THE GPC ASIA PACIFIC FOUNDATION
In 2020 GPC Asia Pacific is launching the GPC Asia Pacific Foundation.
It’s an exciting time for our business. The Foundation is a reflection of the heart of our people, who over many years have created and asked for opportunities to support the communities we work in. In early 2020 we saw our business collectively raise over $300,000 to support Bushfire relief. Our team also actively support and give their time and money to the Starlight Children’s Foundation in Australia - over $1million in the past 10 years - and Canteen in New Zealand.
This energy, and the strong desire from our team to contribute, has inspired the establishment of the GPC Asia Pacific Foundation, formed with the goal of supporting GPC Asia Pacific’s philanthropic initiatives under Five Key Pillars.
Genuine Parts Company has endowed the Foundation with a seed funding of US$100,000 a year for the next 5 years. This endowment will underpin the Foundation’s activities and supports the creation of a fund that will represent a significant legacy for GPC Asia Pacific into the future. We strongly encourage each of our team members, and will be working with our customers, suppliers and the community, to contribute towards the Foundations fundraising goals to support the following initiatives.
THE FOUNDATION’S FIVE PILLARS
- We recognise there will be times our team members may experience unexpected financial hardship which cannot be addressed through normal financial support channels.
- The Team Member Hardship Fund is available to address financial hardship which is one-off in nature or triggered by an unexpected event or circumstances.
- The Disaster Relief Fund has been established to provide financial support for relief due to natural disasters such as bushfires, floods, earthquakes, and drought.
- The fund is externally or community focused.
- The fund will provide opportunity for employees to propose relief activity and assistance for specific disasters at a local level.
- The Charitable foundation will enable us to create opportunities to invest back in our communities through education.
- We will look to create development and career path opportunities in the automotive industry via education for those who, due to circumstances and disadvantage, may have not otherwise been able to access them.
- We have long standing partnerships with the Starlight Children’s Foundation and CanTeen.
- This pillar will provide further opportunities to support fundraising activities for these life changing groups and other key charity partners, and avenues for our team members to contribute.
- We know our team members are highly passionate about these causes and our partnerships.
- It is increasingly common for organisations to facilitate the donation by employees of their time (whether paid work hours or holiday time) for charitable purposes.
- GPC Asia Pacific is exploring the opportunity to establish a formal program that encourages and enables the donation of time by our team.
The Foundation Governance
Foundation activity is governed by a subset of the GPC Asia Pacific Group Leadership Team via the Grant Committee. The Grant Committee is chaired by the Managing Director, and will assess applications for grants by the Foundation, based on recommendations from the Recommendation Committees within each Line of Business or Function.
Our Commitment to our Teams, Partners and Communities
- Allocations of Grants, or endorsement of fundraising/community activities will align to the GPC Asia Pacific values, and will target genuine disadvantage or financial hardship.
- All applications will be kept in the strictest confidence.
- All applications and recommendations will be evaluated independently and impartially by the Grant Committee, with a focus on ensuring Foundation funds are allocated where they are needed most.
- The Grant Committee will hold itself to the highest standards of rigour and transparency, and the Foundation be subject to an annual formal audit.