About VanDyson Marine Fund

The VanDyson Marine Fund is the family’s philanthropic structure that supports businesses, organisations, charities, NGOs, or academic institutions (grantees) working on sustainable marine projects in Australia and the Pacific Islands.

 

Our Mission

The mission of the VanDyson Marine Fund is to contribute towards a sustainable marine environment in Australia and the Pacific Islands. We do this by supporting three programs: Marine Grants Program; Scientific Research and Expedition Program; and Private Land or Marine License Purchases that promote biodiversity. These programs need to generate measurable positive social, environmental, and economic benefits. We will use our funds and expeditions as a catalyst to raise the profile of the projects we support and where possible, we will work with partners to leverage additional support and funding.

 

Our Values

 

  • Safety of our people and our expeditions
  • Sustainable marine environment and economy
  • Evidence-based
  • Long-term focused

 

Our Philosophy

 

  • How do we protect the ocean surrounding Australia and the Pacific Islands in a sustainable way that benefits both the marine environment and the people who use it? – We support projects and organisations that advance the business case for protecting the environment.
  • Focus on three programs – We rely on funds from the VanDyson Family Office, therefore we focus on selected areas where we can make a difference.
  • We support the ’30 x 30’ target – conserving 30% of land and waters by 2030 to confront the threat of climate change.
  • We are evidence-based – and support projects that have a reasonable opportunity for meaningful and tangible progress and success.
  • We are long-term – We support multi-year giving that requires a long-term approach at the local, state, national and regional level.
  • We are hands on – We like to work with grantees as collaborative partners to improve effectiveness.
  • We support knowledge sharing – We support cross-cultural and international knowledge sharing, technical and commercial capacity-building.
  • We like to see blue and green workers safeguarded and new jobs created – we support projects that protect existing workers and create new jobs and sustainable economic development, particularly in remote coastal areas.