Our Timeline

25 years of support for our community

The following provides an overview of some of the community programs and initiatives we have supported over the years.

Education & Employment
Social Welfare
Health
General

1991 1991

1990The Snow Foundation is created

George and Terry Snow, the founders.

1991YouthCare, formerly Open Family

Outreach worker for vulnerable youth
The only service in Canberra providing a dedicated outreach worker. Promotes self worth and connects youth to housing, education, legal services. Recently appointed second worker. Provided $380,000 over 25 years.

1991Barnados

Programs for vulnerable families and children
Up until year 2000, supported the Transition Program, teaching living skills for disadvantaged young people. From 2000 to present,
contributed to the Kids in Sport program, enabling access to sporting activities for disadvantaged families.

1992Food Programs

9 food programs

Breakfast Club at Ainslie Primary School introduced in 1991 through St Johns Care and continuing. Stacia’s Soup Kitchen in 2007 and ongoing. OzHarvest in 2006, via seed funding OzHarvest’s feasibility study and later operational support. In 2008, Early Morning Centre in the City. St Phillips Anglican Church in O’Connor in 2009. In 2012, Gungahlin Community Centre Food Pantry, and Canberra High School Breakfast Club.

1992Canberra Schools

Educational equipment, and programs
Started in 1992, with a donation to Malkara Special School. Over time, supported other special schools: Black Mountain, Cranleigh, Harrison and Woden. Additional schools: Canberra College Cares, Queanbeyan High School, Melba Copland School, Richardson Primary School, Wanniassa School, Wilcannia School, Galilee School, Mulwaree High School Goulburn.

1995Mental Health programs

Youth mental health programs
First supported Lifeline in 1995. Followed by others from 2003 including Mental Health Foundation, Messengers Program, Boys to Men in Cooma (YMCA), Menslink, Mental Illness Education ACT and Uplifting Australia.

1995Friends of Brain Injured Children (FBIC)

Therapies for children with a brain injury
Therapy treatments for over 40 children annually with cerebral palsy and brain injuries, plus contribution towards employment of family liaison officer. Over 19 years, $540,000 benefiting over 1000 families through services offered by FBIC.

2002Karinya House

Caseworker for women and babies
Support for an outreach worker. Karinya annually assists 92 residential and 509 outreach clients. To date, provided $240,000 over 14 years.

2002Lanyon Community Centre

Mini Bus
Provided to Centre for use by community groups.

2003Billabong Aboriginal Corporation

Machinery
Purchased a bobcat for at risk indigenous youth for use in a commercial nursery at Holt, ACT. First time the Foundation was public about giving.

2005Brindabella Gardens

Elderly care
Construction of a Palliative Care Unity at Brindabella Gardens in 2005. Provided $173,000.

2007Whole Family Involved

Terry hands over CEO role to his daughter Georgina Byron. Corpus doubled in size increasing our capacity to help people in need. Commenced closer engagement with community.

2007Educational Scholarships

Queanbeyan High School Scholarship Presentation 091014 - 6

Tertiary education
Scholarships commenced in 2007 with Queanbeyan High School, totaling 27 scholarships over 8 years. Country Education Foundation in 2010, with 49 awarded over 6 years. Royal Agricultural Society in 2013, 12 awarded over 3 years. The Pinnacle Foundation commenced in ACT in 2014, with the inaugural winner. Companion House, 5 scholarships for 3 years for
Canberra based asylum seekers.

2007HOME in Queanbeyan

A loving supportive home for 20 people with chronic mental illness
A genuine partnership and strong friendship were formed working closely with HOME to get it built and running. 600 people attended the official opening. At the time, our largest grant yet, $400,000 over 4 years, which helped catalyse further community and government funding. Continued our support of an additional $140,000 over four years

2008Newpin, New Parents Information Network program

An intensive parent-child program that breaks the destructive cycle
Following a powerful Newpin event in Sydney, The Snow Foundation sought to link up with Uniting Care Kippax, and together with the ACT Government brought this life-changing program to Canberra. It provides generational change for vulnerable Canberra families, so far 20 families. A $463,000 commitment over 8 years for a play coordinator.

2009Medical Research at Macquarie University

Motor Neurone Disease
Research to cure or prevent Motor Neurone Disease by generating zebrafish models of the disease. Commitment of $1.3 million over 9 years.

