philanthropyOz Blog

New Resources & News

New News Items:

• Commonwealth Bank Staff Community Fund celebrates 90 years: 1917-2007
  The Commonwealth Bank Staff Community Fund turns 90 in 2007, and to celebrate has launched a new Local Grants program.

  Twice yearly (January and July) the Fund will be calling for applications for grants up to a maximum of $10,000 for one-off projects that can be completed within a 12 month period. In 2007 over $500,000 will be available nationally through this program. Round one submissions close on 23 Febraury 2007.

  Arguably the oldest workplace giving program in Australia, the Commonwealth Bank Staff Community Fund has been actively helping local communities since 1917. Funds are raised through fortnightly contributions from current and retired Bank staff, to help support organisations that improve the health and welfare of Australian children.

  The Bank meets the Fund’s administration costs, leaving every dollar raised available for distribution to worthy organisations nominated by the Fund’s committee of staff members.

  Full details of the Local Grants program are available on www.commbank.com.au/localgrants

New Papers & Reports:

• Arm in Arm: Engaged Grantmaking in Local Communities
  A study commissioned by the US-based Cherokee Preservation Foundation. The report focuses on challenges and strategies for funders whose mission requires them to make grants over many years in communities that have a limited number of not-for-profit organisations appropriate for grant support and a limited number of individuals with the experience and skill required to lead those organisations. The findings summarised below are based on interviews with approximately 30 individuals working in a range of settings, including grantmaking to First Nations, Native American and Aboriginal Peoples; grantmaking in rural areas; and grantmaking in developing countries.
• Nonprofit e-business report
  “The NNIC survey was conducted by the CISA-led NNIC consultation consortium, in association with the Not-For-Profit Network, and John Sheridan of Digital Business Insights. John has now used the survey resource material to supplement a number of case studies about the successful use of software products in a number of nonprofit and small business contexts. He has set out to demonstrate that productivity benefits can be found in all organisations, regardless of industry type and size. He believes productivity improvements can be enjoyed by all organisations regardless of where they are, who they are and what they do and he sets out his model for the growth of ICT capacity in small and medium organisations.”

New Book in Philanthropy Australia’s Library:

• The John T Reid Charitable Trusts 1956-2006: a family celebrates one man’s generosity ‘Doing what needs to be done’ (2006)
  Written by Jane Sandilands, who founded our journal Australian Philanthropy, this personal history was commissioned by the John T Reid Charitable Trusts’ trustees to mark the first 50 years of the Trusts. Beautifully illustrated with family photographs, it documents the life of John T Reid and the early years of the Trusts.