Our community investment strategy focuses our community efforts on assisting young people – the nation’s future. In keeping with this policy, we have formed community partnerships in five major youth areas: education, health, welfare, the arts and the environment.
We also have a range of staff initiatives to support our staff’s involvement in the community, and we give our shareholders the opportunity to support children's hospitals through our dividend donation program.
COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIPS
Our community partnerships support projects that help our youth in the five major areas of philanthropy:
Our focus on partnerships, rather than one-off donations, means we can create truly meaningful relationships with our partners and allow our staff and customers to be more involved.
Education
Major Partner: Financial Basics Foundation
Project: Operation Financial Literacy
Operation Financial Literacy is a financial teaching resource and curriculum for secondary school teachers. It is offered free of charge to all secondary schools in Australia, and is the only flexible financial literacy education resource of its kind available.
The program includes nine modules covering topics such as saving, budgeting, credit, financial planning and mobile phone use. More than 1000 Australian secondary schools have currently signed up to use this innovative teaching resource.
Major Partner: Ethical Investor
Project: "Centsational Harry and the Balance of Life": a financial literacy play for primary schools
It's not just teenagers who need to be taught about financial literacy - we can help ingrain these vital skills early on in life. For this reason BOQ supported the development of "Centsational Harry and the Balance of Life" - a travelling primary school play produced by Ethical Investor. It takes kids on a fun-filled and entertaining journey while introducing scenes about money and basic concepts such as paying for goods and services, savings, interest and credit cards. For more information visit the "Centsational Harry and the Balance of Life" website.
Partner: Queensland State Library
Project: Heritage Collections Learning Room
Bank of Queensland is a proud sponsor of the Heritage Collections Learning Room at the new State Library of Queensland, which was officially opened on 25 November 2006. The room allows people to experience tangible artefacts of our cultural heritage, from rare books, manuscripts, journals, photographs, to art and music collections that reflect Queensland’s unique past.
Health
Major Partner: Children's Hospital Foundations Australia
Project: Banking on our Kids
Following the inaugural Banking on Queensland Kids appeal in 2004, a month-long fundraising appeal is held in July each year in support of Children's Hospital Foundations Australia (CHFA). The Appeal is run throughout our entire branch network by collecting donations and fundraising to help sick children everywhere get better, quicker. CHFA is a partnership of the five major children's hospital foundations in Queensland, Victoria, New South Wales, Western Australia and South Australia.
Partner: Starlight Children's Foundation Australia
Project: Starlight Wishgranting
Starlight's Wishgranting program grants the wishes of children aged four to 18 who suffer from serious or chronic illness. Each Wish costs an average of $5,000 to grant and Bank of Queensland is aiming to fund nine Wishes in 2009. Staff will be encouraged to organise fundraising activities in their local area and the money they raise will be dollar-matched through the Bank's Dollar-for-Dollar program.
Partner: Royal Children's Hospital Foundation
Project: Playground
BOQ is proud to support a new playground installed at the front of the Royal Children’s Hospital in Brisbane. The playground was coordinated by the George Gregan Foundation and corporate sponsors have each purchased a piece of equipment for the playground. BOQ bought the cubby house.
Welfare
Major Partner: Australian Red Cross
Project: Youth homelessness programs
The Australian Red Cross Night Café is a special facility that provides homeless and disadvantaged young people in inner-city Brisbane with free hot food, showers, toilets, information and a safe place to meet. It is the only after-hours service in inner Brisbane specifically for young people.
In 2006, Bank of Queensland helped the Red Cross raise enough money to ensure the Café would open for a third night (Sunday) during 2007. The Café is now open Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday nights between 7pm and 9pm.
Throughout 2008, 2009 and 2010 the Bank will also be supporting Red Cross' innovative new Centre for Young People, which is aimed at addressing youth homelessness.
This project will provide intensive, individualised support to at-risk youth to ensure they receive all the support they need to get back onto a positive life track and achieve their personal goals.
Arts
Major Partner: Flying Arts Inc.
