20 years of Westpac Group’s Matching Gifts program

Picture caption: From left to right – Cancer survivor and Cancer Council NSW ambassador, Lilli Gubbay, Cancer Council NSW CEO, Jeff Mitchell and Westpac employee, Helen Ristevski.

 

18 July 2018
 

This year marks the 20th anniversary of Westpac Group’s Matching Gifts program, which matches employee donations to eligible Australian charities dollar for dollar. During that time, Westpac and our employees have collectively donated $60 million to more than 2,000 charities across Australia with over 50% of employees participating in program each year.

Westpac Group employee Helen Ristevski says that using Matching Gifts makes perfect sense – everyone’s a winner, the charity benefits, employees benefit and Westpac benefits through helping its community.

When her father passed away from bowel cancer in 1997, Helen was inspired to start donating to the Cancer Council to help others who have been affected by the disease.

 

“I feel quite humbled that my small contribution can make a difference and the opportunity to do that through Westpac’s Matching Gifts program means that my donation will be matched dollar for dollar” said Helen, Senior Manager Risk and Compliance, Business and Everyday Banking.

 

Jeff Mitchell, CEO of Cancer Council NSW agrees. “Matched donations such as those from Westpac’s Matching Gifts Program help us to fund lifesaving research, prevention programs, support services such as peer groups, probono legal and financial advice, home help, transport to treatment and subsidised or free accommodation.”

 

It’s services like these that helped Lily Gubbay during her cancer journey, and now as a cancer survivor have given her the confidence to join the Cancer Council NSW’s Ambassador program to use her voice to raise awareness.

 

See how matched donations like Helen’s make a difference in the community.