The Ross Trust has developed Collaborations with a number of organisations in specific areas of priority to the Trust. Collaborations were developed with the view that funding organisations in a more intensive and supported way over the medium to longer term would assist organisations to have a greater impact against the Trust's objectives.

The Ross Trust selects and invites organisations to develop and design Collaborations in partnership with the Trust and does not accept open requests under this initiative.

Organisations are chosen based on their history of achieving successful outcomes in areas of interest to the Trust.

Current Collaborations are described below:
Asylum Seekers Resource Centre: Improving outcomes for asylum seekers www.asrc.org.au

The Asylum Seeker Resource Centre Inc. (ASRC) was founded in Footscray in 2001 to directly support asylum seekers, living both in the community and in detention. The ASRC has dramatically expanded since 2001 and is now the largest provider of aid, advocacy and health services to asylum seekers in Australia.

Asylum seekers are amongst the most disadvantaged and vulnerable people in Australia due in part to federal government legislation that restricts asylum seekers from working and accessing mainstream services such as Medicare and income support.

The ASRC provides an extensive range of free services to asylum seekers including legal services, health care (including the purchase of medication), English language classes and counselling all of which are staffed by volunteers.

The Ross Trust has been supporting The ASRC through a series of grants since 2003. In June of 2008 the Trust invited the ASRC to become a Ross Trust Collaboration in recognition of the ASRC's significant work in supporting asylum seekers. The grant, which was renewed in September 2009 provides key infrastructure support for the ASRC specifically funding a number of key staff positions.

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Centre for Community Child Health: improved outcomes for children in their early years www.rch.org.au/ccch
The Centre for Community Child Health is an internationally recognised centre of excellence supporting and empowering communities to continually improve the health, wellbeing and quality of life of children and their families. The centre promotes good health practices, preventive action, early detection and early intervention.

From 2001 to 2005, the Ross Trust provided grants totalling $1 million over four years to the Centre for Community Child Health to carry out Phase One and Two of an early intervention project with Good Beginnings Australia to improve the life chances of young children. For more information on Phases one and two, including the Literature Review see the Early Years Project.

Phase Two of the Early Years project identified the need for strong links between schools and early year's services as a major issue in ensuring children were prepared for school and schools were prepared for their new students. Consequently, the Ross Trust considered the issue as part of the 2005 Ross Trust granting strategy review and subsequently agreed to partner with the Centre of Community Child Health on Phase Three of the Early Years project. The Linking Schools and Early Years project began in October 2005 and will be delivered over six years to 2012. Phase Three also includes a continuation of the Early Years seminar series.

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EASE: Solving the Jigsaw - Changing the culture of violence www.solvingthejigsaw.org.au
Solving the Jigsaw is a school-based early intervention and prevention program run in primary and secondary schools that teaches children how to deal with violence in all its forms. The program is run by the Emergency Accommodation and Support Enterprise Inc (EASE), a domestic violence agency based in Bendigo.

The program, first developed in 1997 and delivered only in the Loddon-Campaspe region, has now been delivered to more than 20,000 children in more than 80 schools across both regional and metropolitan areas of Victoria.

Between June 2001 and June 2008, the Ross Trust provided over $655,000 towards the Program's continued expansion in schools, quality improvement and the development of a comprehensive training program. In May 2009, the Trust renewed its commitment to the strategic directions of the Program by approving a grant of $285,000 to be paid over three years until 2012/2013.

The Ross Trust made its first grant to EASE for 'Solving the Jigsaw' in 2001. Between June 2001 and June 2005, the Trust provided over $395,000 towards the program's continued expansion in schools, quality improvement and the development of a comprehensive training program, the grant was renewed in 2006 and again in 2009 for another three years.

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Ganbina KEETA: improved outcomes for Indigenous Australians www.ganbina.com.au
Ganbina Koori Economic Employment & Training Agency Inc acts in the capacity of peak indigenous representative body in Victoria's Goulburn Valley for economic employment and training issues. Ganbina performs this role as a consultation organisation for the local indigenous community and as a direct service provision agency. Ganbina was established as KEETA in Shepparton in 1997 following indigenous community consultation and a regionally funded feasibility study.

