Alexis George

The AMP Foundation is delighted to announce that Alexis George, AMP’s Chief Executive Officer, has accepted the invitation to take on the role of Chair of the AMP Foundation.

Ms George has been a Director of the AMP Foundation since March 2022. She succeeds Professor Peter Shergold AC, who has been the Chair of the AMP Foundation since 2018.

The AMP Foundation is one of Australia’s oldest and largest corporate foundations helping individuals and social enterprises create positive impact.

For more than 30 years, the AMP Foundation has financially supported a wide diversity of community-based organisations that help those in need – providing over $111 million in grants since 1992.

The last 12 months saw more than $4 million granted by the AMP Foundation with almost 1000 people positively impacted, including the two 30^th anniversary grants of $1 million to Global Sisters and First Australians Capital – underlining the collective impact the AMP Foundation is making together with communities across Australia.

At the same time, it has encouraged many of those who work at AMP to donate their skills, time and money to help charities and social enterprises support disadvantaged members of the community.

AMP Foundation Chief Executive Officer Nicola Stokes welcomed Ms George’s appointment and thanked Professor Shergold for his outstanding contribution to the Foundation and the not-for-profit sector in Australia.

Nicola Stokes, AMP Foundation Chief Executive Officer said: “The AMP Foundation and AMP recognise our shared responsibility of creating sustainable social impact, with the aim of helping everyone in our community to thrive.

“We are extremely grateful to Professor Shergold for his dedication and service to the AMP Foundation as Chair over the past six years. He has been instrumental in shaping the strategic direction and impact of the Foundation, as well as championing a culture of giving and volunteering across AMP.

“His leadership saw AMP Foundation invest in Australia’s first social impact bond and help fund the establishment of Social Ventures Australia (SVA) and Centre for Social Impact (CSI), who in turn have charted a path for a strong and sustainable sector.

“I am delighted that Alexis has accepted the invitation to become the Chair of the AMP Foundation. Over the past two and a half years on the AMP Foundation Board, Alexis has proven to be a passionate and visionary leader who shares our belief in the power of philanthropy to create positive change.

“Alexis’ focus will be on the individual, the community and lifelong giving which she demonstrates in her own life by being a Lifeline counsellor for over nine years as well as her unwavering commitment to giving her time, energy and money to several important charities in the community, who are meaningful to her and her family.”

Alexis George, AMP Chief Executive Officer said: “I am honoured to accept the role of Chair of AMP Foundation, which has a proud legacy of supporting the Australian community and making a positive and meaningful difference to the lives of many Australians.

“I look forward to working with Nicola and the board to further extend and deepen the impact of the AMP Foundation and I’m excited by what more we can achieve in the years to come.”

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Tomorrow Makers Jed Lusthaus, Jennie Hudson, Clive McFarland, Allegra Neve, Neil Pennock, Rebecca Glenn and Hema Fefita pose for a photo with AMP Chief Executive Alexis George and MC Adam Spencer.

AMP Foundation has announced A$1 million in AMP Tomorrow Fund grants to 27 Australians who, despite a challenging year, have made inspiring and meaningful contributions towards addressing some of the country’s most significant community issues.

The 2021 recipients, known as AMP Tomorrow Makers, are aged between 13 and 65 and are tackling a range of challenges and opportunities, including rural food security, children’s mental health, youth justice, female economic participation and Indigenous language preservation.

Established in 2014, the AMP Foundation has so far provided A$8 million in grants to more than 330 talented Australians working across a range of fields, including science, social innovation, sports, technology, arts, health and education.

Head of AMP Foundation Helen Liondos commented:

“This year the popular grants program attracted many high achievers who worked steadfastly to create positive change, despite all that 2021 threw at them.

“Every year we are amazed by the level of talented and enterprising people this program reveals, and 2021 has not disappointed. This year’s recipients are extraordinary individuals, with huge reserves of optimism and resilience in equal measure. They include 10 social innovators who are coming up with smart responses to some of our society’s biggest challenges.

