Partnering for a thriving Canberra

In 2021-22, the collaborative and resilient nature of Hands Across Canberra continued to be critical to responding to community needs and meeting the challenges of the post-pandemic recovery phase. Our network grew in numbers and strengths. Our ability to collaborate, leverage resources, lean on and support each other throughout was critical to our efforts to amplify the impact of philanthropy for the benefit of our most disadvantaged community members.

The work of social change/recovery is bigger than any one person, business, organisation, institution or foundation – in 2021-22 we sought creative ways to combine our resources and build true/stronger partnerships with government, business, donors and nonprofits.

Our growing network of supporters and partners

The unique role of a community foundation is the ability to create public/private partnerships that bring different entities together for a common vision. Hands Across Canberra has many supporters and partners who play a key role in creating positive change in our community. They know that investing in Canberra benefits us all. We could not accomplish our goals without the support, involvement and enthusiasm of our committed partners. Through collaboration, partnership, and generosity, we’ve accomplished a lot together in a most challenging year.

Partnerships took various forms, including sponsorship of events, direct grants, volunteering staff time and skills to support our network of organisations, donations, equity, named funds, in-kind support through products and services, building a charity house, mentoring and matching employee donations.

Core business partnerships

Several business partnerships are crucial to our organisation’s success and we are very grateful for their unwavering support.

• Charterpoint is a valued long-term partner, providing accounting support as well as financial management and advisory services
• Agency 9 has been integral to making every campaign, event and story a success: our growing brand awareness is largely due to them.
• JB Were continues to provide expert advice by managing our investment portfolio.
• Ernst & Young, Meyer Vandenberg and Sneddon Hall & Gallop Lawyers continue to provide professional services, as they have done in previous years.
• Swell is an integral part of the HAC family and supports all our website aspirations
• Foundant and the Austrailan Community Foundation have provided invaluable support and training as we transition to new CRM technology.
• PwC is our business planning partner
• Noetic is a new strategic business partner

Our media partners are integral to helping us raise awareness locally. We thank Region Media, ABC Canberra Radio, Canberra Weekly, CityNews, Canberra FM and WIN who amplify the great work of the charities we support.

Industry associations — including the ACT Master Builders’ Association, the Australian Information Industry Association and the Canberra Business Chamber — help Hands Across Canberra to network with the Canberra business community.

• The ACT Master Builders’ Association and its members have long provided in-kind support for charity, including the remarkable Strathnairn Charity House.
• The real estate and construction sectors continues to support us with in-kind, awareness raising and financial contributions. We thank Zango, Blackshaw, Independent, Luton properties, Maloney’s, PBS Building ACT and Hindmarsh.

We have wonderful relationships with our peer community foundations and are very grateful for their support, advice and shared resources.

• The Snow Foundation and Hands Across Canberra have a longstanding partnership, through which each seeks to address the needs of those experiencing disadvantage in our community. The Snow Foundation has been a supporter and collaborator with Hands Across Canberra from our inception in 2010 and a key partner in the Vital Signs.
• We also enjoy a strong partnership with the Aspen Foundation, the John James Foundation, the Chappell Foundation and the Australian Communities Foundation.

Hands Across Canberra recognises the considerable support it enjoys in our relationship with the ACT Government, particularly with the Community Services Directorate; with the Chief Minister, Treasury and Economic Development Directorate; and with our partners at the Office of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Affairs and at the Office of LGBTIQ+ Affairs.

We recognise and thank the following community-minded businesses for their support this year:

4Data, ActewAGL, AIE, Allbids, Aspen Medical, BAL Lawyers, Bellchambers Barrett, Brindabella Insurance, Callida consulting, Canberra Airport Group, Canberra Data Centre, Canberra Innovation Network, Canberra Physiotherapy, Canberra Plastic Surgery, Cantlie, Catalyst Management, Christine Shaw, Clear English Company, Cordelta, Corecom, Cre8ive, Coordinate, CTO Consulting, Deloitte, Digital Content Studio, Dymocks ACT, East Hotel, Elston, Excelerated, Fujitsu, Funraisin, Ginninderry, Hindmarsh, Hyatt Canberra, IBM, Icon Water, IKEA, John Beard, John McGrath Auto, King O’Malley’s, KPMG, Monarch Building Solutions, MV Lawyers, Noetic, OPF, Parker Coles Curtis Lawyers, PKUP, rawpro., Renaissance Homes, Rosella Street, RSM, Salesforce, SAP, Seeing Machines, Supabarn, Synergy, Tabcorp, The Canberra Symphony Orchestra, The Millhouse Ventures, the National Gallery of Australia, the National Zoo & Aquarium, the University of Canberra, Toshiba Australia, Toyota Canberra, Transport Canberra, Trinity Law, Unify Solutions, Village Building Company, Yellow Edge, Zango.

“We particularly acknowledge the work of our 369 charity partners. It is they who do the real work, looking after so many people and families in the most trying of times, with fundraising stopping and demand surging.  We applaud their capacity to innovate and to thrive in the most difficult circumstances imaginable.”