Partnerships
Building Sustainable Communities – A Guide for Businesses
Your business wants to give something back to the community it operates in. How do you find a cause or initiative that engages your staff, aligns with your business objectives and requires minimal management?
The Lord Mayor’s Charitable Foundation has over 87 years experience managing philanthropy. In 2009, we granted almost $9 million to over 450 charitable organisations.
Whatever your philanthropic objectives are, our expertise can develop a tailored program that will enable your organisation to effect positive social change and provide for the most vulnerable in our community.
Finding the right partners are crucial to the success of your philanthropic program. Our key granting pillars are Youth, Homelessness and Ageing, however, we connect with a wide spectrum of charitable organisations across a broad range of social issues. Our strategic advice and extensive knowledge of the not-for-profit sector will ensure that your philanthropic dollar is directed to where it can make the most difference.
Why Invest in the Community?
The business and social communities are dynamic inter-related environments. One affects the other and one cannot exist without the other. When businesses take a leadership role and invest in the social marketplace, our communities become stronger, healthier and more liveable places for all. Investing in the community also creates a unique opportunity for your organisation to be recognised as a leader in your chosen philanthropic field, and help build a positive and cohesive organisational culture.
How Can I Invest in the Community?
The first step is to choose, or continue, a focus that best aligns with your business objectives or corporate interests. If you are new to the world of philanthropy or would like diversify your existing activities, the Lord Mayor’s Charitable Foundation will work closely with you to ensure you are matched with the right charitable organisations and definitive and measurable goals are set at the beginning of your partnership. A tailored philanthropic program with the Lord Mayor’s Charitable Foundation can incorporate financial donations, input into granting decisions, workplace giving, staff engagement in volunteer activities and community leadership, and pro-bono support.
There are several options available to manage your philanthropic giving. The first step is to set up a Charitable Trust Account or a Giving Account in your company’s name, or a name that has meaning for your company.
A Charitable Trust is perpetual and any money invested forms a corpus. You are invited to work with the LMCF to decide what projects or initiatives the income earned from the corpus will be granted to, or the LMCF can decide on your behalf. A charitable trust can be started with as little as $2000, there are no establishment fees and any donation is tax deductible. Charitable Trusts are a powerful way to ensure your donation keeps on giving forever.
If your organisation would prefer to disperse 100% of donated funds then a Giving Account is an ideal vehicle. There is no minimum balance required to start your Giving Account and no minimum number of donations to make into the account. Once the funds are donated to your Giving Account, you can request to have them dispersed immediately (to an LMCF approved charitable organisation) or remain in the account for future and ongoing projects. Giving Accounts are highly flexible, tax deductible and an effective tool for ensuring your donations move quickly to where they are most needed. A Giving Account can be established for long-term or one-off fundraising projects.
What Next?
If you would like further information about creating a tailored philanthropic program to suit your business objectives, please contact Kim Sullivan, Business Partnerships Manager on 9633 0043, or email kim.sullivan@lmcf.org.au.
For further information about establishing a Charitable Trust Account or Giving Account, please contact Sandie Baskin 9633 0030 or email sandie.baskin@lmcf.org.au.
CREATE YOUR CHARITABLE TRUST ACCOUNT
Remember a loved one and give to your community forever.