Philanthropists Unite In New Grant Program Supporting More Aussies Into Work

A group of leading Aussie philanthropic organisations has created a pioneering grant program to support social enterprises to accelerate growth and impact while creating job opportunities for Australians facing barriers to employment.

The Work Integration Social Enterprise (WISE) Grant will provide up to $4 million to WISE to help them strengthen and increase their employment outcomes for people who face challenges getting into the workforce.

Partners of the grant program include Westpac Foundation, Lord Mayor’s Charitable Foundation (LMCF), Paul Ramsay Foundation (PRF), Macquarie Group Foundation, English Family Foundation, Vincent Fairfax Family Foundation, Minderoo Foundation and MinterEllison.

By working together and pooling grant funding, the partners are seeking to help create a more accessible and streamlined approach to supporting earlier-stage WISE.

LMCF will manage the WISE Grant supported by a steering committee of the founders and will be seeded with $3.4 million in initial grant capital. LMCF CEO, Dr Catherine Brown said philanthropy had a long history of providing funding for social enterprises as they strive for sustainability and impact.

“We understand the unique challenges and opportunities that enterprises face and can work with them on their journey to sustainability,” Dr Brown said.

“This new grant program will make it easier for earlier stage enterprises to access grant funding and for philanthropy to pool its resources, leading to more jobs and impact for people and communities facing disadvantage.”

Research has indicated that direct impact expenses for WISE - such as wages of support staff, additional training, equipment for accessibility needs and necessary transport for employees - can account for up to 30 per cent of the enterprise’s total running costs.

Westpac Foundation CEO, Amy Lyden said the WISE Grant would help address these impact costs as WISE built its business models and help reduce the challenges for WISE in navigating grant support.

“We understand these challenges and have accordingly focused the grant program on supporting core operating costs of social enterprises to reinforce their financial sustainability and social impact,” Ms Lyden said.

“Earlier stage social enterprises often find it challenging to navigate grant programs and grant funding options, each with different applications criteria, conditions and reporting requirements.”

A recent Social Enterprise Australia study revealed that social enterprise creates nine jobs for every $1 million in turnover.

They integrate real-world work settings with skill development, training and education, effectively reducing barriers to work and increasing opportunities for individuals.

The two-year grants range in value from approximately $200,000 to $500,000, depending on the stage of the social enterprise.

Expressions of interest for WISE Grants are open from July 3 to 21. The EOIs will be assessed and shortlisted against the grant criteria, with organisations proceeding to a full application by invitation only.

• Topics:

• Employment & Training
• Grants / Funding
• Local Economy / Business