In this edition: Snow Entrepreneurs Retreat, Scholarships, Domestic Violence Support
DECEMBER 2023
Dear Friends and Colleagues,
As the end of the year is upon us, we're thankful for the teamwork and collaborations in 2023 that have seen many communities positively impacted.
Last month we hosted the inaugural Snow Entrepreneurs Leadership Retreat on the NSW South Coast, home of our founder Terry Snow. It was wonderful to spend four days with both cohorts of Snow Entrepreneurs, connecting, learning and reflecting. There were many highlights – please see below for more.
Also on the South Coast, in partnership with the Foundation for Rural and Regional Renewal, 20 grants have been awarded to for-purpose organisations to help them build capacity, giving a real boost to the region.
This year we've put a lot of planning into growing our Scholarship offerings for 2024 - forming new partnerships and growing existing ones to double those offered, aiming for 100+ across school and tertiary education. Watch this space!
We too are horrified by the numbers of women and families affected by domestic violence. We work with several partners, as outlined below, with a deep focus on prevention and crisis support and thank them for their ongoing work. We will be growing support for this issue in 2024.
A sincere thanks to all our community partners, advisors, my family and the Board. Thanks especially to our wonderful team Carolyn Ludovici, Megan Parsons and Matt Breen in Canberra, and Ashley Machuca, Sally Grimsley-Ballard, Alex Lagelee-Kean, Lucy McKee and Bhanvi Anand in Sydney. A big thanks also to our advisors, namely Kylie Charlton, Chris Wagner, Karyn Joyner, Vicki Wade and Jimyong Brenton Um and to our fantastic extended team at the Capital Airport Group.
We hope you have a joyful holiday season and get some time to recharge for 2024!
Best wishes,
The Snow Foundation team celebrating a great year. Matt Breen, Sally Grimsley-Ballard, Megan Parsons, Lucy McKee, Bhanvi Anand, Georgina Byron, Ashley Machuca, Alex Lagelee-Kean, Carolyn Ludovici
SNOW ENTREPRENEURS RETREAT
We hosted the inaugural Snow Entrepreneurs Leadership Retreat at Willinga Park on the NSW South Coast, co-facilitated by the wonderful Jessica Mendoza-Roth from Social Impact Hub and Gary Samowitz.
It was a remarkable four days full of connection, inspiration, peer learning and reflection. There were many emotional moments shared, new perspectives gained on challenges, and strengths-based leadership learning. Terry Snow and Stephen Byron shared very useful insights into entrepreneurship, having built Canberra Airport and its associated businesses together with their dedicated team, in line with Terry's vision.
DOMESTIC VIOLENCE SUPPORT
In the media, there’s been an important spotlight on domestic and family violence, with the startling statistic of one women being murdered by her current or former partner each week. We continue to remain focused on this area of economic justice and safety, working closely with our partners doing vital work. We all must continue to raise our voices and take action to change this!
In Canberra and NSW, thank you to our partners 4 Voices, Karinya House, Fearless Women, Beryl Women, YWCA, Consent Labs, Everyman, The Salvation Army, The Farm in Galong, University of Canberra (DV West Program), The Stop Campaign, Doris Women’s Refuge, My Coaching My Future, Zonta and others through Sydney Women's Fund.
We have always provided support to individuals in Canberra, who otherwise may fall through the cracks. This year, 95 individual grants have been provided to support their urgent financial needs such as household items, vehicle costs storage and medical services. In addition, extra funds were provided directly to YWCA, Beryl Women, Care Financial and Toora Women to support the immediate needs of over 30 women. Sadly the need is very high.
The National partners we support include Economic Justice Australia, Fair Agenda, Sydney Women’s Fund, ReLove, Scriibed, Deadly Connections, Violet Co (Sexual Violence prevention).
Photo: Carolyn Ardler (FRRR), Gemma Tribe Nowra Community Food Store and Deb Samuels (FRRR)
FOUNDATION FOR RURAL AND REGIONAL RENEWAL
NSW South Coast communities are given a boost of more than $360,000 across 27 projects through our partnership with FRRR and the Investing in Rural Community Futures program.
Twenty-nine not-for-profits across Batemans Bay, Ulladulla and Nowra have been awarded grants to help them build capacity in areas of marketing, systems and business to help grow their organisations. FRRR staff are based in each of these areas to encourage community organisations to work collaboratively and decide what they need and the best way to make it happen.
Royal Agricultural Society Foundation scholar Kiara Harris, a proud descendant of the Barkindji people, in her first year of studying a Bachelor of Science in Psychology at the University of Canberra
SCHOLARSHIPS
This year we've supported 48 scholarships for school and tertiary studies. We are committed to providing many more within Canberra and our Key Regions and have significantly increased commitments to key partners Country Education Foundation and Royal Agricultural Society Foundation, and continue our support with Queanbeyan and Karabar High Schools and Companion House (for students from refugee backgrounds).
We've also formed new partnerships to double our offering to over 100 scholarships in 2024 focusing on excellence as well as equity and access, ensuring all individuals, regardless of their background have equal access to education opportunities and resources.
MEET OUR PARTNERS: Q&A
ALISON COVINGTON - FOUNDER GOOD360 AUSTRALIA
We have partnered with Good360 Australia for 10 years, they play a critical connecting role in our country's disaster recovery and community capacity.
You launched something called Good360 Australia in 2015. Can you tell us a bit about what Good360 is and why you thought Australia needed it?
At Good360 we are connectors. We connect charities, schools and society’s most vulnerable with businesses willing to donate unsold or surplus goods, services and disaster recovery essentials. Our mission is to ensure the excess goods and services businesses produce every year flow to people in need rather than going to waste.
The result is a Circle of Good that reduces need and waste in our communities at the same time so everyone benefits – from people to our planet.
Prior to launching Good360 in Australian, there was no efficient way at scale for businesses to donate unsold goods to a network of charities and disadvantaged schools. Good360 ensures the right goods, get to the right people at the right time. My goals was to make this connection seamless using an online marketplace so everyone benefits.
I really didn’t understand why it wasn’t happening, we now know $2.5bn of goods go to waste EVERY year, our goal is to connect $1bn in 10 years, it almost feels like we are not ambitious enough, especially as so many Australians have suffered through back to back disasters and now the cost of living crisis.
STAY CONNECTED
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