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GARDINER FOUNDATION AT A GLANCE
The Geoffrey Gardiner Dairy Foundation is a proactive investor in projects that have significant impact for the Victorian dairy industry and the wider community.
The Victorian Dairy Act 2000 created the Foundation with $62m in seed funding from the sale of milk brands as part of deregulation of the industry. It is the Foundation policy to maintain the current real value of this legacy. As at mid-2011 an investment portfolio of $87m is invested by a reputable fund manager and the income produced supports the Foundation’s funding programs.
The Foundation was named in honour of the late Geoffrey Gardiner, an inspirational dairy leader of his time. Max Fehring, Past President of United Dairyfarmers of Victoria said “Geoffrey Gardiner was a man who started out living an ordinary life but then made an extraordinary contribution to the dairy industry and wider community”.
Headquartered in the Melbourne CBD the Foundation is structured as a company limited by guarantee and led by a well-networked, multi-skilled Board of six industry leaders. The Foundation employs a small team of people who are extensively networked across the dairy value chain and is delighted to have as its Patron the Governor of Victoria, Alex Chernov AO QC.
Philanthropy Australia listed the Gardiner Foundation as the fourth largest philanthropic organisation in Australia in the 2009-2010 financial year.
Since 2000 the Gardiner Foundation has invested in excess of $35m in cash contributions to over 500 projects. With partner co-funding this represents $150m in new investment across the dairy value chain. At any one time the Foundation typically has a portfolio of 90 active projects which, with partner investments, represents around $25 million worth of ongoing investment in innovation.