2009Social enterprises - Canberra

Cafe Inc Loka Chanmi Cafe Ink 020915, 2nd birthday celebrations

Jobs for people who are marginalised
5 year commitment to establish the ACT Social Enterprise Hub to assist marginalised people gain jobs. Founding partner with SVA, Government, PriceWaterHouseCoopers. Since 2008, the Hub supported 24 social enterprises, created 114 jobs. The
Foundation also directly assisted White Nile Ladies, Tribal Gardens, Narmana T-shirts, No Sweat Fashion,
Paperworks and Cafe Ink.

2010Kids Under Cover

Build of two portable studios to support youth homelessness
New to Canberra providing unique accommodation in response to young people at risk of becoming homeless due to extreme conflict or overcrowding within the family home.

2010Sydney Women's Fund

Education/employment programs for women and girls in Western Sydney
In Liverpool: 10 Women Leaders program and Aboriginal Women Against Violence. In Warwick Farm: Peppers Coffee Cart, Staying Home Leaving Violence program. In Fairfield: Warakirri College and the African Sewing Circle social enterprise. In Claymore: Whitelion’s Alternative Learning Centres.

2010Common Ground Canberra

Supportive housing for people who are homeless
Permanent supportive housing model for 40 residents, half of whom are homeless, half on low-income. A first to Canberra. Provided $10,000 for a feasibility study in 2010 followed by a $500,000 commitment over five years which helped catalyse Government funding in 2013. The late Liz Dawson was instrumental in establishing Common Ground.

2011Film Documentaries

Education and awareness of social issues, and minority groups
2011: ‘Beautiful’, an inclusive film about love starring people with a disability. ‘20 Years: 20 Stories’ films to celebrate the Disability Discrimination Act. 2012: ‘Gayby Baby’ children living with same-sex parents. 2014: ‘10 Stories of Single Mothers’; ‘Take Heart –
Rheumatic Heart Disease’. 2015: ‘Hunting Ground’, harassment in Universities; ‘Happy Sad Man’, mental illness; ‘Silence Kills’, domestic violence.

2011One Disease at a Time

Elimination of crusted scabies
Helped establish an on the ground team in Yirrkarla, East Arhnem land in 2011, as their first funder. Increased funding as One Disease expanded to 28 new communities across the Northern Territory. Empathetic approach, providing healthy skin care. First time giving outside the Canberra region. Five year commitment of $450,,000.

2012Canberra Community Law Centre

Legal and social work to vulnerable families
The Canberra Community Law Centre delivers an innovative model of early intervention legal work together with social work for vulnerable individuals and families. Partnership with Canberra Community Law, The Snow Foundation, Clayton Utz Foundation and ACT Government.

2012Australian Indigenous Mentoring Experience (AIME)

Mentors for indigenous students
AIME’s program mentors indigenous students with the goal of increasing the year 12 completion. Helped bring AIME to Canberra by funding a feasibility study in 2012. Extended support to operations following launch in 2014 with partners the Australian National University and Canberra University who offer 80+ mentors to 100+ indigenous students. $180,000 over 4 years.

2012Domestic Violence programs

Support to survivors and perpetrators of domestic violence
Commenced with support to Beryl’s Refuge in 2012, with others following in more recent years; Toora Women, Women’s Community Shelters, Everyman Australia, Tara Costigan Foundation and the Silence Kills documentary.

In June 2016 launched the Assistance Beyond Crisis loan program for local Canberra women (and men) who have escaped from domestic violence and need urgent financial assistance, but are ineligible for low-income government support. The Snow Foundation was one of several local organisations that pooled together $250,000 to help launch the initiative which won an ACT Violence Prevention Award in November 2017.

2012Homes for Homes

Raises new funds for social and affordable housing
Seed funding of $300,000 to further develop this initiative. Within the Snow family business, Capital Airport Group, Homes for Homes is being implemented across Denman Prospect, the first entire Canberra suburb, projected to contribute $500,000 to the initiative.

In 2017 the first cheque for $126,103 was presented to Homes for Homes from the Capital Airport Group and The Snow Foundation.

2013Social Impact Invesments

Zambrero (food for developing countries), Social Enterprise Finance Australia (SEFA), Social Ventures Australia Impact Fund, Foresters Social Enterprise Finance Fund, Project Independence (home for people with disabilities). The Foundation has grown its investment in 3rd Link Growth Fund since 2009 and in 2015, made an investment in the Future Generation Investment Fund. Both fund managers give their management fees to the non-profit sector.

2013Canberra Grammar School

Snow Centre for Education in the Asian Century
Built the Snow Centre, along with a complete Asian Studies experience to develop excellence in Chinese and Asian Studies for the next
generation of future leaders in Australia.

