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The Canberra Times

Megan Doherty

Canberra charity collaboration distributes $1.5 million to 60 organisations

Canberra Hands Across Canberra Gary Ramage ACT asthma Australia

A service that washes and dries the clothes of the homeless and a foundation that puts a smile on the face of children in hospital are among 60 organisations to share in $1.5 million allocated by Canberra's big charity collaboration.

The Canberra Foundations Collaborative comprises Hands Across Canberra, The Snow Foundation and the John James Foundation.

A total of $1.5 million was distributed to 63 projects across 60 organisations, the list of recipients announced on Wednesday.

They ranged from Asthma Australia to the ZamZam Foundation, which seeks to improve the lives of girls in Afghanistan and the ACT.

Clown Doctor Dr Ruth from The Humour Foundation with (l-r) John James Foundation CEO Joe Roff, Hands Across Canberra CEO Genevieve Jacobs and The Snow Foundation CEO Georgina Byron. Picture by Gary Ramage

Charity powerhouses The Snow Foundation, John James Foundation and Hands Across Canberra joined forces in 2022 to distribute funds, pool their collective knowledge and make the grants application process easier.

Aspen Medical and the Aspen Foundation are also regular contributors.

Hands Across Canberra CEO Genevieve Jacobs on Wednesday oversaw the first distribution of grant money since taking over the role from Peter Gordon earlier this year.

"At Hands Across Canberra, we want to support the whole Canberra community. It's about giving where we live and ensuring Canberrans can support their neighbours in need," she said.

"Thanks to generous locals, this year's grants will support innovative ideas with a significant impact - and by streamlining the grants writing process and working together as a collaborative, we're also reducing the drain on resources so charities can focus on the front line."

Orange Sky Australia Canberra volunteers Siobhan Leyne and Anna Dacre at the grants announcement on Wednesday. Picture by Gary Ramage

Among the groups to receive a grant was Orange Sky Australia, which provides mobile washing and drying facilities to Canberra's vulnerable, including the homeless.

Canberra volunteers Siobhan Leyne and Anna Dacre were at Wednesday's grant announcement, saying the funding would make a big difference.

"This money will mean we can just increase our impact, we can put more shifts on, we can deliver more services to Canberrans in need," Siobhan said.

"At the moment, people are cold, people need their blankets washed. Our shifts are very busy because we're providing basic services and dignity to people who are sleeping rough or people who can't afford to own their own washing machine and dryers."

Clown doctor Dr Ruth from The Humour Foundation, which was another grant recipient. Picture by Gary Ramage

The Humour Foundation CEO Emma Pollard said the funding helped to train their clown doctors or performers to bring joy to the patients, carers and staff of the Centenary Hospital for Women and Children in Canberra.

She said the clown doctor visits helped to reduce the children's anxiety and build their resilience, especially those with chronic conditions who needed regular hospital stays.

"Our team looks forward to bringing laughter where it is unexpected, yet most needed, to more than 30,000 beneficiaries over the period of the grant," she said.

Yerrabi Yurwang Child and Family Aboriginal Corporation also received a grant. Picture l-r) policy officer Maurice Shipp, CEO Dea Delaney-Thiele and youth workers Luke Heckenberg and Mitch Daley. Picture by Gary Ramage

Yerrabi Yurwang Child and Family Aboriginal Corporation was also a recipient of a grant from the foundation, with CEO Dea Delaney-Thiele saying that kind of support had been vital for the organisation.

[We] are a community controlled organisation on the northside of Canberra. Seventy-five per cent of our board at Ngunnawal people," she said.

"We have been a beneficiary of the Snow Foundation, Hands Across Canberra since the COVID time and I don't think we'd be here today without the little support we got from different pockets, including Hands Across Canberra and Snow Foundation."

Ms Delaney-Thiele said the latest round of funding would be focused on youth and helping them to celebrate their culture.

"Through activities, dance, song and also to get them together to do a Desert Pea media production [which facilitates contemporary story-telling]," she said.

The Snow Foundation CEO Georgina Byron said $5 million had been distributed by the foundation, including emergency grants during COVID.

"While most grants typically range from $5000 to $50,000, this year The Snow Foundation also offered the opportunity for some larger grants and we are delighted to announce the inclusion of three substantial grants with EveryMan, Women's Health Matters and Head Start Homes who each have initiatives in our key focus areas: housing, domestic violence intervention and health using a gender-lens," she said.

John James Foundation CEO Joe Roff said collaboration was the way of the future for philanthropy.

"Over the past three years, we've seen the incredible difference these grants make. We love working with these organisations, especially through the networking and mentoring programs, and watching them grow and thrive," he said.

The full list of organisations supported: