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IMB Community Fund changing lives
27 June 2014
Each year IMB help to fund dozens of community projects in its local areas, via the IMB Community Foundation. In 2014, a total of 55 projects from the ACT, Illawarra, South Coast NSW and Sydney will benefit from more than $500,000 pledged by the Foundation. Cansatr recently caught up with IMB to ask a few questions about the fund.
“Each year we look forward to receiving the submissions for funding and are consistently overwhelmed by the number of local groups making such a positive impact within their communities,” says IMB CEO, Robert Ryan. “To have been able to do this for 15 years is a significant achievement not only for IMB, but also for the communities involved.”
Q: How many projects, on average, does IMB fund each year?
A: The number of community projects to receive funding each year varies, however the average is approximately 50.
Since its first allocations in 2000, the Foundation has now granted more than $7.1 million supporting more than 450 community groups. In 2014, a total of 55 projects from the ACT, Illawarra, South Coast NSW and Sydney will benefit from more than $500,000 pledged by the Foundation.
Q: The projects are so varied – everything from safe driver education to facilitating the transportability of Model Railway Layouts – it?s great to see that diversity. Are there any areas that IMB would not fund?
A: The criteria for the IMB Community Foundation grants is based on projects that will benefit the local communities in which IMB operates, with particular emphasis on social impact and sustainability.
IMB welcomes applications from organisations, regardless of their size. During the past 15 years we have funded both small and large projects including a $1500 grant to assist students with a disability to work in a school canteen at Unanderra to large-scale projects such as $50,000 to fund a Victor Chang Cardiac Research Institute ?Health Check Booth?.
Other past projects to receive funding include water safety education, baby and toddler first aid courses, a volunteer garden project for people with disabilities and an older musicians club.
Q: Can you share any community feedback that you have had on the fund?
A: The IMB Community Foundation is now in its 15th year and each year we are inundated with messages of gratitude from the direct and indirect recipients of community funding. It?s a wonderful thing to continue being able to make a positive contribution to so many worthwhile community projects over such a long period of time.
A small selection of the positive community feedback we have received throughout the years includes:
- Alzheimer?s Australia: “The Memory Van is an accessible and non-threatening way of reaching out to the community, providing people with the opportunity to access dementia support services in their local area. IMB?s support allowed us to equip a Memory Van and provide a Community Educator to travel to local communities and educate people in areas where IMB operates,” said Megan Thomas, Alzheimer?s Australia Donor Development Officer.
- St John Ambulance ACT: “IMB?s support made the BERT an equipment-independent resource for St John Ambulance, providing a significant positive impact to the safety of the entire ACT community,” said Rhian Blackwell, St John Ambulance ACT BERT Team Leader.
- Raise the Gong: “The grant is being used to run Baby and Toddler First Aid Courses for parents, grandparents, carers, aunts and uncles, led by qualified trainers. IMB?s support will help us educate the Wollongong community and ensure our children are in the safest hands possible,” said Chelsea Cappetta, Raise the Gong President.
- Berrima District Historical & Family Society: “Thanks to funding from the IMB Community Foundation, we were able to purchase and set up a web-based Image Library so all of the group?s historical images can be uploaded to the web. Not only will the community benefit from a deeper knowledge of our local history, our Society volunteers will learn new digital skills,” said Philip Morton, Secretary and Publicity Officer.
Click here to read more about the Foundation.