2013Global Sisters

Enabling financial independence to women
Offers a complete package of business support enabling women excluded from mainstream work to establish their own business. Founding funder of trial website in 2013. Now three year commitment of $150,000.

2014Good360

Connects excess products from corporates to charities

Good360 enables charities to receive excess new products in bulk from businesses via an online platform. The Foundation contributed to the IT platform, and operational costs for 3 years. Led a philanthropic collaboration to secure $1.5 million dollars over 3 years with 8 funders

2015Rheumatic Heart Disease (RHD)

Take Heart_Brooklyn post-op_Darwin Australia_Moonshine Movies

Awareness documentary and medical research
Awareness campaign to educate the harmful effects of rheumatic heart disease in indigenous communities and the importance of early detection and medication. Support has expanded to medical research into a vaccine.

2016Project Independence

Home for people with a disability
A social housing development for people with an intellectual disability. Contribution of $400,000, inclusive of a $100,000 loan to the third Project Independence home in Phillip.

2016Inaugural The Funding Network Event

The Snow Foundation with Hands Across Canberra, Deloitte, Canberra Airport and the Aspen Foundation introduced The Funding Network to Canberra in June. The Funding Network hosts crowd-funding events where social entrepreneurs pitch for funding. The four pitching were Malpa, Paperworks, Global Sisters and Abundant Water.

2016The Snow Foundation Celebrating 25 Years

In October The Snow Foundation celebrated 25 years of providing positive change with over 200 people from organisations and the community attending.

2016CareerTrackers Indigenous Internship Program

Providing internship opportunities for Indigenous university students, currently supporting 1,354 Indigenous university students and 485 Alumni across Australia. The Snow Foundation have supported the expansion of the Career Trackers program into Canberra and continued funding in 2017 enabled interns to grow to 25 students from 15.

2016Uplifting Australia

First time offered in Canberra at Charnwood Dunlop School, this evidenced based social emotional educational program is for parents, teachers and children aged 6 to 12 years.

2017'Conversations'

‘Conversations’ are a series of short films that explores the lived experience of caring for someone who is dying. The Snow Foundation supported LifeCircle Australia to prepare the films that were launched in March in partnership with Calvary Palliative Care, Clare Holland House and Palliative Care ACT.

2017Stress Better

In May the Mental Illness Education ACT re-launched the Stress Better Program to help students learn how to stress better. The program is being rolled out in the ACT and NSW which involves volunteers sharing their experiences of living with mental health issues.

2017Educating school-aged children about homelessness and disadvantage

Since The Big Issue Classroom launched in Canberra in July, 26 school groups have had their eyes opened to homelessness and disadvantage. Three Big Issue street vendors have been employed as guest speakers, teaching children empathy as well as focusing on early intervention. With schools from all over the country visiting Canberra, The Big Issue Classroom has been able to reach schools as far away as Manjimup Senior High School, located 300kms south of Perth.

2017The Funding Network

In September 140 guests attended the second The Funding Network event and together raised $79,200 for GG’s Flowers, Women’s Centre for Health Matters, and Mental Illness Education ACT. In addition to this, hundreds of thousands of dollars of pro bono work was also pledged. Incredible generosity from individuals and businesses all round!

2017Marriage Equality

The Snow Foundation believes in humanity and equality and that all couples should have the right to marry. These values run deeply within the Snow family, The Snow Foundation and the family business, Capital Airport Group. This is why both The Snow Foundation and Canberra Airport backed the Marriage Equality campaign from the very beginning.

2018Welcome to Canberra Frosty

On Monday 5 February ‘Frosty’ the new hybrid Orange Sky laundry/shower van was introduced to the community, volunteers and funders.

This is Orange Sky’s third ever laundry/shower van in Australia out of their fleet of 26 vans offering mobile laundry cleaning. The Snow Foundation are thrilled to be co-funders together with The Independent Property Group Foundation and Icon Water. Now Canberra has a van that offers mobile showering, laundry and of course the many meaningful conversations that go with it. Canberra’s previous van, ‘Dasher’ which just provided laundry cleaning has been put to work in another community. Nice work Orange Sky Australia! And thanks to the many volunteers!!

2018Vital Signs Canberra

The Snow Foundation in partnership with Hands Across Canberra held the first Vital Signs Canberra stakeholder workshop in May. The team was full of passionate Canberrans working across housing, health, learning and belonging. Vital Signs is a global community research initiative that will capture information and assist with longer-term planning for both foundations. The Vital Signs Canberra publication will be officially launched at the annual Hands Across Canberra lunch in October.

2019 2019

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