Funding for WA not for profits

Anglicare and UnitingCare West are among eight not-for-profit groups to have secured financial backing from Community Sector Banking, which has distributed $300,000 through its 2018 national grants pool.

Community Sector Banking is a joint venture between Bendigo Bank and Community 21, and provides not-for-profit banking services for more than 13,000 organisations nationally.

This year’s grants are focused on homelessness and domestic abuse.

Community Sector Banking chief executive Andrew Cairns said the grants this year were the largest ever distributed by the company.

“Our grants program is directly funded by our Social Investment Deposit Account,” Mr Cairns said.

“We donate 50 per cent of net profits from this product to the grants each year, and account holders can also choose to donate 50 per cent or 100 per cent of their interest earned.”

The two Western Australian groups to secure funding, UnitingCare West and Anglicare WA, will receive $36,600 and $24,500 respectively.

The Care for a Cup project by UnitingCare West will establish a mobile coffee cart, training unemployed homeless people to obtain employment.

Anglicare’s Young Hearts Reconnect camp aims to strengthen relationships between domestic abuse victims and their children, building communication and conflict resolution skills.