Over the last few months, your Board, working with the Grants Committee, have initiated The MVGC Foundation. This Foundation is an over-arching fund set up to accept bequests and donations with the goal of enhancing the club, course and offerings to its members. While we have subscription and food/beverage income which we use to manage ongoing costs and some capital items, and we have other funding mechanisms to address specific longer term improvements (i.e. green replacement, capital development fund for the clubhouse improvements, grants), we never have enough to do other enhancements to the club and course which we would like to do, and these items slip year after year based on priorities and limited funds.
The MVGC Foundation is established through the Australian Sports Foundation’s (ASF) Fundraising 4 Sport program (https://asf.org.au/fundraise-with-us), which is a government entity which allows for the process to be streamlined and for donations to be fully tax deductible, as MVGC is a non-profit organization. Our plan is to establish sub-projects within the Foundation which are specific and impactful, have a target donation amount, and can be completed within a relatively short period. We believe there are members who have the capacity and desire to donate to the club as part of their overall donations to charities and other non-profits. These donations could be once off by a member, yearly amounts or even bequests within a will.
We will initially establish the Fund as follows:
o Over-arching fund – MVGC Foundation (general account for donations which can be used for any area of course/clubhouse expenditure)
o Sub Project 1 – Course Beautification
To provide for a set of enhancements to add flair to the view of the course from the clubhouse and while playing and also giving a facelift to the Club entrances. These are improvements that we cannot fund from existing membership fees or grants. Target contributions – TBD
- Fountain(s)
- Lighting enhancement around trees, etc
- Brush Fence around material pits near maintenance sheds
- Front entrance landscaping, signage
o Sub Project 2 – Enhanced Course Practice Facilities
To provide for specific course enhancements to enlarge the Main Practice Green and upgrade 11A. These are improvements that we cannot fund from existing fees or grants. Target contributions – TBD
- Enlarge and level the main practice green to approximately 1.5 – 2 times its current size
- Upgrade 11A with a bunker, small gardens behind green and a new tee approximately 100m from green
Members can donate to the General fund or specific sub-projects. We are in the process of establishing the process for donations, which will go through the ASF website. Once a donation is made, a tax receipt will be immediate and the club will receive the funds less a 5% fee for establishment, legal and processing costs. The Grants Committee will oversee the running of the fund, and report to the board.
More details will be forthcoming in the next week as we finalise the establishment of the Fund.
Regards
John Karren
President MVGC
