Community Bank Bellarine

We’re so pleased you’re interested in our Community Investment Programs. We’d love you to apply and contribute towards our thriving local community.

We help build community

Our Community Investment Program has returned over $3.5 million to local community groups and organisations. We’ve funded meaningful and impactful projects across the Bellarine Peninsula and strengthened community connections in the process.

We’re focused on significantly investing in purposeful projects over the coming years.

We’re for a prosperous Bellarine Peninsula

We know successful communities mean successful businesses and we’re all about our region thriving, so everyone benefits.

We’re focused on developing partnerships with local community organisations to leverage our funding sources and ensure we’re a key community asset for all.

However, we need you! Our business is operating banking services and while we can enable your project, we need your community group to deliver it.

You may not think who you bank with matters. But it does. For our customers, their banking is making a real difference.

Where do funds come from?

Community banking is a ‘profit-for-purpose’ model, meaning profits are returned directly to the community that has generated them. In our case, the beautiful Bellarine Peninsula.

Community banking is designed to feed a positive cycle of good business, community and giving back.

To run a successful Community Investment Program and return as much as possible, we first need to run a successful business. That’s why it’s important customers bank with us in the first instance.

Our community investment funding is made possible by the profit generated from banking services provided at our Portarlington and Drysdale branches.

How does the program work?

Simply, we invest in local community groups and organisations that undertake projects to build and strengthen our community.

When we invest, we’re also enabling community groups to leverage our funding and implement sustainable practices for future proofing their organisation’s success. That’s sustainability at its core.

Get Involved

If you’re part of a community group doing great things, making change and delivering exciting projects, please apply for community investment funding.

Imagine what your community organisation can do for the betterment of the Bellarine Peninsula. We’re looking for bold ideas, clever ideas, creative ideas and projects your local community group can bring to life with our support.

Community Impact

Community Bank Bellarine’s Community Impact Program is driven by our overarching strategy to invest in the growth of a resilient, sustainable, and thriving Bellarine community.

Community and not-for-profit organisations can apply for projects and activities that offer clear public benefit for the community, with preference given to the Banks overarching social purpose focus areas or one or more of our 5 Key Impact Pillars.

1. Education- Support educational opportunities across our region to increase financial capability and inclusion and improve education accessibility.
2. Social Inclusion- Deliver specific social inclusion strategies across both key town centres within our region through partnering with community groups and supporting their capabilities and capacity.
3. Economic- Support a thriving, connected and collaborative local business network with strong employment pathways.
4. Health & Wellbeing - Support initiatives that improve the physical and mental health of our community and increase access to health services.
5. Food Security- Deliver capacity building support to food security agencies across the region to support vulnerable members of the community currently challenged by the cost-of-living crisis.

 Community Investment Funding

Grants

Our grants are paid to an organisation to address a social issue within the community.

Sponsorships

We sponsor events, projects or organisations through the provision of money, goods or services in return for customer acquisition opportunities and brand recognition.

Donations

We provide services and financial support to help achieve social outcomes in our communities.