers communities and not-for-profit organisations across Australia the opportunity to raise and distribute tax-effective donations to benefit their own communities.
CEF’s 2022 yearbook titled “Building resilience and strengthening communities”, revealed $24m was distributed to communities in 2022, which was up from $22.7m in 2021 and $21.4m in 2020.
“From investing in our future leaders through scholarships, to empowering women and girls through Bendigo Bank Social Investment Grants and responding to flood disasters around the country, over $14 million has been donated for natural disaster relief and recovery funds and $9.6 million towards community grants,” said CEF CEO David Impey (pictured above).
“CEF’s 2022 Yearbook also revealed over $43 million has been distributed to help support communities affected by the black summer bushfires, three years on from the devastating event.”
Impey said a key highlight of this funding was a CEF grant to Youth Dimensions which partnered with CheekyMac Productions to produce a documentary, Beyond the Fire: Recovery.
“The documentary continues the story told in season one of Beyond the Fires by providing important educational resources for students wanting to study the impact of the black summer bushfires, also providing a multi-faceted view of the devastation and opinions on how to move forward,” he said.
“In some exciting news, a new instalment of the Beyond the Fire series will be premiering in early December. Aptly named Beyond the Fire: Resilience, the new season will be shown to locals in Bairnsdale and Albury in December before airing live on Channel 10 in January 2023.”
Impey said CEF had been committed to investing in the development of vibrant and sustainable communities rich in culture, resources, people and spirit.
“After three years of bushfires, a pandemic and floods, the meaning of our work has only grown,” he said.
“Funding projects that address digital literacy for rural women and assist women who are experiencing the trauma of domestic violence has been essential. Three years on, the black summer bushfires also continue to profoundly impact individuals and communities. Many are still on the long journey to recovery as the after-effects have been intensified by the pandemic.”
Impey said CEF, with the support of Bendigo Bank which has been voted the country’s most trusted bank, continued to support bushfire recovery and prosperity for the long-term.
“We have demonstrated our commitment through the distribution of $43 million to capacity building, resilience and recovery projects that are designed to rebuild and strengthen the social fabric of the community,” he said.
“Our customers, partners and donors have all rallied to support communities experiencing continued natural disasters, with an appeal raising funds for those devastated by floods across Queensland, NSW and more recently Victoria. We will continue to focus on providing communities with the foundation to thrive.”
Impey said CEF strives to create a positive impact by collaborating and investing with its community partners across Australia.
“Our model is based on a community-led approach, working with our partners at a local community level. This ensures funds can and will stay local in accordance with the priorities set by communities. I encourage everyone to read the stories of the people who are leading their communities through recovery towards a brighter and more resilient future in this year’s yearbook.”
