Following the global health pandemic and a raft of natural disasters that have all left an indelible mark on the country, 300 community organisations from across Australia are set receive a $10,000 donation from CBA employees as part of the CommBank Staff Foundation's Community Grants program.
The $3 million dollar pool is made up of regular contributions by CBA staff, which are matched by the bank. This year's program builds on CBA's 100+ year history of supporting the community through its Staff Foundation, providing employees the opportunity to nominate the charities they're most passionate about to receive funding.
The grants come after another turbulent year for community organisations, many of whom are still reeling from the ongoing impacts of COVID-19. Spanning a range of causes, the Foundation will provide support to organisations nationwide working across all areas of the community including mental health, cancer research, the arts, Indigenous support, domestic violence, homelessness, animal welfare and more.
One of this year's recipients is the Australian Music Industry's charity, Support Act, who provide crisis relief to music workers across all genres. COVID-19 resulted in the cancellation of many planned live music acts, bringing a large part of the music industry to a screeching halt and leaving a number of artists, managers and crew unable to work. The grant will help the charity to provide more crisis relief and mental health services for those in need of support.
Clive Miller, CEO of Support Act said: "We are incredibly grateful to CommBank Staff Foundation for recognising the extraordinary financial and mental health challenges that people in the music industry have experienced over the past 18 months. We are not out of the woods yet but these funds will play a vital role in ensuring we can continue to deliver our desperately needed support services to music workers as they transition back to being able to make a living doing what they love."
Joining Support Act as one of the 300 recipients of the CommBank Staff Foundation's Community Grants, is the Black Dog Institute, Share the Dignity, and Frontline Yoga - Australia's first and only free national yoga program for first responders, emergency services and military veterans.
Nathan Barker, Head of Community Investment at Commonwealth Bank said: "As one of Australia's largest employers, we welcome opportunities for our people to contribute to the community. The CommBank Staff Foundation is committed to driving positive change in the community by supporting the causes CBA staff are most passionate about.
"Our vast staff network has diverse areas of interest and the program enables us to play a role in supporting the community across a wide range of issues. We have a long history of employee giving through the program and are proud to continue providing this assistance to local charities and community groups, especially during these challenging times."
For the full list of 2021 grant recipients, please visit https://www.commbank.com.au/communitygrants.
