Helen Macpherson Smith Trust An Independent Philanthropic Trust

Helen Macpherson Smith Trust An Independent Philanthropic Trust Chris Wootton 8 October 2010 HMS Trust 2010

HMS Helen Bushfires Macpherson Grants Smith Trust Fund L. E. W Carty Charitable Fund John Villiers Trust Macpherson Smith HMS Trust 2010 Community Alliance

Ø Ø Ø Ø Established in 1951 Initial corpus of £ 275, 000 – current value around $90 million 3 Grant rounds per year – end of September, January & April (Approx $5 -$6 million per year) Allocate grants via a Granting Policy and Grants Committee of the Trust Total grants to date of over $85+ million Support Victorian Charitable Institutions, Public Benevolent Institutions & Health Promotion Charities www. hmstrust. org. au HMS Trust 2010

Streams Ø Small Grants (<$25, 000) Funding Areas: Ø Ø Ø Ø Aged Persons Care and Support Arts, Culture and Heritage Community Support Disabled Care and Support Education Employment and Vocational Training Environment Health and Medical Research

Streams Ø Strands Priority Areas: Ageing (research theme) Ø Belonging Ø Building Community Spirit Ø Youth Health (research theme) Ø

Streams Ø Partnerships Key Features: Collaborations Ø Usually multi-year Ø Capacity building & organisational development Ø Via an Expression of Interest process Ø

What Makes a Good Grant? 1. Clearly define the need and your project 2. Match the granting agency with your project – look at guidelines, annual reports & previous grants 3. Read guidelines carefully especially any themes, special requirements/eligibility etc 4. Double-check where your project proposal can be improved 5. Contact the granting agency and discuss your project informally and gauge reaction 6. Keep the application clear and precise HMS Trust 2010

NFP/Third Sector – Sources of Income Productivity Commission, 2009 Table 4. 9 HMS October Trust 2010

NFP/Third Sector – Sources of Income Productivity Commission, 2009 Table 4. 9 HMS October Trust 2010

Common Mistakes? 1. Too detailed – lay audience (Trustees) 2. Not reading guidelines 3. Not checking previously awarded grants 4. Attaching standard letters of support 5. Seeking too much funding – relative to other funding partners 6. Seeking too little funding – limiting the projects success 7. Failing the ‘replication-test’ 8. Seeking support for ‘on-going’ programs 9. Being ‘too passionate’ HMS Trust 2010

Seven Approaches to ‘Good’ Philanthropy Gifts, donations & scholarships Venture capital, micro-credit & social enterprises Individual-Based Project-Based Investment-Based Discrete projects Philanthropy Interventionist Funder-led facilitation to address a community need Collaborative Funders work together in HMS Trust 2010 common areas of interest Organisation-Based Tactical Capacity building & unrestricted funding More focused funding

Granting Tensions Responsive Proactive Small grants Large grants Cheque-book Value-add Follow Lead Low Risk High Risk Low profile High profile Trust persona Staff persona HMS Trust 2010

Decision-Making Parameters Trustees Granting Professional Granting Guidelines Potential Grantees HMS Trust 2010

Balance of Power Grantor Grantee HMS Trust 2010

Questions/Discussion HMS Trust 2010