StartSomeGood has partnered with financial services provider ING DIRECT to launch Dreamstarter, a crowdfunding initiative to help boost Australia’s social enterprise sector.
Dreamstarter offers Australian entrepreneurs an online platform to raise funds that go towards social change projects.
Projects that gain substantial support from the community will receive additional funding from ING Direct.
StartSomeGood cofounder, Tom Dawkins, said the partnership breaks new ground in the corporate social responsibility (CSR) sector.
“Crowdfunding is a participatory model that democratises corporate philanthropy. The projects that will succeed are those that have a genuine mandate from the community,” said Dawkins.
As the first financial service provider to offer branchless banking in Australia, ING DIRECT’s involvement in the program aims to demonstrate their support for innovation and growth of Australia’s social enterprise sector.
“At ING DIRECT we strongly support innovative projects that address real community needs,” said Vaughn Richtor, ING DIRECT CEO.
Ten ventures by social entrepreneurs that graduated from the School for Social Entrepreneurs Australia will launch in the initial round of fundraising through the Dreamstarter platform.
The first enterprises to go live include a project to connect remote Aboriginal entrepreneurs to new markets via an online store, Enterprise Learning Australia, and an initiative to help rural communities in Malawi to achieve greater self-sufficiency, Empower.
CEO of the School for Social Entrepreneurs, Celia Hodson, believes that innovative crowdfunding collaborations like Dreamstarter helps break down many of the traditional barriers social entrepreneurs face when attracting support for their ventures.
“The Dreamstarter Campaign is a fantastic way for start up social ventures to raise their profile, attract critical seed funding and inspire others to create change in their communities,” said Hodson.
For more information or to participate in the Dreamstarter program, visit www.ingdirect.com.au