Collective kindness helps deserving charities

A giving circle fundraising effort by a leading Geelong charity needs just a handful of donors to get on board to achieve its goal for 2021.

Geelong Community Foundation is in its fifth year of running the Philanthropy 500 (P500) program – an initiative which encourages 200 people to donate $500 each, with the money pooled and awarded to a deserving community organisation.

The foundation had signed up 189 donors at the time of going to press and hopes to reach 200 before donations close on August 13.

Geelong Community Foundation CEO Gail Rodgers said the P500 grant theme for 2021 was community wellbeing and registered charities within the region were welcome to apply for the grant.

“Giving circles are growing all around the world as a means for like-minded people to come together and contribute an amount that is affordable to many,” Ms Rodgers explained.

“Pooling that amount into one donation can make a significant impact on a community.

“The more donors we get the greater the grant amount.”

Ms Grant said donors included individuals, businesses, groups of friends and families.

“The fantastic thing is parents are loving getting their kids involved so that they can be educated and understand the power of being able to give a relatively small amount and be part of a collective approach.”

Three organisations will be shortlisted to pitch at a P500 event in November, with the successful applicant voted on by the donors themselves.

Last year’s recipient was Feed Me Bellarine which benefited from a significant grant of $46,000.

One donor who jumped on board three years ago is aborist Kev Chisholm who owns the Surf Coast-based business KC Tree Care.

“I loved the idea of being able to make a difference and being part of something bigger but also local,” Mr Chisholm said.

“It’s empowering to be part of donating so much more than I would be able to personally donate.”

He said while other options felt quite corporate, the P500 appealed to him for its community-based collective approach.

“It’s a very positive experience, good vibes, transparent and empowering,” he said.

Ms Rodgers said the foundation was confident of reaching 200 donors, with $50,000 of the total raised allocated to fund the high impact grant for a local community organisation and $50,000 invested in the P500 Endowment Fund.

“We are bringing a brand new grant opportunity to this community and I’m just so grateful for the great bunch of volunteers I have who are helping me on a volunteer committee to drive this program,” Ms Rodgers said.“They get out and contact their friends to help us raise the funds and then any organisation delivering a community wellbeing program in this region can apply.”

Applications for a P500 grant open on August 16. For more information about becoming a donor or applying for a grant visit the Geelong Community Foundation website.