Kicking goals: Bendigo Bank’s charitable funding model reaches milestone with donation to Bachar Houli Foundation
Bendigo Bank, Australia’s most trusted bank, and MCCA, a leading Islamic finance and investment company, have recently reached a significant milestone hitting $250,000 in charitable donations since 2018.
The milestone was reached with a presentation of a $10,000 cheque to the Bachar Houli Foundation, a not-for-profit organisation founded in 2013 by Richmond Football Club great and three-time premiership player, Bachar Houli.
The Bachar Houli Foundation aims to develop leaders in the Muslim Community by harnessing the power of sport and social inclusion to create cross-community bridges. The donation will help fund its Female Leadership Program which is designed to support, and build confidence for Muslim women in sport, in the workplace, and in society.
Bachar Houli said: “The generosity of Bendigo Bank and MCCA will help us continue to grow and expand our Female Leadership Program, helping more and more Australian Muslim girls across the country to build confidence in the workplace, at school, and in society”.
“Last year our programs had a touch point of over 5,000 participants, so we thank Bendigo Bank and MCCA for allowing us to continue to expand this reach and provide more young people the opportunity to achieve their goals and reach their full potential”.
Brought together by a shared vision to build prosperity in the community, Bendigo Bank began supplying MCCA with wholesale property funding in 2018. The relationship deepened with the establishment of the MCCA & BEN Charitable Fund which directs 5 basis points in profit from the funding agreement into registered charities.
Bendigo Bank Senior Manager of Portfolio Funding, Ryan Finnimore said: “Bendigo Bank is guided by our purpose of feeding into the prosperity of the community and MCCA are an important partner of ours. They are a community focused organisation with values that resonate with us. The development of this charitable function is evidence of our alignment and demonstrates what we can achieve when we work together.”
MCCA General Manager, Mohammad Najjar said: “We are proud to stand with our partner Bendigo Bank in support of this very worthwhile initiative. Our donation will provide new pathways for young Australian Muslim women to take on leadership and become positive role models for their peers and communities”.
To date, the $250,000 in donations have been directed to a variety of worthwhile causes across a number of communities, including Catherine House, Royal Flying Doctor Service, Cerebral Palsy Alliance, Brothers in Need, Operation Flinders, National Bushfire Disaster Appeal, East African Women’s Association, and many more.
