Berry Street Web Docs Annual Report 2007 | Page 12

Strengthening
Community Partnerships
While Berry Street receives
considerable funding from
government, we rely on the
support of individual donors,
philanthropic foundations,
community groups and
business to meet needs not
prioritised by governments,
to add value to our existing
services and for innovation.

Our Key Partnerships
We work with businesses to develop long term partnerships
that provide substantive and consistent benefits for both our
business partners and the children, young people and families
with whom we work. Our key partners include: Allens Arthur
Robinson, ANZ, Ernst & Young, Freehills, Goldman Sachs JBWere,
Medicare - Galleria Branch, MELBOURNEfc, RACV, The Australian
Ballet and The Shell Company in Australia.
“ANZ and Berry Street have a deep partnership which creates
fantastic outcomes in the community - particularly our financial
literacy and inclusion programs, Saver Plus and MoneyMinded.
Our staff also love getting involved with Berry Street through
volunteering, specific skills projects and donations (which are
matched by ANZ). Along with our other partners, Berry Street and
ANZ were acknowledged when we received a Special Award for
Impact in the Community at the 2006 Prime Minister’s Awards
for Excellence in Community Business Partnerships.” Michelle
Commandeur, Head of Community Relations ANZ.
One of the very important components of our partnerships with
business is Workplace Giving. Workplace Giving allows employees
to make regular deductions from their pay to Berry Street.
These contributions are then often matched by their employer.

Berry Street Annual Report 2007

We are most grateful to our partners who have supported us
through their Workplace Giving programs and, in turn, provided
funding for our Gippsland Wilderness Program, Family Violence
emergency relief, therapeutic toys for counselling and Our Kids
Kitchen cooking and life skills program.
Our Corporate Volunteering program is another key element of
our partnerships. Through these activities we are able to offer
to our children and young people a fun distraction from the
challenges they face in their everyday lives.
For example:- a “Melbourne Aquarium Fun Day” - hosted by
ANZ and “A Day in the Big Smoke” - hosted by Ernst & Young
and Goldman Sachs JBWere.
Our partners provided their technical expertise with the
redesigning of our website, marketing and legal advice and
IT systems development.
Image top: Kids and volunteers enjoying A Day in the Big Smoke
Image above: Prime Minister John Howard with representatives
from ANZ and community partner organisations, including Berry Street
at the 2006 Prime Minister’s Awards for Excellence in Community
Business Partnerships