The Academy of Design is proud to support:
1. Breast Cancer Foundation of Australia
2. Rainforest Rescue
Who we are: Rainforest Rescue is a not-for-profit organisation that has been protecting and restoring rainforests in Australia and internationally since 1998 by providing opportunities for individuals and businesses to Protect Rainforests Forever.
Our projects re-establish rainforests through planting, maintenance and restoration programs, as well as purchasing and protecting high conservation value rainforest and preserving its biodiversity.
Our vision: To protect rainforests and biodiversity forever
Our mission: To inspire, engage and build community for the protection, preservation and restoration of rainforests through fundraising and education.
Our structure: Rainforest Rescue is an Australian Company Limited by Guarantee, managed by a Board of Directors who contribute their service on a voluntary basis.
Our ABN is “61 086 885 154″ and our ACN is 086 885 154.
Staff: We currently have three full time staff, several part time staff and the support of many volunteers.
Publications: The Rainforest Rescue hardcopy newsletter is published annually and is made available to supporters. Our email newsletter is issued quarterly.
Income: Rainforest Rescue was established to provide opportunities to contribute to rainforest conservation. We are committed to building relationships with individuals, philanthropists, businesses and grants making organisations through which the majority of our funding is sourced. We also receive limited government funding for specific outcomes.
Givewell, an organisation that provides a comprehensive research service for informed giving has profiled Rainforest Rescue and its performance on financial management. For further information please visit our profile on the Givewell website
RAINFOREST RESCUE’S HISTORY
Rainforest Rescue started in 1998 when Kelvin Davies and Dr Tony Parkes met to bring together their ideas for rainforest conservation. They soon gained the interest of Kathryn Biggs and Dr Julia Playford and together they formed the team that established the focus and direction of Rainforest Rescue.
On the 25th of March 1999 Rainforest Rescue was incorporated as a Company Limited by Guarantee, registered with the Australian government, providing maximum accountability to our supporters. Kelvin, Tony, Kathryn and Julia became the founding directors of the Company.
We were assisted in this early stage by an initial group of over fifty members and supporters. Our inclusion on the Australian government’s Register of Environmental Organisations also provided us with tax-deductible gift recipient status, enabling Australian residents to make tax deductible donations to the organisation.
In 1999 we established the Big Scrub Restoration Project to support the award-winning Big Scrub Rainforest Restoration Program of the Big Scrub Rainforest Landcare Group. We also established with that Group the Big Scrub Rainforest Day, which has expanded to become the largest and most successful annual Landcare community event in Australia. We also began our support for tree planting projects in Queensland and New South Wales.
As activity started to grow we published the first edition of Rainforest Rescue News, which continues to be produced each year as a hard copy newsletter for supporters.
In 2000 we established the Daintree Buy Back and Protect Forever Project. This project is buying back World Heritage Value freehold rainforest land in the Daintree at risk from development for rural residential development.
In 2000 we furthered our relationship with TP Health establishing a community business partnership. TP Health becoming a major sponsor of the Big Scrub Restoration Program for two years. Rainforest Rescue was also registered as a Landcare Group in 2000.
In 2001 Mike Oswald became a director and Julia moved aside as a director following her switch from academic life to a government role. Biologist and author Tim Low joined the team and became our Patron.
In 2002 Southern Cross Credit Union became a major sponsor of the Big Scrub Restoration Program for two years. To celebrate the success for the project the Booyong Open Day was held to recognise the partnership.
In 2003 we established the Research to the Rescue Project. This project brings together research scientists with important projects examining the conservation of threatened species and rainforest communities.
We also broadened our support for the environment with a partnership with TheReGenesis Foundation to undertake work on a significant rainforest restoration project and other environmental projects at ReGenesis Farm in Northern NSW.
Another project established in 2003 was Ecuador Save a Hectare with the Rainforest Information Centre and Rainforest Concern (UK). Through this partnership we are assisting an established project to protect the Cloud Forests in Ecuador.
In 2005 and 2006 we continued to build on the success of our existing projects and support our partners and continue the progress of Rainforest Rescue towards our mission: To save our rainforests for current and future generations.
OUR GOAL
The National Breast Cancer Foundation is the leading community-funded organisation in Australia raising money for research into the prevention and cure of breast cancer.
We are privileged to work with the public who both give and raise funds and the research community to whom we grant funds to change the health future.
Since the National Breast Cancer Foundation was established in 1994, $97 million has been awarded to fund over 340 Australian-based research projects across every state and territory to improve the health and wellbeing of those affected by breast cancer.
We are very proud that the National Breast Cancer Foundation raises and grants funds exclusively for research, because we believe research is the most effective way to end breast cancer. We are also very proud of the fact that the National Breast Cancer Foundation has a commitment to funding research right across the spectrum – from understanding the fundamental basis of the disease to psychosocial research aimed at improving the quality of life for survivors.
Our aspirational goal is to achieve zero death from breast cancer by 2030. With 37 Australians diagnosed each day and seven dying from the disease, there is still much to do.