YWCA Canberra and its partners are once again supporting women and girls in the Canberra region to bring their dreams to life through the Great Ydeas Small Grants Program, with applications opening this week.
With the support of business and philanthropic partnerships, this year’s grants program will offer a pool of $13,000 in funding for local women and girls, including female-identifying people, and non-binary people, to pursue their passions and improve our community.
Frances Crimmins, YWCA Canberra’s Chief Executive Officer, said she is thrilled that ongoing partnerships facilitated two targeted grants this year, in addition to the $9,000 available through YWCA Canberra’s own funding.
“With the support of our partners, EY and the Canberra Innovation Network, we have demonstrated the collective social impact that is possible when corporate, philanthropic and community organisations connect.
“Our Great Ydeas program began ten years ago, in celebration of YWCA Canberra’s 80th anniversary,” Ms Crimmins said. “We were thrilled to announce at our 90th anniversary in October that we are continuing the program for another ten years.”
“The Great Ydeas program has had significant impact on Canberra women and our broader community,” Ms Crimmins said.
Over the last ten years, Great Ydeas grants have helped more than 60 local women and girls to progress projects including establishing a podcast, launching a public awareness campaign, running empowering programs for girls, attending a conference and launching a social enterprise.
“Our past recipients have gone on to achieve amazing things. We’ve recently seen local musician Vendulka represent our region on the Voice. And Caterina Giorgi started For Purpose, a strategy and professional development organisation that works with not-for-profits to accelerate change. For Purpose has gone from strength to strength and now includes a national network of people working to create change.”
Recipients of the 2020 YWCA Canberra Great Ydeas Small Grants will be announced at the annual YWCA Canberra Breakfast. The event is also an annual celebration of World YWCA Day and a fundraiser for YWCA Canberra’s housing initiatives for vulnerable Canberrans.
Great Ydeas applications close on Monday 6 April. Grant application forms and YWCA Canberra Breakfast tickets are available via www.ywca-canberra.org.au.
Media contact: Kelli-Anne Bertram, 0429 210 881, Kelli-Anne.Bertram@ywca-canberra.org.au