Westpac Group Foundations win award for best grants program

Four foundations established by Westpac Group have together been awarded Best Grants Program at the 2024 Australian Workplace Giving Awards.

The award acknowledges the multiple grant programs delivered by the Westpac, St.George, BankSA and Bank of Melbourne Foundations which partner with social enterprises and charity organisations to provide access to crucial education, wellbeing and employment opportunities.

In 2024, the foundations awarded over $5 million to 95+ grant partners across Australia, with funding ranging from $50,000 to $300,000.

With sustainable growth and scalability in mind, the foundations have evolved their offering over time to provide fewer, higher value, multi-year grants to organisations that best align with their core objectives of job creation and supporting young people facing challenges.

“I’m delighted that our grant programs have been acknowledged in this way. All the refinements we’ve made to date have been based on direct feedback and input from our grant partners and global best practice grantmaking,” says Amy Lyden, CEO Westpac Foundation.

“It’s a privilege to support our grant partners who are at the coalface of creating a more inclusive Australia,” added Sally-Anne O-Brien, CEO of St.George, BankSA and Bank of Melbourne Foundations. “They’re tireless efforts are driving meaningful change in the local community.”

Another unique feature of the foundations’ grant programs is their focus on non-financial support. Whether it's mentoring, workshops, referrals or building leadership capabilities, the foundations seek to develop the capacity of the organisations they partner with by leveraging resources within Westpac Group.

An example of this is the Westpac Community Ambassador Program that pairs two Westpac employees with each grant partner allowing volunteers to utilise their experience and networks to drive positive social change. The Community Ambassador Program currently has 77 active participants along with 270 alumni – creating significant shared value for both partner organisations and the community.

An independent evaluation conducted by Westpac Foundation in 2024 revealed the importance of this non-financial support, with 84 percent of partners gaining access to crucial networks and relationships and 95 percent reporting strengthened organisational capacity.

Westpac Group’s Workplace Giving Program, #DoubleTheGood, which matches employee donations to more than 150 Australian charities, was also recognised as the runner up in the Workplace Giving Program of the Year category.

The Australian Workplace Giving Awards are now in their ninth year. With seven award categories, Westpac Group was one of four finalists for Best Grants Program alongside Australia Post, Endeavour Energy and QBE Insurance.