P500 Pitch & Vote Night 2025: A Celebration of Community, Connection and Local Impact
As the sun set over Geelong West Town Hall on Thursday evening, more than 200 generous locals — children, teens, first-time donors, long-time supporters and guests — gathered for the 2025 P500 Pitch & Vote Night.
Hosted by the P500 Committee, the event was a vibrant celebration of community spirit and the extraordinary things that happen when people come together to invest in local change.
Chair Cormac Hanrahan opened the night by reflecting on P500’s nine-year journey — from a bold idea to a thriving, community-led movement.
In 2025, 315 donors contributed $500 each, raising $157,500, supported by the generosity of matched giving partners Tuckers Funeral & Bereavement Services, Virtual IT Group, and Muirfield Financial Services.
Cormac also highlighted the strength of the P500 model, where half of all donations support the annual grants, while the other half grows the P500 Sub Fund, now valued at more than $600,000 and building long-term benefit for Greater Geelong.
Guests then heard from Farm My School, last year’s P500 Major Grant recipient. Trainee farmer Alex Barrios shared how the grant has created real pathways for young people through regenerative agriculture — a powerful demonstration of what donor generosity makes possible.
The three 2025 finalists — Foundation 61, Western Chances and The Empowerment Challenge — then delivered pitch presentations rich in honesty, courage and lived experience.
Stories of recovery, opportunity and generational change filled the room, including the voice of “Emily,” a young mum navigating profound disadvantage and fear:
“I’m a mum of two, living in a world that constantly doubts me. I want things to be different for my children, but I’m alone…
Then my phone beeps: ‘Hi, this is Laura from The Empowerment Challenge.’
That was the day my life changed — the day my children’s future was put on a different path.”
The room fell silent — a moment that captured exactly why P500 exists.
The strength of all three pitches made clear the depth of need — and the remarkable impact — of Geelong’s community organisations.
As votes were counted, a warm and celebratory atmosphere filled the hall. Guests enjoyed delicious catering by dal, and drinks generously provided by Bellarine Estate and Great Ocean Road Brewing.
Conversations flowed easily as donors, committee members, organisations and Foundation staff connected over shared values of generosity, belonging and pride in Geelong.
The Empowerment Challenge: 2025 P500 Grant Winner!
The announcement of The Empowerment Challenge as the 2025 P500 Grant Winner sparked an outpouring of emotion across the hall. Their team rose to their feet in joy — a long-awaited moment after years of dreaming of a permanent home for their work with young mums.
The organisation supports mothers facing some of the most complex challenges in our region:
- 100% experience significant socioeconomic disadvantage
- 85% have experienced or are experiencing family violence
- 60%+ are parenting alone with little or no support
The $88,000 P500 grant will enable The Empowerment Challenge to open a permanent, five-day-a-week Empowerment Hub — a safe, stable and accessible space where young mums can seek support, build community, connect with services and shape a stronger future for their families.
Co-founder Shannon Graham described the heart of their impact:
“The Empowerment Challenge began with just five mums. Today, we’ve supported more than 130 young mothers and their children — many carrying vulnerabilities that run generations deep. When we give a young mum hope, we change the story not just for her, but for every generation that follows.”
CEO Amy Waters reflected on the 2025 event:
“P500 continues to be one of the most joyful and accessible entry points into philanthropy in our region. The feeling in the room was extraordinary — hopeful, generous and united. We’re thrilled to see such deserving organisations benefit from the power of collective giving.”
Next year marks the 10-year anniversary of P500, and we’re aiming to make it the biggest and most impactful year yet.
If you value community, generosity and local impact, we warmly invite you to join the movement.
If this story inspires you, please share it with your networks — together, we can continue building a connected, fair and thriving Geelong community.
