Investing

Our approach

We support community initiatives that align with our corporate responsibility priorities. These are as follows:

We are committed to using our resources and expertise to build the financial knowledge, skills and confidence of our communities, particularly among the most vulnerable. This includes making a financial contribution, or creating programs and initiatives that help communities to thrive, improve financial capability, improve access to employment and education, promote urban sustainability, or help to bring banking services to rural or remote communities. Our approach is backed by research, informed by community consultation, and delivered through partnerships with local community organisations and government.

We have developed a number of programs to improve financial literacy and inclusion among vulnerable members of our communities, and respond to some of the most significant challenges these communities face.

Case study: Investing in thriving communities in regional Australia

Since 2003, ANZ’s Seeds of Renewal program has provided more than $2.7 million dollars in small grants to around 600 community projects in rural and regional communities.

In 2011, $250,000 was distributed to 30 community organisations with recipients receiving up to $15,000 towards their projects and goals, including:

  • Education, training and mentoring programs (for disengaged youth, indigenous communities, farmers, and children and adults with a disability)
  • Books and audio equipment (for communities in remote locations)
  • Technology and computers (for schools, Early Education and Community Centres)

One of the organisations to receive a Seeds of Renewal grant was the Alpha State School library in Queensland.

The people of Alpha in Queensland are only too familiar with the impact that floods can have on a community. In 1990 severe floods devastated 75 per cent of the town and again in 2010 they caused $13 million in damage. Then, Alpha was hit by floods in January 2011.

A Seeds of Renewal grant is helping the school to install new shelving units in their library, which can be easily transported to avoid damage to books during floods.

“ANZ's Seeds of Renewal grant enabled us to purchase shelves on wheels, so the next time a flood comes along we will be able to pull our entire library to higher ground,” said Dale Wolfenden, Principal, Alpha State School. Alpha State School provides education and learning services to more than 1500 people in the community.

 

2011 results

We invested A$16.9 million in communities across our region. This includes contributions of cash, time, in-kind and management costs as measured in the London Benchmarking Group methodology. This is an increase of $700,000 or 4% on 2010.

Investing Amount
Cash $10,269,202
Time $3,903,389
In-kind $284,056
Management costs $2,444,452
Total $16,901,099

 

2010 results

We invested more than $16 million in communities across our region. This includes contributions of cash, time, in-kind and management costs as measured in the London Benchmarking Group methodology.

Investing  
Cash (not including management costs) $10,182,818
Time (not including management costs) $3,625,235
In-kind (not including management costs) $226,383
Management costs $2,118,313
Total $16,152,750

 

 

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