Border Trust CEO Sue Gold, founding board director Chris Horton and Albury Wodonga Regional Foodshare’s Sue Thornton at the launch of the $20 million Community Impact Fund. Photo: Supplied.
It was a particularly fitting backdrop for an Albury-Wodonga charity to launch an ambitious $20 million initiative to safeguard local causes for generations to come.
With an event overlooking Lake Hume, Border Trust celebrated its 20th anniversary with the announcement of a Community Impact Fund designed to become “the region’s most enduring community asset”.
The location was itself a powerful symbol of the collective power of building something lasting … drop by drop.
Something the Border Trust’s name has become synonymous with in the two decades it has spent working with local donors to distribute $5 million in grants to community groups and charities across the Albury-Wodonga, Towong, Indigo, Federation and Greater Hume regions.
Now, Border Trust is looking to the future, said founding board director Chris Horton.
“When we first established Border Trust, our goal was to create something truly local and lasting,” Mr Horton said.
“To see the Community Impact Fund (CIF) being launched 20 years later – something that will benefit the region for generations – is both humbling and inspiring.”
The CIF aims to generate sustainable, long-term funding for local not-for-profits through investment income, according to Border Trust executive officer Sue Gold, who said the $20 million target will be built over time through donations, fundraising and community partnerships.
“We know the need in our community is great, and we also know that our local giving spirit is even greater,” Ms Gold said.
“The Community Impact Fund is about future-proofing our region. Imagine what local not-for-profits could achieve if they had confidence that there was a consistent stream of funding to support them to address local issues.”
The scope of Border Trust grants has addressed issues ranging from social isolation and youth mental health to natural disaster recovery and community leadership.
Albury-Wodonga Regional Foodshare is among the many organisations that have benefitted from the trust’s ethos of harnessing the collective power of giving with upgrades to infrastructure, emergency food relief projects and safety equipment for volunteers.
“We’re incredibly grateful to Border Trust for their continued commitment to supporting local organisations who exist to strengthen our community,” Foodshare chief executive Katrina Pawley said.
“The Community Impact Fund is exactly the kind of support regional not-for-profits need — in that it’s long-term, place-based, and focused on what matters to our local community.”
For long-time donor Pauline Harbick, the strength of the Border Trust’s work lies in the fact every dollar stays in the community.
“The Community Impact Fund is a chance for all of us to leave a legacy of care, connection, and impact,” she said.
Ms Gold said the fund would only become a reality if “we build it together”.
“Whether you donate, fundraise, or help us spread the word – every action counts,” she said.
“Like Lake Hume, the Community Impact Fund will be filled one contribution at a time. And like Lake Hume, it will become a vital, lasting resource for our region.”
For more information or to learn more about the work of the Border Trust visit the website.
