Pitch Night

Pitch Night is an exciting opportunity for local community based organisations, to ‘pitch’ their innovative ideas to address the health needs of their communities. The benefit for those pitching is to gain exposure, community support and funding to move their initiative forward.

On the night, presenters will pitch for six-minutes and respond to questions from the audience. The presenters then leave the room before the guests pledge funding for each organisation. You can view highlights from similar events here.

Funding opportunity

South Eastern NSW PHN is seeking to fund innovative initiatives that:

‘Improve health and wellbeing in Aboriginal, refugee and/or youth at risk groups within the Wollongong and Shellharbour regions.’

Grant submissions must:

  • have a clear alignment to the purpose of achieving and maintaining good health and wellbeing through increased physical activity and/or improved nutrition
  • be based within the Wollongong and/or Shellharbour region
  • focus on one or more of the identified groups (Aboriginal, refugee and/or youth at risk)
  • show how you will co-design the initiative with the relevant community.

A total funding pool of $160,000 (ex GST) is available to allocate across three initiatives. The three selected initiatives will receive a guaranteed once only funding amount of $40,000 (ex GST), and will have the opportunity to increase this amount by influencing the audience with their ‘pitch’ on Pitch Night.

Eligibility

Organisations that apply must be community-based (including not-for-profits), working with either the Aboriginal community, refugee community and/or youth at risk. Organisations must operate in the Wollongong or Shellharbour regions and have a combined annual income of less than $5 million.

Applicants must be available for a ten-minute telephone interview, attend the Pitch coaching workshop and Pitch Night on 26 June 2019. Applicants must nominate an ‘advocate’ who will support their application and attend Pitch Night, see section 12 of the grant guidelines.

Successful applicants will be required to sign a contract with COORDINARE immediately after the event and attend a contracting meeting in Wollongong on 27 June 2019. A reporting template will be provided to successful applicants with a six month report and a final report outlining the reach and impact of the initiative required.

Please note: submissions for this opportunity have now closed.

Our finalists are...

Beyond Empathy

Foot on the Ladder (FoTL) is an art-meets-sport community project creating accessible health / nutrition information and pathways to better health, for people living in disadvantaged areas in southern suburbs of Wollongong and Shellharbour.

FoTL will produce podcasts of fictional stories set on the sporting field, places where people are engaged in all kinds of physical activity, and places where food is important. These stories will be inspired by the real-life experiences of the kids and families who live in the community. The podcasts will make health information accessible, weaving it with local stories, promoted via traditional and non-traditional media channels.


Coomaditchie United Aboriginal Corporation

Deadly Women and Deadly Kids program will offer a unique and much needed approach to meeting the needs of communities which traditionally don’t access facilities, or mainstream health services. This project will tackle some of the drivers of poor health outcomes for Indigenous Australians, encouraging Aboriginal families to be more active, and providing group based physical activities - by learning and understanding the importance of staying healthy through active participation in exercise and sport activity across their lifespan.

Structured and incidental exercise will be encouraged, through access to equipment in a community hub that is culturally safe and supported. People will also engage in growing their own food, both traditional and organic, and developing and sharing healthy meals with the produce.


Scarf Incorporated

Lunchbox for health and learning initiative aims to improve the health and wellbeing of refugee families by providing access to nutritional information, and increasing capacity for healthy, budget friendly cooking and food preparation.

SCARF supports refugee families as they adjust to their new lives in the Illawarra by creating connections that improve wellbeing and build a sense of belonging. Developed in collaboration with community members from refugee backgrounds, this program will emphasise preparing healthy snacks and meals for school children, healthy traditional styles of cooking, food budgeting and understanding nutrition, growing your own food, and a supermarket tour to increase food literacy.

Pitch Night is an exciting opportunity for local community based organisations, to ‘pitch’ their innovative ideas to address the health needs of their communities. The benefit for those pitching is to gain exposure, community support and funding to move their initiative forward.

On the night, presenters will pitch for six-minutes and respond to questions from the audience. The presenters then leave the room before the guests pledge funding for each organisation. You can view highlights from similar events here.

Funding opportunity

South Eastern NSW PHN is seeking to fund innovative initiatives that:

‘Improve health and wellbeing in Aboriginal, refugee and/or youth at risk groups within the Wollongong and Shellharbour regions.’

Grant submissions must:

  • have a clear alignment to the purpose of achieving and maintaining good health and wellbeing through increased physical activity and/or improved nutrition
  • be based within the Wollongong and/or Shellharbour region
  • focus on one or more of the identified groups (Aboriginal, refugee and/or youth at risk)
  • show how you will co-design the initiative with the relevant community.

