Now in its ninth year, YWCA Canberra and its partners have supported 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 $14,000 in funding.
Grants of up to $2,000 are available in the categories of small business, community development, the arts, diversity and inclusion, social enterprise, and professional development.
Frances Crimmins, YWCA Canberra’s Chief Executive Officer, said she is thrilled that ongoing partnerships facilitated a range of targeted grants this year, in addition to the $8,000 available through YWCA Canberra’s own funding.
“With the support of our partners, Microsoft, EY and the Canberra Innovation Network, we have demonstrated the collective social impact that is possible when corporate, philanthropic and community organisations connect.
“It’s wonderful to have witnessed the growth of the Great Ydeas program over the past nine years, and the significant impact this program has made on Canberra women and our broader community,” Ms Crimmins said.
The program was launched in 2010 in celebration of YWCA Canberra’s 80th anniversary. Since then, more than 60 women have been awarded a grant, and received ongoing support as they work towards their goals.
“Our past recipients have gone on to achieve amazing things. One of our 2014 recipients, Hannah Wandel, has since been named as ACT Young Australian of the Year for her work leading Country to Canberra.
“And 2017 recipient, high school student Kavinya Welikala, was a finalist in the 2018 BHP Billiton Science and Engineering Foundation Awards for developing a heart monitoring mobile app that has the potential to save lives.”
Recipients of the 2019 YWCA Canberra Great Ydeas Small Grants will be announced at the annual YWCA Canberra Great Ydeas Innovation Breakfast on Wednesday 10 April. 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 Thursday 21 March. Grant application forms and Innovation Breakfast tickets are available via www.ywca-canberra.org.au.
Media contact: Helen Machalias 0455 655 330