Each grant application must have the support of a financial advice professional. Community not-for-profits and charities seeking a Future2 grant must have their application supported by a member of the Association of Financial Advisers (AFA) or Financial Planning Association (FPA).

Corinna Dieters, Chair of the Future2 Grants Committee, said she looks forward to many more financial advice professionals identifying projects that are helping disadvantaged young Australians towards more fulfilling lives. 

“Your support may result in a grant that will transform the circumstances of needy young people and put them on the road to happy, productive lives”, she said.

“By nature, financial planners want to help people towards better, more secure lives. As well as giving financial advice, many find enormous personal satisfaction and enrichment from their involvement with those in the community who are most in need,” Ms Dieters added.

Applications may be made until 31 July. Future2 will announce the new grants in October.

Future2 Make the Difference! Grants fund projects aimed at 15-25 year olds who may be financially disadvantaged, homeless, juvenile justice offenders, drug or alcohol dependent, disabled or Indigenous. Funded projects have been in the areas of financial literacy, skills training, work experience, community service and mentoring. Since Future2 was established in 2007, the foundation has granted over $250,000 to 22 organisations across Australia. 

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Six grants totaling $50,000 were announced today by Future2, giving vital support to grassroots projects working to transform the lives of disadvantaged young Australians who are at risk.
The six were selected from 33 applications, each endorsed by a local financial planning professional. 

Four grants of $10,000 each have been awarded to new applicants and two $5,000 grants go to organisations that were recipients in 2010 and whose programs had outstanding, tangible outcomes for the young people involved.

• $5,000 to the Australian Children’s Music Foundation‘s (ACMF) Youth at Risk Music Program.  The application was supported by John Tutt, FPA member.
• $10,000 to Baptist Union Of Queensland Community Services Group  for the Glendyne mentoring and youth development program.  The application was supported by Shane Bradbury, ProInvest, AFA member.
• $10,000 to Blue Mountains Disability Services for Stepping Stones, a project to create youth employment in horticulture.  The application was supported by Peter Rheinberger, RFE Group, AFA member.
• $10,000 to Byron Bay Community Association Inc for Vision of Hope, a cafe-based mentoring program.  The application was supported by Paul Murphy, AdvicePlus, FPA member.
• $5,000 to Family Resource & Network Support Inc (FRANS) to help young people with disabilities live more independent lives by developing their ability to handle money (Croydon NSW).  The application was supported by Guy Thornycroft, FPA Sydney Chapter committee member.
• $10,000 to Live  Free Tassie for Breaking the Welfare Cycle, a program to help young drug and alcohol addicts into productive lives.  The application was supported by Andrew Glover CFP, FPA member.

The larger allocation of funds this year – the fifth time the grants have been made – was a response to greater demand for support and growing awareness of Future2 among financial planners.  This year grant applications were supported by members of both the Association of Financial Advisers (AFA) and the Financial Planning Association (FPA).  

“Clearly many not-for-profit organisations depend heavily on funds from private foundations and Future2’s focus is on helping those for whom a relatively small grant will have a major impact”, said Future2 Chair Steve Helmich who is also a member of the Grants Committee.

“We look forward to the day when – with the backing of financial planning professionals –  we can give much more and touch the lives of more young Australians who are marginalised and lack the opportunities most of us can take for granted”, Mr Helmich said.

Future2 made its first grants in 2007, the year of the Foundation’s establishment.  Each year since then trustees have made further grants under the Make the Difference! Grants program.  Including these latest grants, some $200,000 has been committed to community initiatives that are bringing a second chance and hope for a better future to financially and socially disadvantaged young Australians.

For a description of the programs funded, see 2011 Make the Difference! Grants brochure. To download from the Future2 website go to: www.future2foundation.org.au

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