9.1 Our goals

• mecu to further develop successful strategic partnerships focusing on sustainable outcomes
• mecu to provide leadership to the financial service industry in the field of sustainability by demonstrating that environmental and social improvements are part of a successful business strategy

9.2 Our approach and commitments

9.2.1 Community Partnership Program SOC1

Commitment	Progress
Target 4% of mecu’s budgeted after-tax profits to sponsoring community partnerships.
Develop systems to capture the percentage of our portfolio with a high environmental impact, if deemed material.

mecu is committed to working towards the sustainable improvement of our communities through our Community Partnership Program. The mecu Community Partnership Program reflects mecu’s core values and the on-going commitments we make to our stakeholders.

The objective of the Program is to support activities that make a positive contribution to resolving economic, social and environmental problems, and address issues that make a positive difference to society. The Program was reviewed last year. It was decided that the Program’s framework could be designed to better address its objectives and better address issues facing our community. We will be working on this over the next twelve months.

We made a commitment to target 4% of mecu’s budgeted after-tax profits to sponsoring community partnerships. Unfortunately we have fallen short of this goal with only 2.69% going toward Community Partnerships. mecu has looked at different ways to make up this difference. We believe that we will be able to achieve a 4% contribution in 2007/08 through our work with Trust for Nature in developing a mecu land bank.

As a result of consultation with mecu members, we have chosen to support initiatives in the following four areas: social capacity, science, the environment and education.

Figure 9a highlights the percentage of funding that is used to support initiatives in each of these areas.

Figure 9a: Community activity sponsorship

Commitment 2005/2006	Progress
Continue to develop partnerships with appropriate organisations in regions where mecu has a presence to help alleviate local social and environmental problems.

9.2.2 Key partnerships mecu supported in 2006/07

The entities mecu supported in 2006/07 included:

• Australian Education Union (AEU )
   
  The AEU aims to achieve and maintain better working conditions for the education sector, advance the professional interests of its members and promote the value of its members’ work within society.
  
  
• Principal for a Day
   
  We were a major partner of Principal for a Day (PFAD), an innovative not-for-profit program which aims to strengthen relationships between government schools, businesses and the wider community.
  
  Throughout the three-year partnership, we contributed people, facilities and finances to P FAD and assisted the program to expand from a state-based initiative to a national program. The partnership agreement ended at the end of 2006. mecu and PFAD decided that the objectives of the program were met and decided not to extend the partnership beyond 2006.
  
  
• Investors in the Community Fund
   
  Investors in the Community Fund is a micro-credit finance pilot that we are undertaking with Charities Aid Foundation (CAF ), an international charitable organisation founded in the UK. Investing in the Community Fund involves the two parties investigating the ability to offer low rate finance to not-for-profit organisations. When it proceeds, we will provide the banking systems and other support, including loan assessment, distribution and collection of repayments, while CAF provides the lending capital. The Fund is being developed in response to the increasing demand for the not-for-profit sector to become less dependent on government grants and donations from corporate Australia.
  
  
• Sustainable schools
   
  We are currently partnering with the Gould League to enhance their Sustainable Schools Program. The Program aims to help schools reduce their environmental impact. We will enhance the Program by enabling participating schools to retrofit their facilities with a range of water and energy saving technology through the provision of low cost finance. It is proposed that the initial pilot of the enhanced Program will be conducted in the Gippsland region, and if successful, will be rolled out across the state.
   
  
• Community breakfasts
   
  We have developed a series of community business breakfasts in Canberra and Gippsland, which we manage and promote in partnership with other organisations. The breakfasts provide an opportunity for attendees to listen to recognised leaders talk about subjects that are relevant to the local community, including sustainability issues.
  
  
• State Schools Relief Committee (SSRC)
   
  Once again, mecu has contributed $30,000 to the State Schools Relief Committee in 2006/07. The SSRC offers valuable support to disadvantaged children in state schools by providing such essentials as uniforms and books, thereby helping to increase the retention rate of these students in schools. The Committee helps over 7,000 students each year and this number is steadily increasing.
  
  
• Gippsland Schools’ Breakfast Program
   
  We continue to sponsor a Gippsland Schools’ Breakfast Program, which provides schoolchildren in the Gippsland region with a nutritious breakfast before their school day. Staff from our Gippsland service centres volunteer their time to assist in the Program by preparing breakfasts and donating the proceeds of recycled cans collected at our service centres in Gippsland. We further support this program with $5,000 per year in sponsorship.
  