“Around two-thirds of our winners are female, which reflects the higher rate of women we’ve seen  applying to be Tomorrow Makers over the past three years. Three of our Tomorrow Makers are working on projects designed to strengthen First Nations communities, four are scientists aiming to solve big challenges and seven are addressing health issues.

“Our Foundation has drawn a lot of inspiration from all 27 recipients, and we know the community will too.”

The 2021 AMP Tomorrow Makers include:

• Vanessa Farrelly: Pertame Southern Arrernte leader who runs a Batchelor Institute project in Alice Springs (Mparntwe) to revive the language of her people.
• Rebecca Glenn: Sydney-based charity founder who is increasing understanding of economic abuse through a designated awareness day, while advocating for structural and systems change.
• Thomas Fiedler: Newcastle-based materials scientist who is creating a wetsuit with strategically placed fibre-reinforced material to protect surfers in the event of a shark attack.
• Ruby Pandher: Children’s Cancer Institute researcher using a mass spectrometry platform to develop a blood test, in place of a biopsy, to determine how aggressive a childhood tumour is.
• Alicia Kennedy: Geelong vet working to embed vet social workers into practices and educate vets on how to help vulnerable Australians provide the best health care for their animal companions.For the full list of 2021 Tomorrow Makers, as well as profiles and videos, visit ampstomorrowfund.com.au

AMP’s Tomorrow Fund is an initiative of the AMP Foundation, which is AMP’s philanthropic arm. The annual grants program aims to support determined individuals who are working hard on a project that will benefit the community but need help to take it to the next level.

Each year, AMP’s Tomorrow Fund awards grants of up to A$100,000 for a wide range of activities, including training, travel costs, living expenses, research or small business costs. So far, 334 grants have been awarded.

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Stella Avramopoulos

A new partnership between AMP and financial wellbeing specialist Good Shepherd is providing meaningful support to clients experiencing hardship just weeks after its launch.

The partnership provides AMP clients experiencing financial hardship with further support, including direct access to specialised financial counselling provided by Good Shepherd – a non-profit organisation that works with government, community and corporates to provide financial wellbeing products and services.

The program, which is in addition to AMP’s existing financial hardship measures, includes a specialist team of Good Shepherd financial wellbeing experts and a social worker helping clients who would benefit from specialised counselling and support.

It also identifies and supports AMP clients at risk of financial hardship due to factors such as family violence, economic abuse, mental health issues or gambling addiction by providing referrals to community or health services.

Good Shepherd provided training to AMP client-facing employees from across the business to help them identify clients in need of additional support. Less than two months after its launch, employees are already reporting meaningful impacts.

Almost half of the clients referred to Good Shepherd went on to engage with at least three services – from a range of offerings, including financial counselling, support with paying utilities, food vouchers, support with housing and domestic violence support.

Head of the AMP Foundation, Helen Liondos commented: “This program makes it much easier for our people to connect clients at risk of financial hardship due to complex factors such as family violence, economic abuse and mental health issues with support services that can help put their lives back on track.

“For example, we had a recent case where a client indicated she was in an abusive relationship and after speaking with one of our trained team members, accepted an offer to speak to a Good Shepherd specialist. Their specialists supported the woman as she left the relationship and set herself up independently. This is just one story highlighting the importance of the program and partnership in supporting Australians during this difficult time.”

Good Shepherd Australia New Zealand CEO, Stella Avramopoulos commented: “We’re pleased to be partnering with AMP to provide this important service. We know the significant difference financial wellbeing and financial counselling support can provide people in their time of need.

“Over the past six months we have seen an increase in the number of Australians requiring support, and we know there are a lot more people that still need our help.”

Specialists from Good Shepherd work with AMP clients to:

• Explore ways to waive existing debt through financial counselling
• Ensure clients are aware of their rights
• Provide support to access existing rebates, grants and alternative forms of income
• Access the hardship provisions of institutional creditors
• Provide access to a social worker and referral paths to community or health services
• Support client to build their financial resilience, knowledge and skills.

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Some of the recipients of the AMP Foundation’s Tomorrow Fund for 2020s.

Forty outstanding individuals working hard to connect, support, educate, entertain and inspire Australians are sharing in $1 million of grants from the AMP Foundation’s Tomorrow Fund this year.

