Rye and District Community Financial Services Ltd

Community Funding

Your Local Community Bank® Branches – Rye, Dromana, Rosebud

A Community Bank® branch is a locally owned and operated company functioning as a franchise of Bendigo Bank. Once the local company makes an operating surplus, 80 percent of its profits must be reinvested back into the local community. Therefore, by banking with your local Community Bank® branch, you’re supporting your local community.

Rye and District Community Financial Services Ltd consists of three Community Bank® branches of Bendigo Bank situated at Rye, Dromana and Rosebud. Through the backing of the local community, these three branches now provide $500,000 in funding per year in support of a strong community on the Southern Mornington Peninsula.

Funding Available

Rye and District Community Financial Services Ltd has a vision of a strong community on the Southern Mornington Peninsula and aims to contribute to the achievement of this vision by providing sponsorship, grants and investments in support of local community organisations, community programs and initiatives that contribute to a strong community.

In this financial year, Rye and District Community Financial Services Ltd will dedicate $500,000 in funds to sponsor local community organisations, provide grants in support of community programs and to initiate larger community investments.

Sponsorship: $1 – $10,000

Sponsorship plays a valuable role in financially supporting local community organisations and in promoting your local Community Bank® branches. For example, most local sports organisations depend on the financial support of sponsors while your local Community Bank® branches depend on customers, many of whom are members of local sports organisations. Therefore, neither could survive without the other.

Rye and District Community Financial Services Ltd provides sponsorship funds of $1 – $10,000 to local organisations of a range of types, for a range of purposes, in return for promotional opportunities.
To apply for sponsorship for your organisation, please use the Sponsorship Application Form.

Grants: $10,001 – $25,000

Rye and District Community Financial Services Ltd recognises the important role community programs play in positively shaping our local community. Therefore, we provide financial support for community programs that help us achieve our vision of a strong community on the Southern Mornington Peninsula by fulfilling an identified need (ie employment, nutrition, recreation, education/training, transport, health, safety, etc) of the individuals based in the area.

Rye and District Community Financial Services Ltd encourages organisations to apply for one-off grant funds of $10,001-$25,000 to support an existing or new community program that will have a positive impact on our local community.

To apply for a grant for your community program, please use the Grant Application Form.

Community Investments: $25,001+

Rye and District Community Financial Services Ltd is committed to working in partnership with other businesses, local and state government as well as community organisations to incubate creative solutions that increase the chances of achieving our vision of a strong community on the Southern Mornington Peninsula.

We therefore encourage like-minded organisations with a big idea intended to have a transformative impact on the local community to start discussions about partnering with us by completing the Community Investment Application Form.

The Application Process

Rye and District Community Financial Services Ltd has $500,000 in funding available to be reinvested into the Southern Mornington Peninsula community each year. Obtaining funds from this pool is a competitive process that takes place twice per year with $250,000 available in each round. Applications for Round 1 close on 30 September while applications for Round 2 close on 31 March. These applications are subsequently reviewed by the Board and Management of Rye and District Community Financial Services Ltd with funds awarded at a grants night held the following month (either April or October).

Application forms should be completed in full.

For more information visit the Rye, Dromana and Rosebud Community Bank® branches’ Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/rye.dromana.rosebud.BBL), contact funding@ryedistrict.com.au or speak to your local Community Bank® Branch Manager at Rye, Dromana or Rosebud.

Conditions of Funding

Rye and District Community Financial Services Ltd funding will only be provided to organisations. These organisations must:

operate on the Southern Mornington Peninsula;
be of a not-for profit nature;
maintain banking status with Rye and District Community Financial Services Ltd.

In receiving funding, organisations agree to:

apply for funding no more than once per year;
attend the allocated funding awards ceremony in either April or October;
provide Rye and District Community Financial Services Ltd with a receipt evidencing payment of the funding within 5 business days of receiving funds;
only use the funds as outlined in the relevant application form;
spend the allocated funds within 12 months of receipt;
report on the use of funds at the conclusion of the 12 month period;
return any funds unused in the 12 month period;
provide mutually agreed opportunities to promote the Rye, Dromana and Rosebud Community Bank® branches to stakeholders through speaking engagements, etc.;
be included in various promotional material and mediums;
ensure that any person associated with the organisation consents (or has a parent/guardian consent on their behalf) for their image or likeness to appear in media;
receive correspondence from Rye and District Community Financial Services Ltd;
participate in any surveys conducted by Rye and District Community Financial Services Ltd regarding the funding.