The Qantas Foundation - News
July 2009
The Qantas Foundation announced the winner of the 2009 Qantas Foundation Encouragement of Australian Contemporary Art Award. The Award is one of the richest art prizes in Australia with a total value of $184,000. It is also unique, requiring entrants to submit a body of work, rather than one individual piece, to be in the running. A winner from each state and territory was awarded $13,000 cash and air travel to the value of $10,000. The state and territory winners are: ACT- Tiffany Cole, NSW - Izabela Pluta, NT - Marina Murdilnga, QLD - Laith McGregor, SA - Peter McKay, TAS - James Newitt, VIC - Nick Selenitsch and WA - Nicole Andrijevic and Tanya Schultz (Pip and Pop).
June 2009
Around 30 students from Alexandria Park School visited the Qantas Heritage Collection as part of Qantas' participation in the Australian Business and Community Network Transitions program. The program also involves employees from Qantas' emerging leaders talent program mentoring a group of students from Alexandria Park School. The students spoke to a range of Qantas employees from cabin crew, catering, airports, engineering and professional services, to learn about the different careers that are available to them. A surprise visit by Qantas Chief Executive Officer Alan Joyce saw many of the students sit down with him, to ask what it's really like to run Australia's biggest airline!
The Qantas Foundation donated $100,000 to Fauna and Flora International (FFI) Australia. FFI is a leading international conservation organisation with a mission to conserve threatened species and ecosystems. The Qantas Foundation donation will help FFI support its first Australia-based effort which aims to conserve internationally significant biodiversity areas such as the world heritage listed Fraser Island and Great Sandy Strait Wetland.
May 2009
The Qantas Foundation donated Taronga Zoo tickets to Alexandria Park School as a gesture of goodwill from the airline to the school. Alexandria Park is Qantas' partner school in an ABCN program which teams disadvantaged schools with some of Australia's well known companies. Alexandria Park Assistant Principal Jann Hanekroot accompanied the children, from the school's kinder to year three classes, on the excursion and said the outing opened up a whole new world for the children.
April 2009
The Qantas Foundation celebrated its first birthday in April, and is looking forward to helping Qantas continue its reputation as one of Australia's leading corporate philanthropists. In just one year, the Foundation has donated over $1 million dollars to humanitarian, environmental and creative arts endeavours.
March 2009
The Qantas Foundation provided A$100,000 to Landcare Australia to support water quality projects across three states - Victoria, Tasmania and the Northern Territory. Landcare is one of Australia's peak not-for-profit environmental bodies and also includes Coastcare, which aims to raise funds to undertake projects that restore and protect Australia's environment.
The Qantas Foundation donated A$100,000 to the Great Barrier Reef Foundation (GBRF) to help fund research that will assist scientists in implementing an action plan to protect and preserve the future of the Great Barrier Reef.
February 2009
To support the 2009 Victorian Bushfire Appeal Fund, the Qantas Foundation Humanitarian Fund has donated a total of A$431 000 to the Australian Red Cross to help individuals and communities affected by the bushfires. Qantas employees donated an inspiring A$190,500 to the Qantas Foundation Humanitarian Fund and a further A$50,000 direct to the Australian Red Cross. Qantas matched dollar for dollar the total employee donations of A$240,500 to the Qantas Foundation Humanitarian Fund.
October 2008
The Qantas Foundation donated $100,000 worth of support to the Royal Flying Doctor Services (RFDS). The donation will help the RFDS in their valuable work of delivering medical treatment and emergency assistance around regional and rural Australian communities.
The Qantas Foundation and the Centre for Social Impact co-hosted the inaugural Qantas Foundation Lecture on 14 October 2008. The first lecture was delivered by Lord Michael Hastings CBE, the Global Head of Citizenship and Diversity with KPMG International. Around 100 corporate and not-for-profit leaders attended the event, where they heard Lord Hastings speak about the relationship between the corporate and not-for-profit sectors and outline the importance of maintaining strong family values in western societies.
The Qantas Foundation's Reading Mentoring Program was launched on 22 October 2008 at the Chifley Primary School. The Reading program is the Foundation's first initiative with ABCN and involves Qantas' staff visiting the disadvantaged school in the local Mascot area, to read with their 7 and 8 year old students.
September 2008
The Qantas Foundation becomes a member of the Australian Business and Community Network (ABCN) to provide support to disadvantaged schools and students. ABCN is a charitable organisation that funds and runs programs and partnerships in the area of youth education. Programs are created in response to real needs nominated by disadvantaged schools.
