Melbourne Cup Community Fund

To maintain Flemington as a world leader in thoroughbred racing, event management & entertainment.

In pursuing this vision the VRC recognises its responsibilities as a prominent corporate citizen and that it can make a positive contribution to the communities in which it operates.

Melbourne Cup Community Fund Charity Charter

Whilst all charities are worthy of corporate support, the VRC recognises that it is best positioned to allocate its resources to charities that share its values and conduct programs that address needs relating to:

Racing Industry welfare
Community health
Social issues that exist in the context of our environment

To demonstrate its commitment, the VRC has formed the Melbourne Cup Community Fund to provide financial and promotional support to charities that are aligned with the VRC’s corporate values.

The VRC is committed to upholding the highest standards in all charitable activities connected with the Melbourne Cup Community Fund.

The Melbourne Cup Community Fund Charter has been established to uphold the Club’s corporate values and provide a visible framework for the assessment of applications made to the VRC.

Objectives of the Melbourne Cup Community Fund

To support charities that are aligned with the VRC’s corporate values
To increase and diversify sources of fundraising
To utilise existing VRC resources and events to provide promotional leverage to approved charities where appropriate
To conduct all charitable activities effectively and efficiently so as to minimise expenses and maximise funds raised
To obtain stakeholder support for the VRC’s charitable activities
Utilise the iconic status of the Melbourne Cup - ‘the people’s race’ - as an envoy to assist in achieving positive social impacts
Be ethical and responsible in our operations

Applications and Assessment

The VRC will consider applications from charitable organisations that can demonstrate alignment with its corporate values.

Three levels of charitable support currently exist; being

Tickets and hospitality donations for fundraising purposes
Ongoing Community Partnerships
Cash donations subject to the needs of the organisation and funding availability

Each application is assessed on its individual merit, with priority given to charitable programs which:

Support a need in the areas of animal welfare, racing industry participant welfare, community health and welfare, social issues that exist in the context of the Club’s operations
Are located in communities where the VRC operates or to which the Melbourne Cup is connected
Are sustainable in delivering long-term benefits
Are conducted by a Not-For-Profit Entity with Deductible Gift Recipient Status with an office in Victoria

Depending on the level of support sought, charities may also be required to demonstrate:

Consistent and effective management
Clear goals and objectives that align with Melbourne Cup Community Fund objectives
A broad base of funding support
A demonstrated ability to respond to the needs of specific groups in a manner that yields measurable results
Effective utilisation and management of Volunteers

Limitations

The Fund will not support:

Advertising campaigns
Partisan, political, or denominational programs
Intermediary funding agencies
Endowment campaigns
Executive salaries or travel expenses
Requests that are not in writing
Individuals or private enterprise

Applying for Support from the Melbourne Cup Community Fund

Level 1 Application

Read all material in the Melbourne Cup Community Fund Charter
Complete a letter of request for a project for which you are seeking support; Within this letter the following details are required
- A brief profile of the charity or organisation.
- A brief profile of the staff involved.
- An explanation of the event to be held including the relevant date
- A brief summary of where the money raised would be spent.
Do not include any materials other than those specifically requested.
Sign and date application.
All application details must be on official charity letterhead
Post or deliver the application to:

Euan McDonald-Madden
Melbourne Cup Community Fund
c/o Victoria Racing Club
448 Epsom Road
Flemington, Victoria 3031

Level 2 & 3 Application

Read all material in the Melbourne Cup Community Fund Charter
Complete a letter of request for a project for which you are seeking support; Within this letter the following details are required
- A brief profile of the charity or organisation, its vision, mission and objectivities.
- A brief profile of the key personnel, or staff involved.
- An explanation of the event to be held including the relevant date
- A brief summary of where the money raised would be spent.
Provide the original and one copy of each separate application.
Do not include any materials other than those specifically requested.
Sign and date application.
All application details must be on official charity letterhead
Post or deliver the application to:

Euan McDonald-Madden
Melbourne Cup Community Fund
c/o Victoria Racing Club
448 Epsom Road
Flemington, Victoria 3031

Pin & Win Submission

The below guidelines are here to assist any charity wishing to create a submission document for the Pin & Win program

Background

The Pin & Win program has been in existence for two decades as the main charitable activity associated with the Melbourne Cup Carnival. The Pin & Win program involves a registered charity selling Melbourne Cup Pins before and during the Melbourne Cup Carnival. The charity chosen will need to commit to the purchase of a minimum quantity of Melbourne Cup Pins.

Submissons for Pin and Win 2010 close at 5:00pm on 31 May 2010

The submission should cover the following:

Profile of the Charity
- A brief profile of the charity, its vision, mission and objectivities.
- A brief profile of its key executives, board and structure.
- A brief summary of where the money raised from the Pin & Win promotion would be spent.
- Demonstration entity is a deductible gift recipient status recognised by the ATO with an office in Victoria
Major Event Experience
- A summary of the charity's experience in working with a major event.
Promotional capability and experience and how you would execute the Pin & Win promotion.
- A brief summary to demonstrate the previous promotional capability and experiences of your charity. Demonstrate some ideas of how you would execute the Pin & Win promotion in 2010 to maximise the sale of pins and revenue back to your charity.
- Demonstrate how you would secure minimum 350 volunteers.
Other benefits to the VRC
- Summarise any additional benefits that your charity posesses. For example; Ambassadors, retail alliances, media partnerships, events, databases of donors or volunteers.