Uniting our foundations

From 23 September, the Charitable Foundation will be united with the philanthropic arm of the Bendigo and Adelaide Bank - the Community Enterprise Foundation.

Bendigo and Adelaide Bank’s Managing Director, Rob Hunt, says the Bank’s branches give the Community Enterprise Foundation a nationwide network of opportunity to improve communities from the ground up. The combined Foundation enables gifting to and from local and community organisations, State, national and international bodies, through the one framework.

“The Bank’s 400 plus branches gives the Foundation special access to communities in both metropolitan and rural and remote regions,” Mr Hunt said.

“Once a community identifies the need for a resource or special project in their area, the Foundation provides its expertise in funds, gifting and risk management to collectively tackle community challenges.

“Basically, local knowledge and aspirations, linked to the Community Enterprise Foundation's expertise and structure, provides potential access to an effective and highly efficient gifting structure to each community across Australia,” Mr Hunt said.

It is expected the combined Foundation will have an expanded ability to continue the work and support of the two previous foundation structures, but will also enable a broader participation from the Bank, its customers, the public, government, other corporations and each individual community in which we operate, through an effective gifting framework.

For example, South Australian ’not for profit’ organisations will be able to access a dedicated SA fund through the State’s branch network, and Christmas and winter emergency welfare funding to charitable organisations will also continue.

“Having South Australia part of the national philanthropic operations of the Bank means local SA communities are now also able to take advantage of the Community Enterprise Foundation’s experience and expertise, and together we can help to improve SA communities,” Mr Hunt said.

Trevor Bryant, the most recent Chairman of the Adelaide Bank Charitable Foundation, said the Charitable Foundation had served the people of South Australia admirably over the past 28 years.

“I’m extremely proud of the work of the Adelaide Bank Charitable Foundation, and I would like to thank everyone who has ever donated their money or time to it.

“This includes Adelaide Bank staff donors, corporate and private donors and the huge number of very special people who’ve given up their precious time to deliver the goods and services the funding has made possible,” Mr Bryant said.

Visit the Community Enterprise Foundation website.