(Photo: Heritage Bank)
October 17, 2018
Heritage Bank chairman Kerry Betros announced on Wednesday the organisation would be launching a Charitable Foundation this financial year.
The news was released at Heritage Bank’s Annual General Meeting in Toowoomba.
The Charitable Foundation will provide regular grants to charitable organisations that are working to improve well-being and life outcomes for communities across Australia.
Heritage Bank will allocate $2 million in seed funding to establish the Charitable Foundation in the 2018-19 financial year and will make regular contributions in subsequent years.
Mr Betros said the full logistics for the Foundation’s operations were still being worked through and it was not yet properly up and running
However, he said that establishing the Charitable Foundation would become a defining milestone in Heritage’s philanthropic history.
“Throughout our 143-year history, Heritage Bank has prided itself on giving back to the community in many different ways,” Mr Betros said.
“We’re taking that community support to another level via the Heritage Bank Charitable Foundation.
“Through the Foundation, we are establishing a tangible mechanism that will ensure we continue to build on the lasting legacy we have already created.
“The structure of the Foundation means it will also be able to accept donations from the public. That gives us scope to harness the goodwill of others in the community to support worthy courses in an even more meaningful way.
“The Heritage Bank Charitable Foundation will embody our people first philosophy and make a positive contribution to the world we live in.”
The Foundation will be established as a Public Ancillary Trust, with its own Board with five directors.
The Chairman will be Heritage Company Secretary Bill Armagnacq. The Board will also include Heritage’s Chief Financial Officer Paul Williams and current Heritage Board member Steve Davis. The other two Board members are yet to be appointed.
The Foundation will provide funding to not-for profit organisations and community groups for projects aimed at building and improving community well-being and life outcomes for people, including disadvantaged and at-risk families, elderly people and young people, particularly in relation to education, cultural, health, social and financial well-being.
When the Foundation is fully operational, it is expected to call for submissions and announce grant recipients twice a year.
There will be no limit on the size of the grants that can be made, but they are expected to be in the range of $5000 to $50,000. The exact amount available for grants will depend on the sustainability of the Foundation’s holdings.
The grants will be open to organisations across Australia to reflect Heritage’s national presence.
The Foundation will also be able to accept tax-deductible donations from members of the public and from other benefactors. Heritage is currently investigating simplified ways for staff, customers and the public to make donations to the Foundation.
However, the logistical and legal arrangements to establish the Foundation are still being finalised, so no date has yet been set for it to be operational or for the first grants to be made so organisations are not yet able to submit applications for grants.
The Heritage Bank Charitable Foundation will have its own website where people will be able to access all the information they need to know about its operations.
Mr Betros emphasised the creation of the Charitable Foundation would not mean an end to Heritage’s existing sponsorship and community support activities.
“We will continue to provide sponsorship support to the many events and causes we assist, and continue to run events such as our annual Charity Golf Day,” he said.
