The Villawood Foundation

Villawood Properties has launched a multi-million-dollar philanthropic foundation to assist community groups and causes across Australia.

The Villawood Foundation will centralise donations the group and its associates make of more than $3.4 million a year. It will be a true foundation of giving rather than seeking donations.

The Foundation was launched at Melbourne’s ArtPlay with colourful and dynamic displays by martial arts, basketballers and Kokoda trekkers – just some of the many recipients of Villawood’s community assistance.

Over the years, Villawood has helped hundreds of community groups and causes, large and small. These include football, netball, athletics, cricket, special needs, netball, men’s sheds, family services, fire brigades, triathlons, schools, service clubs, rugby, basketball, swimming, surf lifesaving and festivals.

Villawood has long championed the Good Friday Appeal, donating land and helping arrange its annual Charity Home Auction with Henley Homes, raising some $9.4 million over the past 13 years.

It also assists with Brisbane’s House for Life, raising vital funds for the Little Mater Miracles neo-natal care, raising almost $1.5 million this year alone.

Villawood believes that as companies grow, their responsibility to provide back to the community becomes more important.

Villawood has supported hundreds of local community groups around our new estates across Victoria, New South Wales, Queensland and now South Australia. Over the years, we have evolved our philanthropic program to this year peak at $3.4 million.

So it made sense that we should create an umbrella brand to make the donations through so that our communities fully appreciate that Villawood is all about building and supporting healthy communities.

The Villawood Foundation’s board comprises Villawood Executive Directors Rory Costelloe and Tony Johnson and CFO Dean Pappas, Michael Hirst, former CEO of the Bendigo Bank, and Louise Hickman, of Ipsum Advisors.

TV/radio broadcast personality Jacqui Felgate has been appointed Ambassador for the Foundation.

According to the board’s Mike Hirst, the Foundation will provide a legacy well beyond Villawood’s remit as a developer.

“Villawood has been building successful communities for more than 30 years and the Foundation is a natural and tangible extension of that,” he says. “It leaves a great legacy going forward that is over and above the current purpose of building communities.”

Rory Costelloe stresses that, unlike many other foundations, the Villawood Foundation will not rely on donations from the general public, as it self-funds its community-giving program.

“That’s not to say that in the future, in the event of a particular event – for example, a climate emergency, fires, flood or earthquake – we might not use the foundation to focus community support in their particular region or areas,” he says.

“But this is a true foundation of giving, not asking for donations.”

Villawood’s community contributions go beyond dollars, too. Villawood staff regularly immerse themselves in many of these groups and their activities to better understand their local communities.

Another critical community input by Villawood is its Care Workers Support Program for police, nurses, teachers, paramedics, firefighters and others. This offers up to a $20,000 rebate on lot prices for care staff working within a 10km radius of many Villawood communities.