23 communities and charities across Australia have been the latest recipients of Aurizon’s Community Giving Fund, the company recently announced.
Aurizon’s managing director and CEO Andrew Harding said that the Gift Giving Fund initiative showed that the company was providing more than just products and commodities to the areas it operates in.
“In this round of our Community Giving Fund, we are pleased to help 23 very worthwhile charities across Queensland, New South Wales, Western Australia and Victoria,” Harding said.
“Building collaborative partnerships with charities and community groups is important to us, and it helps support long-term solutions to some of the challenges faced in the community.”
Harding went on to encourage eligible groups to apply for the next Community Giving Fund round when it opens this coming September.
Some of this round’s recipients include the Aboriginal Child Family & Community Care State Secretariat, which will put the funds into a youth leadership program, Clarence Town Rural Fire Brigade, Hunter Brain Injury Respite Options, Conservation Volunteers Australia, RSPCA Queensland, and Volunteer Marine Rescue Brisbane, who will use the grant to fund a first aid training program.
The Fund has been in operation since 2011, and has so far supported 265 charities and not-for-profits throughout Australia. It’s role, according to Aurizon, is to “help improve the education, community safety, environment, and health and wellbeing of our communities”.
Rounds open twice a year and recipients receive up to 20,000 in cash grants. Those eligible include non-profit organisations that hold an approved deductible gift recipient (DGR) status charity (Item 1) from the Australian Tax Office. Grants will only be made available, however, for organisations that have projects affecting areas where Aurizon operates.
Aurizon is also soon to announce the recipients of its additional “special round” of the Giving Fund targeting communities affected by Cyclone Debbie.