Funding Process

What we fund

Australia is an island continent with a 25,000 km coastline and 14.7 million km2 of ocean. It is estimated that less than 0.5% of all philanthropic contributions in Australia are dedicated to marine causes. The Pacific Islands to Australia’s north and east are spread across an even larger ocean area with over 25,000 islands, and a tiny philanthropic community.

The oceans cover 71% of the planet. Our oceans need URGENT protection. We can improve both the ENVIRONMENT and the ECONOMY by using our resources sustainably. This is our passion and our focus. The VanDyson Marine Foundation was founded to contribute in a small way to 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.

Who will we fund (eligible organisations)?

We will provide grants to organisations registered with Australian Charities and Not-for-profits Commission (ACNC). The VanDyson Marine Foundation uses a Public Ancillary Fund (PuAF) and can only approve grants to organisations endorsed by the Australian Taxation Office (ATO) as a Deductible Gift Recipient Type 1 (DGR1) status and which are Income Tax Exempt. These organisations should be registered with the Australian Charities and Not-for-profits Commission (ACNC).

Governance

The VanDyson Marine Fund, established in 2021, is a sub-fund in the Australian Philanthropic Services Foundation (APS Foundation). The APS Foundation is a public ancillary fund registered with the Australian Charities and Not-for-profits Commission (ACNC), governed by the APS Foundation Board and chaired by Chris Cuffe AO. It has deductible gift recipient (DGR) item 2 status.

The family makes decisions about organisations it wishes to support and the grants it wishes to make, and the APS Foundation issues these grants on behalf of the VanDyson Marine Fund.

For more information on the APS Foundation, please see https://australianphilanthropicservices.com.au.

Funding via Marine Grants Program (MGP) and Scientific Research and Expedition Program (SREP)

For both programs, we will seek proposals from organisations in which we have an interest. To identify suitable organisations, we welcome the opportunity to find out about your business, organisation, charity, NGO, or academic institution undertaking projects or expeditions that support marine sustainability.

  • Step 1: Please submit an Introduction Form via email to [email protected].
      • For more detail on the introductory information VMF would find helpful in finding more about potential organisations we could support please refer to the following: Click here for VanDyson Marine Introduction Form »
      • Note please cut and paste the headings from the Introduction Form and answer the questions relevant to your organisation in a Word or PDF document or send the answers embedded in an e-mail. No more than 2-4 pages.
  • Step 2: VanDyson Marine Fund will contact organisations that we are interested in pursuing further contact with. If you do not hear from us, please understand that we have limited resources.
  • Step 3: We may invite you to submit a formal Request for Funding to the VDMF.

There are no deadlines for hearing from you. Introduction Forms and Requests for Funding may be kept on file for reference (refer to our Privacy Policy in the footer).

More details

For more details on the VanDyson Marine Fund grant types, process, evaluation criteria, jobs (interns and volunteers), exclusions, restrictions and other frequently asked questions (FAQ) please refer to the following:

Click here for VanDyson Marine Fund Grant Process and FAQ »