P500 donors award $79,000 community wellbeing grant to Tiny Dots Early Intervention

The Geelong Community Foundation this week held its annual P500 Pitch & Vote Night, with three shortlisted community organisations vying for a $79,000 community wellbeing grant.

The event was the culmination of the campaign that attracted 279 donors, who each contributed $500 towards the grant, and these donors ultimately voted to award the funds to Tiny Dots Early Intervention.

Geelong Community Foundation CEO Gail Rodgers, said that it was incredibly exciting to welcome P500 donors to the Geelong West Town Hall for the event, with a palpable buzz in the air.

“Donors understood that they were about to giveaway $79,000 and not a single person was taking that difficult task for granted,” she said.

“All three pitch presentations were extremely well delivered and diverse in the way in which they support our community. The Q&A session with donors saw some very well considered questions, with many obviously challeneged in trying to decide which organisation was going to receive their vote.

“Tiny Dot’s win was by the smallest of margin, as was the difference between the runners-up. We are so lucky to have these three organisations helping those in need in our region.

“The Foundation has watched Tiny Dots develop over the last five years and the passion for the work they do is so obvious, changing the way parents engage and support their babies with developmental delay. Tiny Dots identified a gap in the system and have worked hard to ensure our most vulnerable get the right support, advice and therapy in those first few months of their lives.”

The P500 program, driven by a volunteer committee, is an annual campaign and will seek to attract over 300 donors in 2024 which will push the grant to in excess of $90,000.

Applicants for the grant must deliver a community wellbeing project within the City of Greater Geelong, Borough of Queenscliffe, Surf Coast Shire, or the southern part of the Golden Plains Shire. Projects can be delivered over a one-or-two year period.

Past winners have included Wombat’s Wish, Geelong Youth Engagement and Feed Me Bellarine with impacted areas including child bereavement, mental health, disadvantage, school disengagement and food security.

For more information or to get involved please head to:   Collective Giving Circle – P500