How to Impact100 in Freo Right Now!

Being just a little philosophical for a moment, I suspect most of us like to think, or at least hope, that our time here on the Blue Planet will see us leaving it a better place – that our lives will have an IMPACT for good.

Drum roll. 🥁. Ta-da. Enter … Impact100 Fremantle!

Impact100 Fremantle is a great initiative of the wonderful Fremantle Foundation, a local philanthropic initiative set up by Dylan Smith a few years back, designed to do just that – leave things in a better place.

Each year Impact100 Fremantle seeks 100 donors willing to contribute $1000 each to create a fund of $100,000 which is then granted to an outstanding Freo not-for-profit to help them with the work they do around Freo.

Local groups are invited to apply for the $100,000 grant by putting forward a project that will assist the Fremantle community and likely be a gamechanger for them and what they aspire to do around Freo.

At the awards night later this year, following presentations from the short-listed finalists for the grant, the donors themselves vote to select the grant recipient. Donors consistently report it is a rewarding experience.

Impact100 Fremantle has been very successful – over $1M has been granted in its first 9 years.

Grants made over the past three years have covered such projects as –

• Improving education outcomes for young students. Studies show that failure to address ear infections impacts on a student’s hearing which then impacts their ability to learn and before they know it they are falling behind their classmates. Impact100 Fremantle provided Earbus with funding to purchase and fit-out a vehicle to visit schools and do these important ear checks and treatments. By ensuring young students have healthy ears, we empower their learning… so they too can have a positive IMPACT on our community rather than being left behind.

• Providing smiles to those who can’t afford dental care. Some of our fellow citizens find dental care beyond their reach. We greet each other with a smile… whether that is in the street, at the shops… or maybe at a job interview. Having a mouth full of healthy teeth gives our recipients confidence to move forward in their lives and a healthy mouth is a strong indicator of healthy living. The Australian Dental Health Foundation provides volunteer dentists to the full dental clinic that exists at St Pats Community Centre. Impact100 Fremantle’s funding provides for a regular dental nurse manager to support the dentists and manage the clinic.

• Helping people value their health. For some, managing even simple aspects of health is difficult. Homeless Healthcare regularly visits Fremantle streets and provides nurses to assess the health of those without accommodation. They take actions to assist the client and then by building the relationship can assist people take other steps to gain accommodation. Impact100 Fremantle provided funding to extend the days that this service operates and to provide specialist mental health expertise.