Australian NFP Wins $100,000
20 November 2014 at 9:44 am
A West Australian Not for Profit organisation has been recognised for filling an education gap in the Australian community, taking home the Macquarie Social Innovation Award.
The Fogarty Foundation, which supports and provides educational opportunities for Western Australians, was rewarded with a $100,000 grant.
The organisation won the award for its Fogarty EDvance initiative, which aims to improve the educational outcomes of students in low socioeconomic status communities by providing principals working in the areas with leadership and management skills.
Chair of the Macquarie Group Foundation Committee, Shemara Wikramanayake, said the $100,000 award would allow the Forgarty Foundation to scale up its program to attain a critical mass and to to develop a sustainable funding model.
Wikramanayake said she was particularly pleased that the interest shown by overseas winners in visiting Australia proved that innovation is alive and well in Australia.
“On behalf of the Foundation Committee and our judges, I would like to commend all the organisations and individuals who participated.
“I congratulate all our outstanding finalists for their commitment to continuing to develop innovative programs that address social needs and long-term community problems.”
The 2014 Australian David Clarke Fellowship was also presented jointly to SYC
Chief Executive Officer Paul Edginton and Beacon Foundation Chief Executive Officer Scott Harris.
SYC is a Not for Profit centred on employment, training and youth services, while the Beacon Foundation works with young people to address youth unemployment, youth disengagement and skills shortages.
Edginton was chosen for proposing researching comparative responses to youth unemployment in Germany, Switzerland and the UK to improve SYC’s work integrated education support programs.
Harris was chosen for proposing researching comparative experiences in secondary school
career education programs in Germany, Denmark and the UK to inform Beacon Foundation’s program approach.
The two CEOs will each receive a grant of up to $20,000 to visit those European countries which have implemented successful youth employment models.
Established in 2012 in memory of the former chairman of Macquarie Group and the Macquarie Group Foundation, the late David Clarke, the Fellowship provides the CEO of an Australian Not for Profit organisation with a grant to visit and research best practice social innovation around the world.
“The judges’ rationale for awarding joint winners in Australia was due to the changes currently being experienced within this country’s labour market,” the Head of the Macquarie Group Foundation, Lisa George said.
“The panel felt it was an opportunity to encourage collaboration between both Beacon and SYC to address the important issue of youth unemployment and amplify their collective impact at this critical juncture.”
This year, inaugural Macquarie David Clarke Social Innovation Fellowships were also offered in Hong Kong, the United Kingdom and New York City.
“This expansion of Fellowship grants provides opportunities for Not for Profits in these locations to develop improved responses to social issues in their field as well,” Wikramanayake said.
The New York David Clarke Fellowship was awarded to Jennifer Mitchell, the Executive Director of The HOPE Program, while the UK David Clarke Fellowship went to Anita Grover, CEO of Auditory Verbal and the Hong Kong David Clarke Fellowship went to Alia Eyres the CEO of Mother’s Choice.
