The Aurizon Community Giving Fund was established to provide relevant and sustainable support via cash grants to eligible not-for-profit (NFP) organisations in regional and rural Australia.

Since its inception in 2011, the Fund has provided grants to more than 130 worthy NFPs across Australia.

NFPs are able to seek grants of up to $20,000 for specific projects based on three key areas:

• Health and wellbeing
• Community safety
• Education.

Lance Hockridge, Aurizon’s Managing Director and CEO identifies the Community Giving Fund as a vital community investment for the company.

“The Giving Fund provides Aurizon with the opportunity to support the communities where our employees work and live, even in these difficult economic times.

“NFP organisations have been doing it tough lately so we want to do what we can to help them out.

“For many of these community organisations the work they are able to do is dependent on the generosity of the corporate sector and we want to be one of the companies supporting grassroots programs that really make a difference,” says Hockridge.

Aurizon works in conjunction with the Charities Aid Foundation Australia to provide the biannual grants program.

Applications close on Friday 25 October 2013.