Envato Foundation raises commitment to $1.4m with two new partnerships
“We’re really excited about these two partnerships because they are focusing their efforts in a really tangible and impactful way.”
By David Scott
Tutoring and education services support platform Enrise and creative writing centre Story Factory have been announced as the newest partners for the Envato Foundation.
It brings the total number of partners to eight, with more than $900,000 paid out so far and a further $500,000 in committed funding.
For Story Factory, a not-for-profit creative writing centre for young people in under-resourced communities across Sydney and NSW, the Foundation will fund an Aboriginal Liaison Officer over the next three years, to help facilitate connections with Indigenous communities and develop relevant, culturally responsive workshop content for their programs.
The Foundation’s support for Enrise will enable the charity to expand its support programs for Indigenous and remote students, providing them with enhanced access to the award-winning Need A Tutor platform as well as providing technological support to those in need.
“We’re really excited about these two partnerships because they are focusing their efforts in a really tangible and impactful way,” said Briany Kalms, Chair of the Envato Foundation board. “Helping support Indigenous students through writing and education during their formative years is pivotal to making a real difference.”
“The Foundation now proudly supports eight wonderful organisations, all of which are meaningfully contributing to supporting Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children and youth during various stages of their education. We’ve been able to find some nice synergy that really closes the loop between primary, secondary and tertiary education.”
Enrise Co-Founder and CEO Bronwyn Covill said the Foundation’s support would enable the charity to deliver on its core mission. “It’s more than just tutoring, it’s about giving students digital provisions – donated devices and data – that offers them more support and empowers them to continue learning within their own communities and schools.”
“We’ve had a 300% increase in demand for our support during the last 12 months, and the impact of the pandemic has shown us that the digital education gap has widened. The partnership with the Envato Foundation will allow us to get more computers into the hands of kids who need it, and ensuring that they don’t feel like they are falling even further behind.”
Dr Cath Keenan AM, Executive Director and Co-Founder of Story Factory, welcomed the Foundation’s three-year commitment. “It will enable us to better support each and every one of the hundreds of young Indigenous writers we are currently working with, as well as the hundreds more we will now be able to work with thanks to the Envato Foundation.”
“This partnership came about because of our ongoing work telling heartfelt stories about the need to better support the writing and literacy of young Indigenous people, and we are sincerely grateful to the Foundation who were open to really listening.”
About the Envato Foundation
The Envato Foundation was established in 2018 and partners with charitable organisations that focus on opportunity creation for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, particularly through the development and education of children and youth. The Foundation is funded by 1% of Envato’s annual pre-tax profits and has so far paid out almost $1 million AUD to eight partners across Australia.