A total funding pool of $160,000 (ex GST) is available to allocate across three initiatives. The three selected initiatives will receive a guaranteed once only funding amount of $40,000 (ex GST), and will have the opportunity to increase this amount by influencing the audience with their ‘pitch’ on Pitch Night.

Eligibility

Organisations that apply must be community-based (including not-for-profits), working with either the Aboriginal community, refugee community and/or youth at risk. Organisations must operate in the Wollongong or Shellharbour regions and have a combined annual income of less than $5 million.

Applicants must be available for a ten-minute telephone interview, attend the Pitch coaching workshop and Pitch Night on 26 June 2019. Applicants must nominate an ‘advocate’ who will support their application and attend Pitch Night, see section 12 of the grant guidelines.

Successful applicants will be required to sign a contract with COORDINARE immediately after the event and attend a contracting meeting in Wollongong on 27 June 2019. A reporting template will be provided to successful applicants with a six month report and a final report outlining the reach and impact of the initiative required.

Please note: submissions for this opportunity have now closed.

Our finalists are...

Beyond Empathy

Foot on the Ladder (FoTL) is an art-meets-sport community project creating accessible health / nutrition information and pathways to better health, for people living in disadvantaged areas in southern suburbs of Wollongong and Shellharbour.

FoTL will produce podcasts of fictional stories set on the sporting field, places where people are engaged in all kinds of physical activity, and places where food is important. These stories will be inspired by the real-life experiences of the kids and families who live in the community. The podcasts will make health information accessible, weaving it with local stories, promoted via traditional and non-traditional media channels.


Coomaditchie United Aboriginal Corporation

Deadly Women and Deadly Kids program will offer a unique and much needed approach to meeting the needs of communities which traditionally don’t access facilities, or mainstream health services. This project will tackle some of the drivers of poor health outcomes for Indigenous Australians, encouraging Aboriginal families to be more active, and providing group based physical activities - by learning and understanding the importance of staying healthy through active participation in exercise and sport activity across their lifespan.

Structured and incidental exercise will be encouraged, through access to equipment in a community hub that is culturally safe and supported. People will also engage in growing their own food, both traditional and organic, and developing and sharing healthy meals with the produce.


Scarf Incorporated

Lunchbox for health and learning initiative aims to improve the health and wellbeing of refugee families by providing access to nutritional information, and increasing capacity for healthy, budget friendly cooking and food preparation.

SCARF supports refugee families as they adjust to their new lives in the Illawarra by creating connections that improve wellbeing and build a sense of belonging. Developed in collaboration with community members from refugee backgrounds, this program will emphasise preparing healthy snacks and meals for school children, healthy traditional styles of cooking, food budgeting and understanding nutrition, growing your own food, and a supermarket tour to increase food literacy.

  • Pitch Night a huge success: Local organisations receive almost $175,000 in funding

    supporting image

    COORDINARE – South Eastern NSW PHN’s inaugural Pitch Night was held last night in Wollongong, with three local organisations, Coomaditchie United Aboriginal Corporation, Scarf Incorporated and Beyond Empathy receiving their share of almost $175,000 in funding.

    Dianne Kitcher, CEO of South Eastern NSW PHN, said the night was a great evening of passionate story telling about innovative projects designed to improve the health and wellbeing of refugees, Aboriginal people and youth at risk in the Shellharbour and Wollongong local government areas.

    “All three finalists delivered compelling pitches to the crowd of more than 100 community members and representatives from health, business council, and non-government organisations in the region,” said Ms Kitcher.

    “The audience then had the opportunity to ask questions and pledge $1,800 of COORDINARE funding to one or more initiatives of their choice,” she added.

    The pledges were tallied at the end of the night with:

    - Coomaditchie United Aboriginal Corporation receiving $70,500 for their Deadly Women and Deadly Girlsprogram. This program will offer a unique and much needed approach to meeting the needs of communities which traditionally don’t access facilities, or mainstream health services. It will tackle some of the drivers of poor health outcomes for Indigenous Australians, encouraging Aboriginal families to be more active, and providing group-based physical activities. People will learn about the importance of staying healthy through active participation in exercise and sport activity across their lifespan. Structured and incidental exercise will be encouraged, through access to equipment in a community hub that is culturally safe and supported. People will also engage in growing their own food, both traditional and organic, and developing and sharing healthy meals with the produce.

