Following the launch of the Six Degrees Café for children with special needs, Canberra Community Bank Group (which owns the Calwell, Curtin, Wanniassa and Jerrabomberra Bendigo Community® Bank branches) have put the word out for more community projects needing funding to apply to the Bendigo Bank Communities initiative.
Communities is a crowdfunding platform run by Bendigo Bank: a community bank which invests heavily in the local communities they serve. The Six Degrees Café in Black Mountain High School was the first Canberra project to use the platform, and raised $5,000 from generous pledgers, as well as receiving a commitment of $15,000 from the Canberra Community Bank Group.
Darren Manton, Branch Manager for Bendigo Bank Jerrabomberra who helped them put together their Communities application, says “Six Degrees Café is a fantastic concept, and we are so proud to have helped them launch such a valuable community project.
“What’s ideal about the Communities crowdfunding platform is that it helps the people who run these community projects reach a much wider audience than they might otherwise have been able to on their own. They’re tapping into the resources and network of the bank, which enables them to tell their story to many more people.”
Via the Communities platform, you can ask people to donate their time and/or services in addition to financial pledges; whatever is needed to get the project off the ground.
For a project to be considered, it must:
- Fit into one of the following categories: Arts, Environment, Sport, Community, Events, Technology, Education or Health
- Be for the good of the community, and not for personal gain
- Be completely local, and not based overseas
- Not be commercial, or illegal in any way
- Not require ongoing funding. The initiative is about investing in community resources and supporting developments that make a lasting impact
It can include anything from a community structure (such as the Six Degrees Café), to sports equipment for a local school.
The best way to find out if a project meets the criteria is to apply.
“If you have a project you need funding for, step into one of our branches or give us a call and we can point you in the right place,” says Darren.
“You can also find more information on the Communities website. If you lodge an application online it will go through to the project team who will review it, and (if successful) help you put together the required information to get it up on the site and start receiving pledges.”
People interested in making a pledge can donate any amount from $1, and you don’t need to be a member of the bank to contribute. Money is taken when/if the project reaches its tipping point (how crowdfunding generally works – the project must receive 80% or more of their target funding in order to be successful). Some projects also offer rewards to pledgers, and many are in need of more than just financial donations such as volunteering and/or professional services support.
Need funding for a community project or keen to donate to one? Pop into your local Bendigo Bank branch, or visit the Communities website for more information.
This is a sponsored article, though all opinions are the author’s own. For more information on paid content, see our sponsored content policy.
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