The core philosophy of Ganbina is to support indigenous youth to realise their full economic and educational potential. The jobs 4 U2 program provides seamless transition for indigenous youth from education to training to employment by working in partnership with local business and secondary schools in the Shepparton area.

The Ross Trust first began its major collaboration with Ganbina in 2004, when the Trustees approved a grant to support the organisation's key infrastructure costs, specifically the Executive Officer's and administration staff salaries. In 2008 the Ross Trust renewed its commitment to Ganbina with a grant totalling $555,820 to be paid over three years.

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Education Foundation Australia/Foundation for Young Australians: improved outcomes in Public Education www.fya.org.au
The Ross Trust has supported a number of projects with the Education Foundation over several years aimed at supporting improved outcomes for students, particularly those from disadvantaged backgrounds. In April 2007, the Ross Trust approved a grant of $207,000 each year for three years to the Education Foundation, now in alliance with The Foundation for Young Australians (www.fya.org.au), for a Collaboration to contribute to improved "Equity and Quality in Public Education".

Part of the Collaboration was developed to strengthen the Foundation's research capability, with a portion of the grant supporting the Research Manager's position as well as other administration costs.

A new federalism in Australian education: A proposal for a national reform agenda was prepared by Professor Jack Keating of The University of Melbourne, whose role as Thought Leadership Fellow for Education Foundation is funded by the Collaboration. The report was launched in July 2009 and is available online at http://www.fya.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2009/05/fya_newfederalism_fullreport2.pdf

In addition, the Collaboration is supporting the Foundation to conduct a three year project entitled Outside the Square: New Models of Educational Excellence. This research will build on the previous work of the Education Foundation's Case for Change and Crossing the Bridge which identified barriers and possible models to help overcome entrenched educational disadvantage.

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Somebody's Daughter Theatre: improved outcomes for offenders, ex-offenders and some at risk of offending www.somebodysdaughtertheatre.com
Somebody's Daughter Theatre Inc is a unique company with a 24 year history that works in art, music and drama with:

  • women in prison and after they have been released;
  • disadvantaged young people (particularly in regional and rural areas); and
  • communities interested in establishing creative partnerships to enhance the health and well-being of marginalised groups of young people.
With more than 20 years of productions developed and presented by these women and young people inside prisons and in schools, community settings and mainstream theatres, Somebody's Daughter Theatre has established itself as a significant contributor to offender rehabilitation and prevention and as one of the truly contemporary voices in Australian theatre, a remarkable twin achievement.

Over many years since the company's establishment, the Ross Trust has provided grants to Somebody's Daughter Theatre Company to support its work. In 2004 Somebody's Daughter became a Collaboration when the Trustees approved grants totalling $300,000 over three years towards assisting the theatre company to become more sustainable into the future and less dependent on ad hoc, time and energy consuming fund raising. In 2007, Trustees approved a further $300,000 to be paid over three years.

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Victorian Association for the Care and Resettlement of Offenders (VACRO): SKY supporting kids and youth www.vacro.org.au
Children and families of offenders are often the hidden, secondary victims of crime, experiencing marginalisation, stigmatisation and poverty. Which are unintended but frequent consequences following the incarceration of a family member of child or youth.

Victorian Association for the Care & Resettlement of Offenders (VACRO) provides support to offenders and their families with a focus on rehabilitation and reducing recidivism. Over many years, the Ross Trust has made numerous grants to VACRO to provide a range of programs for offenders and their families. Because of its success and proven track record in the development and delivery of high quality programs, the Ross Trust invited VACRO to become a Collaboration and to develop a proposal for a three year project in an area of high need.

In August 2008, the Trustees approved a three year grant of $600,000 for VACRO to work with SHINE for Kids to deliver mentoring and counselling/support to children and families of offenders. The SKY program commenced in early 2009 and offers an integrated service specifically designed to link children to a range of practical supports according to their individual needs and family situations.

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