    - Scarf Incorporated receiving $54,900 for their Lunchbox for health and learning initiative which aims to improve the health and wellbeing of refugee families by providing access to nutritional information, and increasing capacity for healthy, budget friending cooking and food preparation. SCARF supports refugee families as they adjust to their new lives in the Illawarra by creating connections that improve wellbeing and build a sense of belonging. Developed in collaboration with community members from refugee backgrounds, this program will emphasise preparing healthy snacks and meals for school children, healthy traditional styles of cooking, food budgeting and understanding nutrition, growing your own food, as well as a supermarket tour to increase food literacy.

    - Beyond Empathy receiving $49,500 for their Foot on the Ladder (FoTL), art-meets-sport community project, which focuses on creating accessible health / nutrition information for people living in disadvantaged areas in the southern suburbs of Wollongong and Shellharbour. FoTL will produce podcasts of fictional stories set on the sporting field, places where people are engaged in all kinds of physical activity, and in places where food is important. These stories will be inspired by real-life experiences of the kids and families who live in the community. The podcasts will make health information accessible, weaving it with local stories, and will be promoted via traditional and non-traditional media channels.

    “It is hoped that giving community members the opportunity to distribute funding across grassroots organisations will have a ‘ripple effect',” said Ms Kitcher.

    “They will have an emotional connection to the projects and can see the benefit for their community.

    “The benefit for those who pitched is exposure of their ideas, community support and funding to move their initiative forward. In fact, some people in the audience have already offered in-kind support for the projects such as transport, and marketing expertise,” she added.

    This initiative is supported by funding from COORDINARE – South Eastern NSW PHN through the Australian Government’s PHN Program.

  • Finalists to ‘pitch’ for improved health & wellbeing locally

    supporting image

    COORDINARE – South Eastern NSW PHN today announced three local organisations – Beyond Empathy, Coomaditchie United Aboriginal Corporation and Scarf Incorporated – have been selected to pitch at its inaugural Pitch Night, to be held in Wollongong on 26 June 2019.

    Dianne Kitcher, CEO of South Eastern NSW PHN, said the three organisations will pitch their innovative idea to more than 100 community members for a share of $160,000.

    “This round of funding focused on improving the health and wellbeing of refugees, Aboriginal people and youth at risk in the Shellharbour and Wollongong local government areas and we are thrilled with the projects put forward by our finalists,” said Ms Kitcher.

    The three finalists proposals include:

    • Beyond Empathy – their Foot on the Ladder (FoTL) idea is an art-meets-sport community project creating accessible health / nutrition information for people living in disadvantaged areas in the southern suburbs of Wollongong and Shellharbour. FoTL will produce podcasts of fictional stories set on the sporting field, places where people are engaged in all kinds of physical activity, and in places where food is important. These stories will be inspired by real-life experiences of the kids and families who live in the community. The podcasts will make health information accessible, weaving it with local stories, and will be promoted via traditional and non-traditional media channels.
    • Coomaditchie United Aboriginal Corporation – their Deadly Women and Deadly Kids program will offer a unique and much needed approach to meeting the needs of communities which traditionally don’t access facilities, or mainstream health services. This project will tackle some of the drivers of poor health outcomes for Indigenous Australians, encouraging Aboriginal families to be more active, and providing group-based physical activities. People will learn about the importance of staying healthy through active participation in exercise and sport activity across their lifespan. Structured and incidental exercise will be encouraged, through access to equipment in a community hub that is culturally safe and supported. People will also engage in growing their own food, both traditional and organic, and developing and sharing healthy meals with the produce.
    • Scarf Incorporated - their Lunchbox for health and learning initiative aims to improve the health and wellbeing of refugee families by providing access to nutritional information, and increasing capacity for healthy, budget friending cooking and food preparation. SCARF supports refugee families as they adjust to their new lives in the Illawarra by creating connections that improve wellbeing and build a sense of belonging. Developed in collaboration with community members from refugee backgrounds, this program will emphasise preparing healthy snacks and meals for school children, healthy traditional styles of cooking, food budgeting and understanding nutrition, growing your own food, as well as a supermarket tour to increase food literacy.

    “The finalists have attended a half-day workshop with experts from The Funding Network to develop their stories and get tips and advice on how to deliver a compelling pitch. On 26 June, they will pitch their idea to a crowd of around 100 community members,” said Ms Kitcher.

    Once all three six-minute pitches are heard, the audience will have the opportunity to ask questions and then pledge COORDINARE funding to one or more initiatives of their choice. The pledged totals will be tallied at the end of the night.

