Philanthropy Australia PROMOTING GIVING notes:

The Australian business sector gives to the community in multiple ways. Many companies have set up a philanthropic foundation which is a legal entity completely separate from the parent company. The foundation has a permanently endowed fund and the earnings from that endowment are invested in community programs. Some companies have established a community partnerships program and fund this from within the company.

Many companies also offer workplace giving programs*** and employee volunteering programs in which staff can choose to be involved. Sometimes these activities are linked to the community partnerships program. In many workplaces staff can nominate charities with whom they have an association (often through personal volunteering and fundraising) for an additional grant from the company.

Large legal and accounting firms operate extensive pro bono practices. There is usually a strong link between the pro bono activities of a firm and their community partnerships and employee volunteering programs.

***       Letter from Commonwealth Bank Staff Community Fund dated 27 April 2007 acknowledges the Writer's donation of $98,256.39 on 26 Feb 2007 when he retired from Commonwealth Bank. 

The late Fred Hollows was an Australian philanthropist and ophthalmologist who became known for restoring sight to thousands of people in developing countries and his passionate plight to improve the health of Indigenous Australians living in remote communities.  The Fred Hollows Foundation has 'pioneered' eye health programs working together with government agencies and local partners to improve Indigenous eye health.

The vision for Fortescue’s Vocational Training and Employment Centre (VTEC) is to change lives through employment.

Australia's surgeons, anesthetists and nurses, particularly in facial surgery, have followed Fred Hollows lead in providing direct regular Philanthropy during their working careers to the underprivileged, by giving up approx. nine days annually to travel to isolated developing Asian communities to perform life altering surgery 'pro bono':

1.       Operation Restore Hope Australia -

(a)        is a not-for-profit, non-governmental, non-sectarian charity which has provided annual week long surgical missions (comprising in excess of a dozen doctors and nurses) that surgically repairs cleft lips, facial disfigurement and other deformities in underprivileged children in the Philippines.  Without the donation of professional medical services by groups of doctors and nurses, these unfortunate deformities would remain untreated and permanently disadvantaged; and

(b)        currently sends three surgical teams to the Philippines each year - incl. one to Manila and one to Cebu. Local Health clinics across the Philippines throughout the year spread the word of our missions and promote the date and location of our screening day to the community, prospective patients and their parents.

 

Read the latest Operation Restore Hope newsletters:

*    May 2013 (.pdf 473kb) 

*    May 2012 (.pdf 8.12mb)

*    April 2011 (.pdf 2.22mb)

*    May 2010 (.pdf 760kb)

2.       Operation Rainbow Australia Limited -

(a)        brings together a volunteer group of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgeons, Anesthetists, Nurses and support staff from Australia and the United States who provide at least 7 days surgery each year; 

(b)        first visited the Philippines in 1990, and have returned one or more times each year since - on average 100 patients are treated for free each year;

(c)        works only in the poor provinces of their host countries and provides all equipment, medicines and support materials for its missions - provincial Philippines hospitals provide rudimentary operating theatres and a ward for the children to recuperate; and

(d)        surgical teams performs surgery at no cost to the patients’ family - it costs Operation Rainbow approximately $500AUS per patient each surgery.

3.       AussieBanglaSmile -

(a)        involves surgical teams consisting of 8 to 10 surgeons, anesthetists and nurses that perform surgical procedures in Dhaka, Bangladesh, free of charge for patients  – a majority of females and mostly children – eg. cleft lip and palate, burns, hand deformities and injuries – totaling approximately 80-100 patients per visit.

(b)        provides training of local surgeons, anesthetists and nursing services;

(c)        takes requisite surgical equipment to Bangladesh or purchases there or from India; and

(d)        donates all unused and surplus equipment (except instruments to be used for further trips) to the local theatre staff at the conclusion of each visit.

Topical article in the 'Penrith Press':

4.       Australians for Womens' Health set up the organisation Prolapse Down Under (driven by Gynaecology Surgeon, Dr. Ray Hodgson) to administer teams of volunteer doctors and nurses who travel regularly to developing countries within South East Asia to provide treatment and education for women suffering with pregnancy complications and pelvic organ damage.

5.       Tooth Mob Volunteer Dental Program arranged by the Charlie Perkins Trust for Children & Students provides volunteer teams (usually 2 dentists and 2 dental assistants, a fortnight of dental treatment per month) which offer oral health-care in remote Australian communities - from emergency pain relief to a preventative health-care model focused on education which facilitates community empowerment.

NB: A bicycle friend of The Writer,  Ann Collins aka ToothFairy, has attended Cebu island in the Philippines, as one of the Maxillofacial Surgeons with Operation Restore Hope Australia, on each of the last 15 years.   The Writer played cricket with Dr. Ray Hodgson 'many moons ago' and has known Ray's older brother 'for yonks'.

Philanthropy Australia's website Fast Facts & Statistics on Philanthropy notes: