The Harcourts Foundation, the charitable arm of Harcourts Group Australia, announced grants to eight Australian charities during its most recent quarterly funding round. A total of $33,860 was donated across Australia to benefit charities serving the communities where Harcourts employees live and work.
“Over the past six months, a total of $85,600 has been granted by The Harcourts Foundation,” said Julia Eyles, The Harcourts Foundation Coordinator.
“This quarter’s group of charities represents a cross-section of causes supported by Harcourts franchisees and team members.”
Charities selected by The Harcourts Foundation (region) and grant amount:
Cystic Fibrosis Tasmania (Tasmania) – $4,330
CFT runs a “CF Hospital Assist” program, providing direct financial assistance to each member with CF who has a hospital admission of more than four nights with a subsidy of $100 per hospital stay. Importantly, this grant ensures that the most unwell patients with frequent hospital stays and incurred costs are not limited in the assistance they can ask for. This grant funded 40 hospital stay subsidies for CF patients around Tasmania, as well as $330 project costs for the administration of the program.
The Mater Foundation via Smiling for Smiddy (South Australia and New South Wales)- $9,030
Funds were raised at the Harcourts SA and NSW Quarterly Awards to support Team Harcourts’ ride in the Tassie Challenge, a 650km cycle from Hobart to Launceston. The team consisted of Harcourts members Martin Millard, Brendan Whipps and Andrew Leach.
Diabetes NSW & ACT (New South Wales) – $6,000
This project will fund resource kits to be given to those who need them. The delivery model will be through diabetes clinics at hospitals in pilot locations. Once proven that the program works, the Australian Government National Diabetes Services Scheme (NDSS) has agreed to contribute funds – a great outcome for people living with diabetes.
ManUp! Qld (Landmark Harcourts) – $1,000
In 2018 ManUp! will conduct tours throughout rural and regional Queensland and New South Wales as part of their Prostate Cancer Educational Program. The goal of the Educational Program is to raise public awareness of prostate cancer, detection, treatment and the need for a program that offers support to men living with prostate cancer. It is only through awareness and education that prostate cancer will be detected at an earlier, more treatable stage.
Variety the Children’s Charity (South Australia) – $2,500
Variety the Children’s Charity enriches the lives of SA children who are sick, disadvantaged or have special needs by assisting them to live, laugh and learn. Our grant, in support of their 4WD Challenge, helped to fund their Variety “A Show of Hearts” Scholarship Program, which offers scholarships for children aged 8-17 years with an existing talent in the arts, music or a sport – who are disadvantaged or living with a disability – to achieve their full potential and to follow their dreams.
Redkite (National – Harcourts Solutions Outstanding Contribution Award 2017) – $5,000
A grant of $5,000 from the Harcourts Foundation ensures all funds raised from the event go back into the services they provide, and in Queensland they are aiming to raise over $200,000 to support 80 families living with cancer. Nationally, Redkite are aiming to raise $1.277 million. This target will assist 510 families across Australia access all of Redkite’s core services for an entire year.
Dandelion Support Network – (National – Corporate Choice) – $1,000
This grant will help to fund their new “Essential packs for newborns and children” project. While many items provided for the newborns and children are pre-loved, there are some items that need to be purchased new for hygiene reasons, such as nappy cream, bottle teats, baby wipes, moisturiser, shampoo, wash for newborns and mattress protectors for newborns, and socks, pyjamas and undies for children. With the newborn and children’s Essential packs costing $40 each, this grant of $1000 will fund 25 packs to help relieve the financial burden for the parents and allow the children to have items they need but would otherwise be likely to go without.
Harcourts franchise owners in each state nominate and support the organisations that impact the community. Additionally, Harcourts corporate team members who salary-sacrifice to the Foundation are given the chance to nominate a specific charity for a grant as part of an initiative called ‘corporate choice grants’, while the Landmark Harcourts network also designates grant recipients.
Since The Harcourts Foundation’s first donation in 2008, over $5 million has been raised. That translates to 686 charities supported, 311 communities impacted and 851 grants made through Harcourts offices in New Zealand, Australia, South Africa and the USA.
