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    Community Investment Program

    bankmecu’s Community Investment Program represents an investment made by bankmecu on behalf of its customer-owners.  This investment is only made possible because a group of like minded people and organisations choose to come together to do their banking.  Program funding is derived from the profits generated from this activity. In the true spirit of cooperation, investments are made back into the communities from which bankmecu itself derives its support. 

    The objective of the bankmecu Community Investment Program is to support activities which make a contribution to resolving relevant economic, social and environmental problems relevant to the business of banking. bankmecu considers that communities by developing capability are better positioned to draw on their own resources to become sustainable in the long term. 

    Through the Program, bankmecu is committed to providing up to 4% of budgeted after-tax profits to support community investment.  bankmecu focuses investment in four key areas identified through stakeholder engagement to reflect the values, interests and attitudes of bankmecu’s customers. These are: Environment, Housing, Community resilience and International development. 

     

    Spotlight - Regional Development

     

    Figure 9a: Community investment by focus area in 2010/11

     

    Community resilience

    Environment

    Housing

    International development

    TOTAL

    $454,702

    $549,268

    $108,975

    $28,416

    $1,141,360

     9a CommunityInvestmentSpend

     

    Figure 9b: Annual bankmecu community investment spend

     9b AnnualCommunityInvestmentSpend

    In 2010/11 bankmecu invested 4.15% of its after tax profit into the Community Investment Program.  Investments bankmecu made from the Community Investment Program are outlined below: 

     

    AREA OF INVESTMENT: COMMUNITY RESILIENCE

    Investment Recipient

    Purpose

    Association of Business Managers in Victorian State Schools

    To support the professional development of business managers in Victorian state schools.

    Australian Education Union – Victorian Branch

    To support the professional development of teachers and leadership development for government school leaders.

    Victorian Association of State School Principals

    To support the professional development of Principals in Victorian state schools.

    Loddon Mallee Principals Conference

    To support the professional development of school principals in the Loddon Mallee Region.

    Department of Education and Early Childhood Development – Schools Financial Management Training

    To encourage professional development of educational leaders including Principals and business managers on financial matters.

    Department of Education and Early Childhood Development – Education Excellence Awards

    To recognise and promote excellence amongst secondary school teachers and school business managers.

    Schools for Student Leadership

    To provide opportunities for Year 9 students to develop into school and community leaders.

    State School Relief

    To ensure Victorian students have adequate and appropriate school attire to assist them to focus on their studies and maximise their potential.  

    Gippsland School Breakfast Program

    To improve general health, nutrition, hygiene and wellbeing of children and promote to the broader school community.

    Education Centre Gippsland

    To bring the west Gippsland indigenous community together to promote shared solutions for a just society.

    SchoolAid – Indigenous Literacy Program

    To engage with schools on the issue of indigenous literacy and empowering kids to take action by raising funds and contributing books to Australian Literacy and Numeracy Foundation programs.

    CSIRO – Science by Email

    To encourage science based learning and science as a career path through provision of a free weekly newsletter

    CSIRO – Science by Email Evaluation

    To evaluate the impact Science by Email has had in its ten years of operation.

    CSIRO – Malcolm McIntosh Memorial Lecture

    To provide a free public lecture on a topical science issue.  In 2010 the lecture focused on Alzheimer’s disease.

    Committee for Ballarat

    To support the Ballarat region in facilitating economic and social development to leave a notable and sustainable legacy for the entire community.

    Committee for Gippsland

    To support the Gippsland community to improve planning for a better social, economic and environmental future in the Gippsland region.

    Bendigo Business Council

    To enhance relationship between Bendigo Business and the Bendigo community sector while developing an environment of cooperation, goodwill and collaboration amongst central Victorian businesses.

    Victorian Council of Social Service - Clearinghouse

    To support VCOSS to bring together Social Sector leaders for the purpose of professional development and collaboration.

     

    Spotlight - VCOSS Clearinghouse

    Victorian Council of Social Service (VCOSS) – Congress

    To support the professional development of leaders in the social services sector inVictoria.

    Australian Council of Social Service - National Conference

    To support the professional development of the community sector with particular emphasis on development and promotion of socially, economically and environmentally responsible public policy and action by government, community and private sectors.

    Loddon Mallee Community Leadership Program (LMCLP)

    To assist the LMCLP to develop leaders who will contribute to vibrant and sustainable communities across the Loddon Murray region.

    Bendigo and Central Victoria Community Foundation

    To improve awareness of the Foundation and develop an environment of cooperation, goodwill and collaboration on community issues within Bendigo and Central Victoria.

