Heartbeat November 2021

Welcome to the second edition of the Heritage Bank Charitable Foundation’s newsletter, Heartbeat.

2021 has been a big year, with so many firsts for our young Foundation. 

Our inaugural nine charity partners have all used the Foundation’s funding to have significant and tangible impacts on the lives of those they assist. They’ve shown immense resilience and innovation by adapting their programs to deliver services in a COVID world.

They’ve also greatly assisted the Foundation in achieving its goal of improving the quality of life for people in need.   Through our charity partners we have been able to directly help 3,956 people. 

You can read more about the impact achieved in our 2020/21 Annual Review.

Reaching more people

In September we celebrated receiving a further $1 million donation from Heritage Bank.

A donation like this immediately means we can increase the size of the grants we provide next year. It significantly grows the size of our funding pool, which will generate increased future investment income. This donation sends a clear message to the community that Heritage is serious in its commitment to creating a highly effective and successful Foundation.

This very generous donation comes on top of the $2.3 million that Heritage has donated in previous years to build up the Foundation’s corpus. 

Heritage Chairman Mr Betros said “It’s fantastic to see the impact the Foundation’s amazing charity partners are achieving in helping some of the most vulnerable people in our society.

“It’s also thrilling to witness the Heritage community getting behind the Foundation to help change lives.  Our members and business partners have made generous donations to the Foundation, while our staff have also contributed through workplace giving, volunteering and participating in events.”

PHOTO: Celebrating the $1 million donation from Heritage Bank are (L-R) Bill Armagnacq, Chairman, Heritage Bank Charitable Foundation; Kerry Betros AM, Chairman, Heritage Bank; and Paul Olds, Executive Officer, Heritage Bank Charitable Foundation. 

First Alpine Community Fund Donation

Respected Toowoomba business Alpine Refrigeration partnered with the Heritage Bank Charitable Foundation to establish the first-ever community sub-fund under our umbrella. 

Alpine Refrigeration made an initial $60,000 donation to establish the Alpine Community Fund, which is administered by the Heritage Bank Charitable Foundation to fund annual donations.

Alpine Refrigeration has a proud history as a locally owned and operated business. As well as helping many Darling Downs residents stay warm in winter and cool in summer, Alpine is also well known for generously supporting local community groups and sporting teams.

Ivan Walls, Alpine’s Managing Director, is extremely proud of the support the company has always provided to the community. He sees the creation of the Alpine Community Fund as an exciting new addition to their current community support program.  

The Alpine Community Fund was created with a tax deductible donation to the Heritage Bank Charitable Foundation.  The Foundation manages the long-term investment of that contribution with the aim of producing income for annual donations to registered charities of Alpine’s recommendation.  

The first recipient of a grant from the Alpine Community Fund is community mental health organisation Momentum Mental Health (formerly Toowoomba Clubhouse). 

There are no set-up fees or on-going costs to create a Heritage Bank Charitable Foundation Sub-Fund.  This an historic occasion and pioneers a new option other Toowoomba businesses may consider when looking to give back to their communities.

PHOTO: Paul Olds (Heritage Bank Charitable Foundation Executive Officer) with Ivan Walls (Alpine Refrigeration Managing Director) and Debbie Bailey (CEO Momentum Mental Health).

Welcome to the Family

We were thrilled in October to announce the five amazing charities who share in $85,000 as beneficiaries of our second round of grants.

Bravehearts will receive the major Our Shout grant worth $25,000, which is funded by Heritage Bank staff via generous workplace giving donations.  The grant will help bring Ditto’s Keep Safe Adventure show to child care centres across the Darling Downs and South West Queensland region in 2022. 

The four worthy recipients of our Growing Stronger Communities grants, worth $15,000 each, are:

• Youth Insearch Foundation;
• Baby Give Back;
• The South Burnett Pantry; and
• The Australian Literacy & Numeracy Foundation.

To our beneficiaries, we’re absolutely thrilled to welcome you to our Heritage Bank Charitable Foundation family, and to help us grow stronger communities, together.

For more information on these outstanding charities please the announcement on our second round of grants.

 

PHOTO: Paul Olds (Heritage Bank Charitable Foundation Executive Officer) with Alison Geale (Bravehearts CEO) and Bravehearts' lovable lion cub Ditto.

Heritage Bank funds all operational costs of the Foundation, ensuring all donations received, and investment income generated, is used to fund its vision of growing stronger communities, together.
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