Are you looking for a way to understand issues affecting our region and get involved in your community?
The Foundation is now calling for volunteers to join our Community Grant Review Panels to review the 2022 Education and Employment Grant applications.
Volunteering on the Foundation’s Community Grant Review panels is an engaging opportunity to get involved with your community and to learn more about the issues and the organisations creating change in our region. It also gives people a chance to provide feedback on where community donations are allocated.
Hugo Le Clerc from Harwood Andrews took part in the Survive and Thrive Community Grant Review Panels in March this year, to further develop his understanding of the needs in our community.
“Growing up in Geelong you only have a certain understanding of what happens in our community. Last year, I was part of the Foundation’s Loaned Executive program, which gave me sort of a background to understanding what help was needed within the G21 region, much of which I wasn’t even aware of.”
“That background meant that I wanted to further understand, you know how I could contribute even in a small way. I think there’s that sort of collective vision within the members of the panels when they come together – working collectively as a team to ensure the applicants really have the same vision and community-minded purpose as Give Where You Live,” Hugo added.
For Hugo, meeting like-minded people was another benefit of participating in the panels.
“The experience was fantastic. I got to meet a number of people within the community from various backgrounds and walks of life, who all have a similar goal of understanding the needs within the community and how organisations are attending to those needs,” Hugo said.
Being a Community Grant Review Panellist involves reading 3-4 grant applications before attending a discussion with other people on your panel to talk about which organisation you think will make the biggest impact in our community.