Uncovering Mackay's major areas of concern
"We want to start a conversation within the community”.
Mackay
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IN a first for the community, the Mackay Community Foundation has released a report focused on the region's vital statistics.
Housing and affordability, health and wellbeing, income, education and employment and community identity and connection are the four areas of concern listed in the report.
The Mackay Vital Signs report is designed to start conversations within the community about identifying trends, local priorities and opportunities.
Mackay Community Foundation founding director Steve Lowry said the report would help the foundation decide where to focus their attention and where resources would have the greatest impact in the local community.
"We wanted to identify the main issues and organisations in Mackay to focus on and to raise money for,” he said.
"We can take this report now to organisations and the community and show them the major issues and ask for support.
"If there is a specific issue that resonates with someone, they can donate to the foundation and we can channel that to the most appropriate needs.”
Vital Signs is a global reporting framework for Community Foundations developed by the Toronto Community Foundation in 2001, after a group of civic leaders came up with a new way to engage their community in understanding and monitoring the health and vitality of Toronto on an ongoing basis.
Australian Community Philanthropy is the 'parent' of Vital Signs within Australia and manages the licensing of Vital Signs for Community Foundations within our region.
The Mackay Community Foundation was founded in 2003 by Scott Alman and his business partner Steve Lowry.
Mr Lowry said the foundation was formed after the men decided the best way to give money away to worthy causes was to form a foundation.
"As a business we wanted to give back to the community and help others do the same,” he said.
All donations to the foundation are treated as capital in order to provide a permanent and growing source of funding which is then distributed regularly to nominated charities and causes in the Mackay region.
The foundation has raised more than $1.4 million since 2003.
Originally published as Uncovering Mackay's major areas of concern
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