    “While distributing grant funding isn’t new, giving community members the opportunity to distribute funding across grassroots organisations is an innovative concept,” said Ms Kitcher.

    “Our aim is to include the broader community in the decision-making process, lending itself to participatory budgeting; a democratic idea where stakeholders and the community are engaged to directly decide how and where to allocate funding.

    “The benefit for those pitching is to gain exposure of their ideas, community support and funding to move their initiative forward,” she added.

    This initiative is supported by funding from COORDINARE – South Eastern NSW PHN through the Australian Government’s PHN Program.

  • Hurry: Pitch your innovative idea now!

    supporting image

    Hurry! Applications are closing soon for COORDINARE – South Eastern NSW PHN’s inaugural Pitch Night. If you are part of a community-based organisation in the Shellharbour or Wollongong Local Government Area (LGA) with an innovative idea, then apply now for a share of $160,000!

    According to Dianne Kitcher, CEO of South Eastern NSW PHN, the Pitch Night is an event which will be held in Wollongong on 26 June for local community-based organisations, including not-for-profits, to pitch their innovative ideas and gain exposure and funding.

    “This round of funding is focused on improving the health and wellbeing of refugees, Aboriginal people and youth at risk,” said Ms Kitcher.

    “We are encouraging participation and applications from youth groups, multicultural groups, as well as other not-for-profit organisations within Wollongong and Shellharbour Local Government Areas.”

    Applications will be assessed and shortlisted, with three selected by an evaluation panel as the final candidates for Pitch Night.

    “The finalists will attend a half-day workshop with experts from The Funding Network where they will develop their stories, and get tips and advice on how to deliver a compelling pitch.

    “Then on 26 June, they will then pitch their idea to a crowd of around 100 people,” said Ms Kitcher.

    Once all three six-minute pitches are heard, the crowd will have the opportunity to ask questions and then pledge COORDINARE funding to one or more initiatives of their choice.

    “While distributing grant funding isn’t new, giving a crowd of community members the opportunity to distribute funding across grassroots organisations is an innovative concept,” said Ms Kitcher.

    “Our aim is to include the broader community in the decision-making process, lending itself to participatory budgeting; a democratic idea where stakeholders and the community are engaged to directly decide how and where to allocate funding.

    “The benefit for those pitching is to gain exposure of their ideas, community support and funding to move their initiative forward,” she added.

    Submissions close on Tuesday 7 May.

    This initiative is supported by funding from COORDINARE – South Eastern NSW PHN through the Australian Government’s PHN Program.

  • Local organisations invited to ‘pitch’ their innovative ideas

    supporting image

    COORDINARE – South Eastern NSW PHN called for submissions for the chance to pitch for one-off funding at its inaugural Pitch Night, to be held in Wollongong on 26 June 2019.

    According to Dianne Kitcher, CEO of South Eastern NSW PHN, the Pitch Night is an event for local community-based organisation, including not-for-profits to pitch their innovative ideas to gain exposure and funding.

    “This round of funding is focused on improving the health and wellbeing of refugees, Aboriginal people and youth at risk,” said Ms Kitcher.

    “We are encouraging participation and applications from youth groups, multicultural groups, as well as other not-for-profit organisations within Wollongong and Shellharbour Local Government Areas.”

    Applications will be assessed and shortlisted, with three selected by an evaluation panel as the final candidates for Pitch Night.

    “The finalists will attend a half-day workshop with experts from The Funding Network where they will develop their stories, and get tips and advice on how to deliver a compelling pitch.

    “Then on 26 June, they will then pitch their idea to a crowd of around 100 people,” said Ms Kitcher.

    Once all three six-minute pitches are heard, the crowd will have the opportunity to ask questions and then pledge COORDINARE funding to one or more initiatives of their choice.

    “While distributing grant funding isn’t new, giving a crowd of community members the opportunity to distribute funding across grassroots organisations is an innovative concept,” said Ms Kitcher.

    “Our aim is to include the broader community in the decision-making process, lending itself to participatory budgeting; a democratic idea where stakeholders and the community are engaged to directly decide how and where to allocate funding.

    “The benefit for those pitching is to gain exposure of their ideas, community support and funding to move their initiative forward,” she added.

    Submissions close at 5pm on Tuesday 7 May.

    This initiative is supported by funding from COORDINARE – South Eastern NSW PHN through the Australian Government’s PHN Program.

Page published: 21 Jun 2019, 01:04 PM