Industry
Financial Services
Summary
Westpac Group Foundation's streamlined grants programme provides higher value, multi-year funding towards a focus area of employment and educational disadvantage, with the aim of supporting a more inclusive Australia. This approach has led to significant impacts such as strengthened organisational capacity, access to crucial networks, and non-financial support for grant partners.
Success Factors
A strategic review with consultation and employee engagement, focusing on meaningful and focused impact.
About Westpac Group Foundations
Westpac Group Foundations comprising Westpac Foundation and the Regional Foundations (St.George, Bank of Melbourne, and BankSA) have been investing in change that matters for more than 145 years. They focus on areas that matter to customers, employees, and communities, such as job creation and supporting young people facing challenges.The Challenge
Westpac Group Foundations were initially faced with the challenge of grants programs that spread resources too thinly, awarding numerous low-value, one-off grants with broad criteria. This approach resulted in minimal impact, with many recipient organisations struggling to achieve sustainable outcomes. Westpac Group Foundations realised that to achieve greater impact, they needed to refine their strategy and align their grants programs more closely with their core objectives of job creation and supporting young people facing challenges.
The Solution
In response to the challenge, and after a thorough review, Westpac Group Foundations revamped their grants programs to provide higher value, multi-year funding with tightly aligned criteria. They introduced the Inclusive Employment Grants and the WISE Collaborative Grant, which focus on supporting social enterprises that create jobs for those facing barriers to work and streamlined the Thrive and Inspire Grant programmes which help local charities uplift education outcomes. This decision was driven by a strategic review and feedback from various stakeholders, including employees.
The Westpac Community Ambassador Program was established to actively engage employees in the grants program. This initiative pairs two Westpac employees with each grant partner, allowing them to leverage their skills, experience, and networks to drive positive social change.
The program includes a 12-month learning and development journey, offering participants interactive online sessions, group coaching, and structured networking opportunities. This framework not only enhances the social leadership skills of Community Ambassadors but also strengthens connections across the Westpac Group.
The Results
Together, Westpac Group Foundations awarded over $5 million to 95+ grant partners in 2024 supporting social enterprises and not-for-profits that create jobs, education and wellbeing opportunities for young people. Additionally, the Foundations have seen a 37% increase in payroll giving participation, and an uplift in employee engagement through its social leadership programs. The Community Ambassador Program also flourished, with 77 active participants and 270 alumni actively contributing to community partners. These outcomes showcase the strong community impact and shared value created for both the business and the community.
Westpac Foundation
As an impact example, Catherine, is an artist at Studio A, a 2024 Westpac Foundation Inclusive Employment Grant recipient, who empowers artists with disabilities, fostering a more inclusive community.
An independent evaluation of the Inclusive Employment Grant Program (a $2m program for 37 grant partners) revealed significant impacts beyond just the funding:
- 95% of grant partners reported strengthened organisational capacity
- 89% valued non-financial support, including the Community Ambassador Program
- 84% gained access to crucial networks and relationships.
A flagship program of the Westpac Group Foundations is our Board Observer Program which was developed based on the need shared by our grant partners to bring new skills and fresh perspectives to their Boards as well as a talent pipeline for future Director opportunities. Since 2018 the Program has matched 305 Observers with 126 non-profit boards:
- 100% of Boards say the experience met or exceeded their expectations.
- 87% say the Observer was able to add value through their skills and experience.
- 50% of not-for-profit boards participate year-on-year.
Regional Foundations
In 2023, Regional Foundations provided over $3.2million in funding to 60 charity partners supporting 21,700 children and young people.
An example of impact from the Regional Foundations is the partnership with Aurora Education Foundation – an Indigenous organisation supporting Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students with education and employment opportunities.
Aurora is a 2022 St.George Foundation Inspire Grant recipient. The grant provides $600,000 over three years to support Aurora’s ‘High School Program’, an Indigenous-designed and led, student-centred program.
The program positions cultural strength alongside academic progress, supporting Indigenous students to access educational, wellbeing and cultural opportunities and it’s currently the only program of its kind operating in Australia.
In the first year, over 300 students participated in the program with 94% reporting they felt supported to achieve their goals.
