Charity overflowing with funding requests

Some local charities that have sought the assistance of a Catholic church-based foundation will have to find money elsewhere as requests for funding inundated the office this year.

Trinity Families executive officer Colin Coomber said the foundation had received a total of 17 requests for funding but not all could be accommodated.

“We’ve got between $125,000 to $130,000 to give away. They are requesting over $312,000 works to be funded,” Mr Coomber told The Express.

Mr Coomber said a panel of five people, including one priest, would screen all 17 projects this month and decide which would receive funding.

Previously known as the Bishop’s Family Foundation, Trinity Families is operated by the Catholic Diocese of Sale and was established to fund projects aimed to advance the welfare of Gippsland families.

Mr Coomber said the foundation does not limit itself to funding projects from Catholic organisations and had assisted activities from other denominations including the Salvation Army, Anglican and Uniting churches.

He said this year’s request for funding came from both large and small charitable institutions based in the region and the panel would attempt to accommodate as many requests as possible.

“If we can’t provide the full amount they’ll find a way elsewhere,” Mr Coomber said.

“The particular charities have their own resources.”

Trinity Families has distributed more than $1 million to local charities over the past 10 years.

Mr Coomber said a big proportion of their funding went to family counselling projects.