Julia Quinn

For 60% of Australians money is a reason they have not pursued an individual talent or dream, while only 24% say fear of not being good enough was a reason, according to a new survey by AMP and Newspoll.

The findings come as AMP launches AMP’s Tomorrow Fund, an initiative that will give away up to $1 million a year to promote and nurture clever Australians from all walks of life to pursue an individual goal that makes a positive contribution to Australian society.

AMP Director Media and Community Relations, Julia Quinn, said the program was looking for talented and determined Australians who need a bit of a helping hand.

“AMP’s Tomorrow Fund is open to Australians of all ages from all walks of life who are working towards a goal or dream and need some financial help to get there.

“Money shouldn’t always be the obstacle for talented people who have a commitment to something that will make a difference in Australia.

“It might be a community project, an invention, social enterprise or maybe something left-of-field that has never been attempted before like setting an obscure world record. We’d like to give a helping hand to go out and fulfil that dream,” said Ms Quinn.

Grant sizes will vary from $10,000 up to $100,000 and will be awarded by an expert judging panel from a range of fields including social enterprise, science, the arts and technology.

Applications for AMP’s Tomorrow Fund are now open online until 31 August 2014.

Other Newspoll findings:

• From a list of Aussie inventions Australians singled out Penicillin as the greatest Aussie invention of all time at 43%, ahead of the cervical cancer vaccine (26%), Refrigerator (10%), WiFi (10%) and the Hills Hoist (8%).
• Two thirds of adults nominated Fred Hollows as the Australian who has made the biggest contribution to Australia, edging out indigenous land rights campaigner Eddie Mabo (17%), Australia’s first saint, Mary MacKillop (10%) and opera singer Dame Nellie Melba (2%).

AMP’s Tomorrow Fund is an initiative of the AMP Foundation, AMP’s charity arm. Since 1992, the AMP Foundation has donated over $70 million to hundreds of charities which do great work in their communities.

The post AMP launches $1 million Fund to support talented Australians: 60% of Australians say money has stopped them pursuing their dream appeared first on AdviserVoice.