Farm My School Awarded the 2024 P500 $80,000 Grant
The Geelong Community Foundation hosted its annual P500 Pitch & Vote Night on Thursday 14 November, where three organisations pitched for an $80,000 community grant.
The event was the conclusion of this year’s campaigning that attracted 278 donors, who each contributed $500, and these donors ultimately voted to award the funds to “Farm My School”, with Skyline Education Foundation and The Men’s Table as runners up.
Geelong Community Foundation CEO Amy Waters, said that “The P500 Committee was incredibly pleased to have 278 donors join the program this year, enabling the $80,000 grant, the largest grant in the program’s history.”
“It was also wonderful to welcome a record number of donors to our Geelong West Town Hall for the event.” She said.
“This year we had three very different organisations, who are working to address very different needs in our community, pitch their programs at our event. This presented a wonderful educational opportunity and made for a really challenging decision for our donors.”
All three pitch presentations were extremely well delivered and it was fantastic to see our donors engaging with the organisations through a Q&A.
The winners “Farm my School”, are a for-purpose organisation that transforms underutilised school grounds into regenerative market gardens, creating community hubs that foster health, resilience and connection. By reshaping urban spaces, everyday lives are being changed by building community knowledge and skills, while making healthy food more accessible and promoting equitable, sustainable, and resilient food systems.
The grant will contribute towards the wages of key roles vital to the continued growth of Farm My School’s regenerative farming program at Bellarine Secondary College. The roles include the Lead Mentor Farmer, Trainee Farmers and Community Engagement Manager roles. The funds will strengthen and sustain operations, ensuring the long-term financial viability of Farm My School’s programs.
This year the P500 program was also able to provide $2,250 to each of the runners up, an increase from $1,000 in previous years. These funds will support operational delivery in the Geelong area. The Foundation will also work with the runners up to roll their application into our 2025-26 Main Grant Round that opens on 9 December.
The P500 Committee is looking forward to delivering the 2025 P500 program which will aim to engage over 300 donors, enabling a grant of more than $85,000. For more information or to get involved please head to: Collective Giving Circle – P500
