Variety Sprout Fund
We had a great response to our first round of grant funding through the Variety Sprout Fund – thank you everyone who submitted an application.
Announcement, 27 November, 2017: Variety makes futures brighter for SA Kids by granting $1.2m to eight organisations
After a rigorous selection process, Variety – the Children’s Charity of South Australia today announced the eight successful applicants of the Variety Sprout Fund, who will receive a combined total of $1.2 million over three years, estimated to positively impact the lives of up to 185,000 children in South Australia.
The recipients of the funding encompass a range of areas across children’s well-being:
- The Institute of Child and Adolescent Obesity Management – Danny’s Place ‘Be Your Best’ lifestyle education and support program
- Autism SA – Sensory and social spaces for children and teens used for therapy as well as relaxation and socialisation
- The Carly Ryan Foundation – Project Connect – aiming to reduce violence against women and children
- Foodbank SA – Fresh Food Fridays – A program to provide fresh food packs for severely disadvantaged school children to take home on Fridays ahead of the weekend
- Encounter Youth – Party Safe Education Program – alcohol and drug prevention
- Still Aware – An education program aiming to lower the number of stillbirths in Australia
- Multicultural Youth SA – Gateway: Refugee Child and Adolescent Early Intervention
and Prevention Program for children with special needs - Down Syndrome – Fulfilling Regional Lives – Provision of an educational consultant for regional SA
The fund is a first of its kind for the leading children’s charity. They will inject the $1.2 million grant funding into the State in addition to their regular grants program that has exceeded $3m per annum for the past two years. As the Variety Sprout Fund grant is allocated over three years, it enables organisations to have security of long term funding, covering some costs not currently considered under the usual Variety grant criteria.
A sub-committee of Adelaide community leaders, Variety Chair, Dr. Kathryn Zeitz; Cardiologist and Chair of Variety’s Grants Committee, Dr. Bronte Ayres; Chair of the Australian Red Cross Blood Service and Chair of the Australian Digital Health Agency, Jim Birch AM and Australian Federal Police officer and AFLW Head Coach, Adelaide Football Club, Bec Goddard, came together to shortlist the applicants. The shortlist of 12 was then considered by the independent Variety Grants Committee to select the finalists.
As a grants-only provider, Variety distributes funding directly to families with children in need or to those organisations who assist them. In the past 12 months alone, more than 33,000 South Australian children have been supported.
“Variety is excited to be able to provide this additional funding to help brighten the future of even more South Australian children,’’ said Dr. Kathryn Zeitz, Chair of Variety SA Board.
‘’We received a strong response to our call for applications and have made our selection based upon innovative programs that support a wider range of children in need,’’ she said.
Since 1983, Variety has granted more than $57,000,000 to assist to children in need in the State, including schools, hospitals, individual families and other children’s charities.
