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Grant for Good
To celebrate our 20th anniversary in 2021, we launched an annual $20,000 community grant to help projects, organisations, and initiatives that promote social inclusion activities, health and wellbeing, sports, and other fields that benefit our communities.
Thank you to all the inspiring organisations who applied to our 2025 Grant for Good. All applications were reviewed with great consideration in relation to our selection criteria:
- The purpose and objectives of the Applicant’s initiative/organisation.
- The plan for what the Applicant’s initiative/organisation will do with the Grant.
- The impact on local communities and the disadvantaged, including the number of individuals/groups who will benefit from it.
- Brand alignment with Bank of Sydney’s values and vision.
And the winner for 2025 is…
With cost-of-living pressures rising and e-waste mounting, The Reconnect Project has been awarded Bank of Sydney’s $20,000 Grant for Good to expand its work refurbishing technology, supporting disadvantaged Australians, and providing vital first jobs for neurodivergent youth.
Based in Penshurst NSW, The Reconnect Project refurbishes donated laptops, tablets and mobile phones, diverting them from landfill and re-homing them with families, individuals and community groups in need. The organisation also trains and employs neurodivergent young adults as technicians, offering vital first jobs and a safe environment to learn, upskill, and gain confidence.
What's the Grant going to be used for?
The $20,000 funding will allow The Reconnect Project to employ two technicians and purchase essential materials for repairs, keeping more than 100 laptops in circulation and out of landfill.
“The impact of this grant will go far beyond providing devices,” said The Reconnect Project CEO, Annette Brodie.
“It means more young adults can access meaningful employment, and more families get the technology they need to study, work, and connect. We’re grateful for Bank of Sydney’s support in helping us tackle both the digital divide and Australia’s fastest-growing waste stream.”
Bank of Sydney CEO, Melos Sulicich, said “At Bank of Sydney, we’re proud to support community initiatives like The Reconnect Project that make a real, lasting difference, - their model is innovative, sustainable, and deeply human. It not only prevents e-waste but helps people find opportunity and dignity. We’re excited to see the direct and meaningful impact they’ll create with this grant.”
Lives transformed
The program often offers neurodivergent young adults their first taste of employment. One such technician, Wilbur, joined as a shy volunteer after leaving school due to bullying. Today, he is second-in-charge at the workshop, confidently leading customer enquiries and mentoring others.
The impact reaches far beyond the workshop. From elderly residents needing smartphones to connect with health services, to women in refuge rebuilding their lives with refurbished laptops, the devices rehomed by The Reconnect Project open critical doors for vulnerable Australians.
About The Reconnect Project
The Reconnect Project partners with more than 170 social service organisations, including Vinnies, Barnardos, and Glebe Youth Services to distribute its refurbished devices.
Founded in 2019 by Annette Brodie, it has grown from a $5,000 crowdfunding campaign to a thriving team of nine, and storefront in Penshurst. It’s simple motto: small actions have big impact.
For donations of pre-loved devices or more information, visit https://thereconnectproject.com.au/
Our Previous Grant for Good Winners
Since its inception, the Grant for Good has supported incredible organisations making a difference in their communities.
- 2021: Variety: The Children’s Charity empowers disadvantaged kids to live, laugh, and learn. The grant enabled them to donate eight adaptive tricycles to two schools in regional Victoria, helping students cope with ongoing trauma and disengagement. Read more about our 2021 winner.
- 2022: Plate it Forward is a Sydney-based not-for-profit that empowers vulnerable and disadvantaged communities by breaking down barriers to social and economic participation. The grant funded 5,400 free meals and provided employment opportunities for those in need. Read more about our 2022 winner.
- 2023: Eat Up is Australia's only organisation providing free lunches to students on a national scale. With the support of the Bank of Sydney Grant for Good, they provided 20,160 lunches to feed 2,740 disadvantaged kids across 20 schools. Read more about our 2023 winner.
- 2024: Carevan Blacktown is a non-profit organisation that provides over 150 free meals weekly to those in need in the Western Sydney region. The Grant provided support to the organisation to rent a newly secured warehouse facility and expand its support to an additional 200 individuals, strengthening social cohesion within the community. Read more about our 2024 winner.
Thank you again to all the amazing organisations who applied for the Grant. We’re truly inspired by all the incredible work that these organisations are doing in their communities. Please do consider applying next year if appropriate and spreading the word to relevant, deserving organisations who are making a positive impact on their communities.