  
• Science by Email
   
  We maintained our partnership with CSIRO Education through sponsorship of Science by Email , an educational and entertaining on-line service for children, parents and teachers. This free weekly email newsletter includes science news, activities and experiments, links to interesting web pages and details of upcoming events. In 2006/07, we contributed $46,200 to Science by Email.
   
  
• Association of Business Managers in Victorian State Schools (ABMVSS)
  
  This is a three-year partnership which began in 2006. The ABMVSS provides an opportunity for state school business managers and support staff to come together, to gain support and knowledge from each other through professional development programs, mentoring programs and other collegiate networking opportunities. In 2006/07, we contributed $20,000 to the partnership.
   
  
• Victorian Association of State School Principals (VASSP)
   
  VASSP works with and on behalf of principals to ensure that principal welfare and quality learning environments in secondary schools are the key objectives on the education agenda. VASSP provides a voice at the highest levels on behalf of its members. VASSP also works hard to lobby the Government and statutory bodies to resource state secondary schools appropriately and to ensure that the educational and social needs of the students in our schools are properly addressed. In 2006/07, mecu contributed $14,000 to the partnership.
   
  
• Department of Education and Early Childhood Development (DEECD)
   
  In 2006/07, we have developed our relationship with the DEECD and increased our support of the Victorian Education Excellence Awards. In addition to providing the Outstanding Secondary Teacher Award, in 2007, we also provided the Outstanding Business Manager Award, recognising the work done behind the scenes in schools. We also established a partnership supporting the Dollars & Sense and Talking Finances programs. These are professional development programs held by DEECD for Business Managers, Assistant Principals, and other administration staff at schools.
   
  
• CSIRO – Sirovilla Elderly Peoples Homes
   
  mecu recognises issues related to community housing and in particular, for elderly people. mecu supports Sirovilla, a village for aged personswhich grew out of the CSIRO Textiles and Fibre Technology Division Social Club in the early 1970s. The village provides secure and affordable unit accommodation for over 120 people.
   
  mecu assisted the project by providing funds for the construction of these units and will again assist as the development of the new village community centre progresses. In 2006/07, another government grant has been received, allowing the village to grow by another 15 units. Thisgrant also allows the construction of the village community centre to commence. mecu has been observing the progress of the project and is in discussion with Sirovilla staff about how best to provide continued support for the village.
   
  
• Snedden Hall & Gallop
   
  mecu has supported Snedden Hall & Gallop in their University Scholarship Program since 2001.
   
  This partnership demonstrates our commitment to the education sector and the Canberra community bringing together mecu, our corporate solicitors in Canberra, Snedden Hall & Gallop and the University of Canberra.
   
  The program itself was launched in 1999 and offers school students in the local region the opportunity to win one of two scholarships worth $6,000 each. These scholarships are funded over three years to assist the students in studying law at a Canberra University.
   
  
• Beyond Australia
   
  Beyond Australia, we are involved with the Credit Union Foundation Australia (CUFA ) and the World Council of Credit Unions (WOCCU ) in their efforts to assist communities in developing countries to achieve economic independence.
   
  
• Other organisations
   
  Other organisations with whom we have associated with on sustainability initiatives in 2006/07include:
   
  
  • savewater!
  • Centre for Energy and Greenhouse Technologies
  • Going Solar
  • Endless Solar
  • CertainTeed
  • Power Partners
  • ecoMaster
  • Mr Solar
  • Alpine School
  • Ecolinc
  • Inspired Teaching Solutions
  • SALA Homes

  Example of some events that mecu has supported throughout 2006/07:

  • Darebin Council Eco Sustainability Fair
  • WaterAid Ball
  • Midsumma Festival Carnival
  • Sustainable Living Festival
  • Oxfam Trailwalker
  • City of Boroondara Living for our Future Expo

9.2.3 Membership

Commitment	Progress
Maintain active membership of the United Nations Environment Programme Finance Initiative.

We maintain active membership and relationships with the following organisations:

• United Nations Environment Programme Finance Initiative
  GRI
• West End Traders’ Association (Qld)
• Woolloongabba Business Association (Qld)
• South Bank Business Association (Qld)
• West End Community Association (Qld)
• Philanthropy Australia
• Ethical Investment Association
• Ethical Investor Magazine
• The Big Issue
• HIA GreenSmart Subscription
• Australian Geographic
• Canberra Business Council Partnership Subscription

Future engagement with our community

In order to better engage our stakeholders and the wider community, mecu is committed to developing a new online presence, which will enable us to better connect with mecu members and society.