    Commerce Ballarat – Ballarat Business Awards

    To recognise the contribution the not-for-profit sector makes in Ballarat.

    ACT Council of Social Service (ACTCOSS)

    Support the Little Feet, Big Steps award recognising the achievements and work for the ACT community sector.

    Disability Professional  Victoria

    To support Disability Professional Victoria to promote excellence, leadership and quality practice through providing opportunities for recognition, learning & connection.

    Snedden, Hall & Gallop, Athletics Day for Children with a Disability.

    To acknowledge children with a disability for their achievements in the sporting arena. 

    Kyabra Community Association – LivingIn Program

    To provide opportunities for ageing carers to see their adult son or daughter with a disability move out of home and plan for a good and fulfilling life.

     

    Spotlight -  Kyabra Community Association LivingIn Program

    Blue Stockings Association

    To support Gippsland women of all ages, backgrounds and socio-economic standing to pursue education.

    Camcare

    To assist Camcare to provide targeted services assisting people in Boroondara and neighbouring areas who are facing personal hardship or difficult life circumstances.

    Council for Homeless Persons – Parity Magazine

    To support CHP to publish Parity, Australia’s leading journal on homelessness and related issues.

    Chapter Seven Inc – The Difference

    To increase the investment by corporate Australia into programs and initiatives that address issues associated with poverty.

     

    AREA OF INVESTMENT: ENVIRONMENT

    Investment Recipient

    Purpose

    United Nations – Principals for Responsible Investment

    To support the work of UN PRI, a network of international investors (including bankmecu) working together to implement responsible investment.

    Australian Conservation Foundation – New Economics Program

    To support the New Economics program which focuses on the areas of building a clean economy, ecological evaluation and measuring genuine human progress including non-economic factors, to better promote human wellbeing in an ecologically sustainable way.

     

    Spotlight - ACF New Economics Program

    Bendigo Sustainability Group

    To encourage and assist people in Bendigo to live more sustainable lives.

    Vox Bandicoot –Sustainability Street Program

    To inspire people to live within the limits of nature and develop shared solutions for a just society.

    Environment Victoria – People Parliament Q&A

    To engage people on environmental issues as part of Environment Victoria’s vision to have five million Victorians taking green action.

    Victorian Local Governance Association – Liveable and Just Toolkit

    To support regional workshops ‘Liveable and Just Toolkit’ which provide a practical framework to help integrate responses to the social and equity impacts of climate change across council activities.

    Queensland Landcare Conference

    To provide natural resource managers from across Queensland and elsewhere with a forum for information exchange, meaningful dialogue, social interaction, networking and capacity building.

    Greening Australia – ACT

    To enable continued and expanded efforts to restore native ecosystems in ACT and NSW landscapes.

    Trust for Nature

    To support greater understanding of conservation issues and the role of private conservation.

    Landcare Australia– bankmecu Conservation Landbank

    To provide bankmecu with carbon and biodiversity offsets while at the same time protecting remnant vegetation and revegetating degraded marginal land.

    South Australian Government – Art of Nature

    To improve community awareness and engagement of recreational opportunities in South Australian National Parks.

    Greenfleet – Sustainable Transport Guide A

    To assist Greenfleet in its effort to reduce the environmental footprint of transport.

    Environment Victoria – One Million Homes Program

    To support the One Million Homes program which aims to retrofit one million homes in Victoria thereby reducing carbon emissions while creating jobs.

    Netbalance – Integrated Reporting Project

    To support research on integrated reporting and continue to demonstrate leadership in sustainable performance and reporting.

     

     

     

    AREA OF INVESTMENT: HOUSING

    Investment Recipient

    Purpose

    Community Housing Federation of Australia

    To promote professional development within the community housing sector to build the capacity to enable increased supply of affordable housing options for those in need.

    PowerHousing Australia

    To promote professional development within the community housing sector to build the capacity to enable increased supply of affordable housing options for those in need.

    PowerHousing Australia/Community Housing Federation of Australia

    To better understand the social return on investment provided by investment into Community Housing. 

    Community Housing Federation of Victoria

    To promote professional development within the community housing sector to build the capacity to enable increased supply of affordable housing options for those in need.

    Alternative Technology Association – Speed date a Sustainable Designer

    To enable individuals to understand how they can retrofit their homes to improve environmental performance.

     

    AREA OF INVESTMENT: INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT

    Investment Recipient

    Purpose

    Credit Union Foundation of Australia (CUFA)

    To assist credit unions in the Asia Pacific to develop and empower their communities economically and socially

    World Council of Credit Unions (WOCCU)

    To promote the sustainable development of credit unions and other financial cooperatives around the world to empower people through access to high quality and affordable financial services.