Project: Youth services
Flying Arts Inc. is an established charity that flies artists and art workshops to regional Queensland, ensuring people everywhere have access to innovative arts opportunities. Our partnership supports the range of youth projects Flying Arts offers, including the “Experience The Arts” workshops that bring regional students to Brisbane for a week, workshops in schools throughout regional Queensland, and youth encouragement and viewers' choice prizes in the Annual Regional Art awards.
Partner: Queensland Museum Foundation
Project: Sciencentre
Bank of Queensland is a proud sponsor of Queensland Museum’s Sciencentre, a hands-on science and technology learning centre located at South Bank. The Sciencentre offers a range of interactive exhibits, displays and multimedia exhibitions making learning about science fun for kids of all ages.
Partner: Queensland Museum Foundation
Project: Kid’s Time - A Travelling Children’s Exhibition
Kid’s Time: A Travelling Children’s Exhibition opened in Townsville in 2005 and toured Queensland for three years. The exhibition was specially designed for three to eight year olds, and explores the passage of time over the past 100 years, through family generations and the toys they played with.
Environment
Major Partner: Oz GREEN
Project: Youth LEAD program
Oz GREEN (Global Rivers Education Network (Australia) Incorporated) is an innovative environmental organisation that runs life changing learning and leadership programs for young people across Australia.
During 2007 and 2008, BOQ sponsored Oz GREEN's Youth LEAD program, designed to foster in young people the skills, motivation and opportunities to lead the way to a sustainable future. Participants undertake a three-day training workshop focussed on skill enhancement where they develop detailed strategic plans for eco-social enterprise projects they will lead in their own communities. Youth LEAD workshops are held in various locations across Australia.
Partner: Guides Queensland and Guides New South Wales
Project: Cork Collection
Bank of Queensland branches throughout Australia are collection points for the well-established Guides Cork Collection initiative. As well as being an environmentally friendly initiative, the program is a major fundraiser for the Guides, with all money raised subsidising Guides memberships for disadvantaged girls. So make sure you collect any corks and drop them in to your local branch! Find your nearest branch.
STAFF INITIATIVES
Dollar-for-Dollar Program
The Dollar-for-Dollar program matches employee fundraising for registered charities - dollar-for-dollar! The focus of this program is on team fundraising, and is one way that we recognise staff involvement in the community. Provided the charity or cause is a Deductible Gift Recipient (DGR), staff can choose the charity they wish to support, with our contribution effectively doubling the funds raised.
Managing Director’s Awards for Community Involvement
The Managing Director’s Awards for Community Involvement was launched in 2005 to recognise and reward employees’ individual efforts in the community.
The annual Awards recognise outstanding contributions, such as regular fundraising, volunteering, mentoring, or serving on non-profit committees and boards. Each year a Gold Award winner will receive $20,000 to donate to their supported non-profit organisation, and five Silver Award winners will each receive $5,000 for their nominated charity. The Awards are presented at a gala dinner hosted by Managing Director David Liddy. Read about the 2006 and 2007 winners.
Workplace Giving Program
This program allows our staff to donate to any Australian charity directly from their pre-tax pay. Employees can provide ongoing support to the charity of their choice by donating a nominated amount from their pay each fortnight. These donations are deducted from pre-tax salaries, providing staff with an immediate tax benefit.
SHAREHOLDER INITIATIVES
Investing in Hope
We are proud to be the first company in Australia to offer shareholders the opportunity to donate all or part of their bi-annual dividend to charity. This simple method of donation allows shareholders to support Children’s Hospital Foundations Australia. View the 2008 Investing In Hope (PDF 589kb) brochure.
APPLYING FOR A COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIP
Our community partnerships support projects that help our youth. Our focus on partnerships, rather than one-off donations, means we can create meaningful relationships with our partners and commit to a minimum two-year period of support.
Our community investment budget for 2009 and 2010 has been committed in advance.
Bank of Queensland will next assess its community partnerships in late-2009. In the meantime, we'd be happy to receive proposals from charities that assist in the support and development of Australia's youth, for consideration when the Bank chooses its next round of community partners.
If you would like us to consider supporting your cause, please send details of your charity and relevant projects to Marketing Advisor - Community & Sponsorships, GPO Box 898, Brisbane Qld 4001.