NGT receives a boost of core funding support from Nature Impact Collective
In some wonderful news that has come our way over the past month, I am delighted to be able to announce that NGT was awarded $270,000 in core funding support from Nature Impact Collective, in their inaugural funding round.
Nature Impact Collective is a new initiative of three founding philanthropic environmental foundations/trusts that work across Australia – Rendere Environmental Trust, Upotipotpon Foundation and Gum Tree Foundation. The members of Nature Impact Collective have strategically joined forces in this way to collectively support organisations that, in their own words:
“lead change from the grassroots to Parliaments, protect intact ecosystems and restore damaged wetlands and waterways, engaging many communities, including First Nations.”
NGT is one of five organisations awarded core funding support by Nature Impact Collective in its inaugural funding round, which had a focus on non-government organisations working to protect and restore inland waters. We consider being a recipient to be a real privilege, and an incredibly valuable endorsement of our work across south-eastern Australia.
While a funding announcement of this scale is normally associated with a public-facing ‘shiny project’ that has a high profile, the most incredible and valuable thing about this funding for us, is that it is not tied to a specific project, and is therefore able to support our organisation’s core funding needs. Given how rare and important this opportunity is for NGT to address the type of support needed to underpin the core functions of the organisation (those hidden costs that make it possible for us to operate successfully), we will not utilise these funds for on-ground projects or land purchase.
At the top of our list of priorities, is an upgrade our internal finance and project management system – which was developed and has been operated and single-handedly maintained for the past 12 years by Richard Crew, a retired accountant and senior business manager who is NGT’s longest-serving volunteer. As great as the system has been up until now, we are rapidly outgrowing it, so it is time to migrate across to an online platform to keep up with our very long list of active projects being implemented by our 35 regularly paid staff. With this in mind, the Nature Impact Collective grant funding has come along at just the right moment – and we are incredibly grateful for the support.
To learn more about the work of Nature Impact Collective and the first round of grants, please read their summary here or in the pdf viewer below. A short story about NGT can be seen by clicking through to page 2, and contact details for reaching out to Nature Impact Collective can also be found at the bottom of page 2.