Since 2014, this AMP Foundation program has provided $7 million in grants to more than 300 Australians who are working hard to make a positive difference in their communities.

Known as AMP Tomorrow Makers, these inspiring award winners work across a range of fields and disciplines, including science, social innovation, sport, technology, disability advocacy, education and more. The grants are designed to help talented Australians to take their passion projects to the next level, from medical research, music production, technology, covering travel costs and more.

Our 2020 recipients range in age from 15 to 62 and come from across Australia – from Perth to Townsville, rural Victoria to inner-city Sydney and regional New South Wales.

The Tomorrow Makers’ projects also reflect major social challenges and issues faced in Australia today including addressing COVID-19 pandemic through online health and education and support to artists and musicians, as well as support to people who have experienced domestic violence.

Head of the AMP Foundation, Helen Liondos, commented: “Every year, hundreds of hard-working and innovative individuals apply for grants from the AMP Tomorrow Fund. The beauty of this unique program is that it’s open to any Australian, of any age, from any part of Australia. All they need to have is an unrelenting commitment to what they’re trying to achieve and to contribute to our community.

“Award winners can use their grants to fund a wide range of items to help them achieve their goal – whether it’s a vital piece of equipment, training or expert support. These boosts can make all the difference to a project’s success.

“Despite all the disruption of this year, so many Australians remain committed to making a positive impact on their communities. These  individuals, who continue to train hard, create new art, search for scientific or social solutions, are not only inspirations but also confirmation that Australia has a wealth of exceptional individuals to take us into better days.”

The 2020 AMP Tomorrow Makers include:

• Samantha Devlin offers virtual work experience opportunities to rural and regional students
• Ryan Tilley invented a ‘trekking boot’ for wheelchairs to make the outdoors more inclusive
• Bronwyn Bate runs a social enterprise that trains and hires domestic violence survivors
• James Elazzi is a playwright who wants to share more stories from minority communities
• Carly Stanley aims to keep Aboriginal people out of the justice and child protection systems
• Myles Young is designing an online program to help combat obesity and depression in men

See the full list of 2020 Tomorrow Makers, plus profiles and videos.

About AMP’s Tomorrow Fund

AMP’s Tomorrow Fund is an initiative of the AMP Foundation, which is AMP’s philanthropic arm. The annual grants program aims to support determined individuals who are working hard on a project that will benefit the community but need help to take it to the next level.

Each year, AMP’s Tomorrow Fund awards grants of up to $100,000 for a wide range of activities, including training, travel costs, living expenses, research or small business funding. So far, 307 grants have been awarded.

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Hamish Landreth

AMP is marking 10 years of its advisers helping cancer patients and their families with pro bono financial advice through the AMP Foundation’s partnership with the Cancer Council.

Since 2010, advisers in the AMP network have supported more than 6,500 people affected by cancer – patients and their families – to address their financial challenges through Cancer Council’s Pro Bono Program.

During this time, the AMP Foundation has contributed more than $1 million towards the referral service that matches pro bono clients with an adviser in their area.

Head of the AMP Foundation Helen Liondos said the pro bono advice service provided invaluable help to people often faced with a sudden loss of income, unexpected bills and having to deal with calls and paperwork, all while undergoing cancer treatment.

“Advisers in the pro bono program are taking a great deal of pressure off families at this stressful time,” Ms Liondos said.

About 340 practices in the AMP network across Australia are currently enlisted in the program.

Adviser Hamish Landreth of Prosperity Advisers in Brisbane said seeing how clients faced their challenges had been inspiring.

”The way that they handle their diagnosis while also trying to secure their family’s financial future is pretty inspiring,”  Mr Landreth said.

“I find it really rewarding to work with people in this situation and help them in even a small way”.

Bill Rainger of Wealthpartners Financial Solutions in Sydney said one of his most rewarding cases was helping a man secure funds which were partly used for a final family road trip.

“Upon his passing, his spouse sent us photos from their trip around Australia and reminded us that he always said, ‘I did everything I wanted to do with that money,’” Mr Rainger said.

