'There's a lot of people here who really care about their communities'

Ian Bird praised the commitment of local communities to building resilience and safeguarding their own futures as he launched the Border Trust's annual local giving campaign in Albury on Thursday, May 2.

Mr Bird, a former Canadian Olympic hockey player, said while this part of Australia had "its mix of challenges, the people here are very philanthropic".

"They really care about their communities," he enthused, revealing the North East has the country's highest concentration of Community Foundations "in a regional context".

Mr Bird spoke at a lunch to kick off Border Trust's May campaign, addressing the positive and meaningful intersection of local business and giving back to the community.

Local Giving Month aims to inspire and motivate individuals, families, and businesses across the Border to support local causes.

"This campaign exemplifies the power of collaboration between businesses and philanthropic organisations to drive positive change at the local level," Mr Bird said.

He described Border Trust as a "sophisticated philanthropic engine", which played "a pivotal role in fostering community trust and activating local assets to create lasting change".

Impressively, he added, that involved "weaving together small communities" in towns across six local government areas.

Mr Bird is an internationally regarded community philanthropy executive with roles as the chair of the Global Fund for Community Foundations and former president and CEO Community Foundations of Canada.

He officially hit the ground running in Australia in January taking in a whirlwind tour of Community Foundations across the country.

His visit to the region this week included stops at Tumut, Benalla, Corryong, Yackandandah as well as Albury.

And while he says it's early days yet, his sense of Australia is that there is "a lot of innovation" and groups that are "highly engaged with their communities".

"Communities (like the ones I've seen here) are trying be ready for a future that is more uncertain than it has been," he explained.

"And when communities are connected with what's going on they are more resilient and way more capable of meeting challenges when they come.

"They are more able to adapt to the pressures of things like natural disasters, a shift in energy systems or a changing economy."

Mr Bird, who said there were about 50 Community Foundations in Australia (compared to Canada's 250), sees his role as helping to "build bridges" between businesses and community organisations.

Essentially it's about helping to meet the local needs on the ground with corporate resources.

"And my experience is that when business (or the corporate world) sees a thriving community they know it's also good for their objectives," he said.

Border Trust "helps the organisations who help others", explains its executive officer Sue Gold.

Local Giving Month is about showcasing the impact businesses can have on their communities when they prioritise philanthropy, she says.

And she is inviting all residents to join in making a difference during May to build a more generous, connected, and resilient community.

"All donations to Border Trust support grassroots non-profit and charitable organisations, addressing critical local issues such as homelessness, food insecurity, community connection, equity and wellbeing, and community leadership," Ms Gold said.

"We connect the generosity of donors with local charities and non-profits - to create positive change."

With the skills, knowledge, and structures to distribute funds where they will create the greatest local community benefit, Ms Gold said Border Trust made it easy for individuals, families, businesses, and others to support local causes and opportunities that align with their values.