By Freya Purnell
SAP Australia will provide ongoing support of $400,000 annually to be split between two not-for-profit partners, the Australian Indigenous Education Foundation (AIEF) and The Smith Family.
Forming part of SAP’s corporate social responsibility program, the annual donations will be targeted at providing students with enhanced science, technology, engineering, mathematics and ICT education and skills.
The Australian Indigenous Education Foundation is a private sector led not-for-profit organisation focused on empowering Indigenous children in financial need to build a future through quality education and careers.
SAP’s 2013 donations will contribute to the AIEF Scholarship Program, which provides boarding school, tertiary and residential university college scholarships for Indigenous students, as well as the AIEF Pathways Program, which provides scholarship recipients with support during their transition from school to tertiary studies or employment.
The 2013 donations to The Smith Family, a not-for-profit focused on creating opportunities for young Australians by supporting their participation in education, will support 800 disadvantaged children with tailored education programs.
SAP’s commitment to the two organisations will extend beyond the donations to explore technology deployments to support their programs and operations. SAP employees will also have the opportunity to participate in each organisation’s mentoring and volunteering programs.
The Smith Family and AIEF were chosen as CSR partners by SAP Australia employees, who chose from 40 nominated local candidates.
Greg Miller, chief operating officer at SAP Australia and New Zealand, said, “The Smith Family and AIEF are two very special organsiations that make a real difference to Australia’s youth. At SAP, we believe that it is only through education that we can equip our youth and Australia for the challenges and opportunities of tomorrow, so it’s fantastic that our employees have selected such critical community organisations as our long-term partners.”