“It was a privilege in my position as a financial adviser to be involved and I will never forget seeing him enjoy precious time with his family.”

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AMP Foundation’s COVID-19 Community Boost will fund a range of initiatives – including meeting increased demand for food and housing security, addressing a drop in volunteer numbers, providing new approaches to health and wellbeing as well as alternative access to education, the arts and technology in these challenging times.

Capacity-building grants of up to $200,000 can be used for a range of purposes, including salaries, equipment, training and technology.

To be eligible an organisation must:

• Have deductible gift recipient (DGR) status and been operating for at least two years (since at least June 2018)
• Have an annual income of under $20 million
• Derive less than 70% of its annual income from government sources

Head of the AMP Foundation Helen Liondos said the grants are designed to support the many non-profits that have already adapted how they work in these challenging circumstances, but need funding to ensure they can continue meeting the demand for quality and impactful community services.

“The Foundation has been so impressed by the agile response of so many non-profit organisations to the COVID-19 crisis, especially given the challenges that preceded the pandemic,” Ms Liondos said.

“The collaboration and ingenuity that has gone into maintaining existing services and developing new ones for these times, has been phenomenal. But we know that many organisations could increase their impact with better technology, more human resources, equipment and training.

“These are the types of areas our COVID-19 Community Boost will fund, enabling non-profits to build their capacity to help Australian communities to recover.”

Eligible non-profit organisations can apply at here until 5pm on 18 June 2020.

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Since 2014, the Tomorrow Fund has provided $6 million in grants to hundreds of Australians who are working to make a difference in our community.

Known as AMP Tomorrow Makers, these award winners work in a variety of fields, including science, social innovation, sport, technology, education and more. The grants aim to help people take the passions they have been toiling away on to the next level.

Our 2019 winners range in age from 19 to 59 and come from across Australia – from Broome to Hobart. This year there are more female Tomorrow Makers, reflecting the higher female application rate (62%).

Helen Liondos, Head of Sustainability and the AMP Foundation, said:

“Six years into this program, it’s apparent that there is an inexhaustible supply of innovative, community-minded Australians who are working with small budgets to make a big social impact.

“Their passion and commitment often hide the fact that they are not well resourced. Some are juggling two jobs to make ends meet; others are combining research with clinical practice or teaching, while many draw on dedicated volunteers to make a difference in the community.”

Ms Liondos said these experiences reflected AMP Foundation research conducted earlier in 2019 that found 67% of Australians were working on a side project.

“For these entrepreneurial Australians, the AMP Tomorrow Fund is a very attractive program given its flexibility. Award winners can use their grants to fund a wide range of items that will help them achieve their goal – whether it’s a vital piece of equipment, training or travel. We know from experience that a well-timed boost can make all the difference to a project’s success.”

The 2019 AMP Tomorrow Makers include:

• Anne Thompson runs Sustainable Schoolwear, which provides school uniforms that are made from recycled plastic.
• Gemma Sharp is developing a world-first body image focused ‘chatbot’ that uses artificial intelligence to connect with social media users.
• Corey Tutt is a young Kamilaroi man who set up the Deadly Science program, which delivers books and resources to spark a love of science in rural and remote Indigenous students.
• Erika Gleeson founded Autism Swim which trains aquatic professionals to teach people with autism swimming, water safety and water therapy.
• Danny Hui drew on his family experience to create the ‘sameview’ platform, which streamlines communication between the many support workers involved in the care of children with disability.

For the full list of 2019 Tomorrow Makers, as well as profiles and videos, visit ampstomorrowfund.com.au.

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Anirudh Kathirvel

The AMP Foundation has marked the five-year anniversary of its annual awards program, the Tomorrow Fund, which has provided $5 million in funding to 230 Australians doing extraordinary things.

During the past five years, the Tomorrow Fund has received more than 10,000 applications and provided grants to Australians from Tully to Sydney, Roebourne to Melbourne.

Known as AMP Tomorrow Makers, the people awarded grants from the AMP Foundation are making a difference in fields as diverse as science, social innovation education and sport. Their goals are equally as varied from a 13-year-old budding scientist hoping to one day cure mitochondrial disease, to a 73-year old advocate for senior Australians.

