Celebrating Sydney Pitch In 2024
“The best Pitch In event so far!” was what we heard from guests after our Sydney 2024 event.
About 100 people from big businesses through to small community groups gathered in Sydney last week to connect with each other and hear three not for profits ‘pitch’ for their share of $60,000 from the Bennelong Foundation.
Bishop Laryea from African Youth Initiative, Joe Kwon from Confit Pathways and Greg Littlefair from Plates 4 Mates told deeply touching stories about how their organisations started and how they help those in our society facing barriers to education and employment. The ‘pitch’ comprised of a Q&A with a member of the Bennelong Foundation or Bennelong Funds Management teams.
"The tales of adversity and hope shared by Bishop, Joe and Greg had many people in the room crying with sadness, but also smiling with hope because their organisations demonstrate how a passion to make a difference coupled with hard work can truly improve lives,” said Laura Cochrane, Bennelong Foundation CEO.
“There was an incredibly diverse range of people in the room, but what brought them all together and created connections among all the attendees – no matter their background - was a commitment to making a positive difference".
The Bennelong Foundation Pitch Ins are held every year in Sydney, Melbourne and the UK. Organised by the Foundation’s Philanthropy & Community Engagement (P.A.C.E) Committee, which comprises employees from the Bangarra Group of companies, in conjunction with our partner Deloitte, they bring together the Bangarra Family Office group, Foundation grant partners and community members to celebrate, and donate to, grassroots community organisations.
At each event, audience members listen to a Q&A with the leaders of three not-for-profits and then give their ‘Pitch In Dollar’ to one of the organisations, which when tallied determines how the $60,000, or £30,000, is distributed.
At Pitch In Sydney, Confit Pathways and Plates 4 Mates were both granted $18,000, and African Youth Initiative was granted $24,000. Read more about each of the charities below.
The Foundation thanks Geoff Cowen, Maddie Roberts, Priyanka Subramanyam and Adam Kuziow for hosting us in their Sydney Deloitte office. Thanks also to Flashpoint Labs, who took all the photos and videos on the night. Flashpoint is a social enterprise that supports Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander and multicultural young people build careers in photography and visual media. The team was led by Tomasz Machnik and supported on the night by Sivani Yaddanapudi and Steph Simcox.
About the ‘Pitch In Sydney 2024’ not-for-profit organisations
The African Youth Initiative Centres (AYI Centres) is a volunteer run organisation that assists African youths in their educational development through face-to-face mentoring, access to educational resources and community-led programs both in Sydney. Their aim is to break the cycle of poverty by providing young people with access to education and mentoring that will shape their future. Funding received from Pitch In will fund workshops for 2 terms for 5 schools and up to 130 students in culture, arts and STEM.
Confit Pathways's mission is to reduce recidivism in Australia by helping incarcerated and formerly incarcerated people develop a positive mindset around the value of employment and education. By providing a strong sense of community through their dedicated support pathways, they help those who go through their program to successfully reintegrate into society. Funding received from Pitch In will fund the production of the 'G Code' books for their program participants in youth justice centres and in their prevention programs.
Plates4Mates' mission is to help the less fortunate in Sydney by providing a plate for a mate that needs it most. They provide a food service that the homeless community, rough sleepers and anyone else in need can come to for a warm meal, grocery items, clothes and a conversation without judgement. Funding received at Pitch In will support the purchase of a van to allow Plates4Mates to collect donated items and make deliveries for their Sunday food service.
