Project Spotlight

Welcome to Givewell's Project Spotlight. Each month we highlight a project for which a charity is currently seeking funds. We also provide details on how to give directly for this project.

Organisation:	Gould Group
Project Name:	Enterprise Schools

Catalyst for the Project:

In the past two years, charities have been forced to shut down over 300 charity recycling bins because of dumped hard waste and rubbish (1,500 tonnes dumped as landfill), losing $1 million and 50 full time jobs, and impacting important social services.

Project description:

Gould Group saw a solution - schools acting as community sites for collecting donated goods with students operating in-school enterprising community recycling ventures that contribute to charities, potentially raise money for the schools and provide invaluable vocational training.

Enterprise Schools promotes recycling, helps solve a serious problem for charities and nurtures student leadership, entrepreneurial and business skills as they create and operate their own small recycling business with the support of project partners and their school.

Gould Group secured seed funding from the Department of Education, Science and Training for a trial project in five Melbourne schools during 2006. We provide education resources, simplified business tools, and training for the students, teachers and schools. Monash University will conduct an independent project evaluation.

Gould Group has an excellent reputation for quality student-led community change programs that deliver outstanding triple bottom line outcomes. We invite your support to extend this extremely promising project into many more schools around Australia - we already have a waiting list of enthusiastic schools and the model lends itself readily to a range of recycling activities. Schools rely on funded and subsidised services and Gould Group continually strives to obtain this vital funding to offer innovative sustainability projects to tomorrow's leaders.

Outcomes of the project:

Vocational training in the recycling industry - a major growth sector of business and employment for the next generation.
Developing student skills and experience
Increased student engagement with school and community, potentially increasing morale and reducing absenteeism.
Potential school fundraising through business venture income.
Increase in quality goods recycled and given to charities.
Increased awareness of charity recycling and the problems of collecting donated goods.
Reduced waste to landfill

Can donors/grant makers give directly for this project? Yes

If so, how? Gould Group is a registered charity with gift deductibility status. Donations can be made directly to Gould Group specifying that the donation or grant to be made towards the Enterprise Schools project.

Is there an allowance for administration costs? Yes.
If so, how much? 15%

Contact details for further information:
Bernadette Shanahan, Enterprise Schools Project Manager
Andrea Lomdahl, Fundraising Manager
Gould Group
Genoa Street, Moorabbin Vic 3189
Tel: 03 9532 0909
Web: www.gould.edu.au
Email: gould@gould.edu.au

Previous Project Spotlights