In 2018, the fifth year of the program, 43 Australians shared $1 million in grants to help them continue working on projects and passions that benefit the community.

The 2018 recipients include scientists, educators, social entrepreneurs, artists and athletes. They include:

• Anirudh Kathirvel, the youngest 2018 recipient at 13 years of age, is going to the US to take part in the University of Pennsylvania neuroscience research program.
• Eva Kimonis, a clinical psychologist who wants to help families of children with serious behavioural disorders by establishing school-based clinics.
• Hunter Johnson co-founded The Man Cave – an innovative non-profit that runs preventative and emotional intelligence programs for boys and young men.
• Robyn Leonard, who founded Brain Cancer Biobanking Australia after her daughter Lucie lost her battle against the disease to help drive vital research.
• Monique Mastrobattista, a kindness champion and author, who experienced a cyberbullying attack but turned this adversity into advocacy by spreading her kindness message.

Helen Liondos, Head of Sustainability and the AMP Foundation, said:

“This year’s recipients are truly inspiring and many have been motivated by very personal experiences to help others.

“Several are motivated by the loss of loved ones to fight disease and support others going through hard times; while others are inspired by their personal stories to tackle social issues such as bullying and unemployment.

“There are so many Australians looking to achieve great things for our community. However, many find it difficult to access any funding. The Tomorrow Fund has been designed to help them access support.”

“The diversity of this year’s Tomorrow Makers once again demonstrates the talent and innovation that exists in our community. The beauty of the Tomorrow Fund is that the funds can be used for a range of things to help people achieve their goal whether it’s a vital piece of equipment, training or travel. That flexibility can foster agility and innovation.”

2017 Tomorrow Maker Lana Borg, who founded non-profit Mama Lana’s Community Foundation to feed the homeless in western Sydney, agrees.

She said: “The AMP Tomorrow Fund meant everything to us. It’s helped us to move into our own premises in Penrith so now we can serve meals to people doing it tough with dignity and respect, rather than in a carpark.

“This grant was validation that, although Mama Lana’s is a small organisation, it plays a crucial role in our community. AMP’s Tomorrow Fund gave us a boost at the right time and has enabled us to more effectively help others.”

For the full list of 2018 Tomorrow Makers, as well as profiles and videos, visit ampstomorrowfund.com.au.

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Through its AMP Employment Boost initiative, the foundation is looking to form long-term partnerships with non-profit organisations that help disadvantaged Australiansgain and maintain work – either through program delivery, thought leadership, community collaboration, social enterprise or other means

AMP Foundation Chairman Richard Grellman said the AMP Employment Boost continued the foundation’s tradition of helping non-profits support disadvantaged Australians:

“We know employment is a key driver of economic well being. Through AMP’s Employment Boost, we aim to provide support to organisations that think outside the box when it comes to helping vulnerable people enjoy the social and financial benefits associated with steady work,” Mr Grellman said.

“We are looking for long-term partnerships with a small number of innovative and effective non-profit organisations. The AMP Foundation partners with non-profits for thelong term. Our longest partnership spans 16 years and typically continue for at least eight years.”

AMP’s Employment Boost is looking for organisations that:

•  support Australian marginalised job seekers, including young people, mature Australians, people with disabilities, refugee and asylum seekers, andcommunities
• bring about systemic change
• are experienced in delivering employment solutions
• can provide evidence of outcomes. If it is a new project, there must be evidence of research undertaken and a plan to measure outcomes have an interest in and are capable of scaling up programs or collaborating with others to share their solution

Organisations that provide thought leadership or help build the capacity of other non-profits working in the employment space are also encouraged to apply. The AMP Foundation aims to support programs for disadvantaged people of all ages, gender and circumstances who live in Australia.

Initial funding will range from $100,000 to $300,000 per annum and partnerships will run for three years with an additional three years possible, based on performance.

Organisations can apply at boost.amp.com.au from 2 March until 4pm (AEST) on Monday 4 April.

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