Support our Projects

How Donations can help empower communities

At Tradewinds we’ve learned that the most disadvantaged groups in our partner countries need more than improved trade to empower social change. That’s why in 2009, we established our Overseas Aid Fund (a tax deductible fund) to direct much needed resources to projects which make a real difference in people’s lives. Whilst fairer trade goes a long way to providing improved livelihoods for farming communities, it is often not enough to overcome the long term social disadvantages of entrenched poverty.

A combination of strong relationships, paying the best possible prices to producer groups, and providing additional funds for specific social and economic development projects is the most effective way to support poor producer communities.

How the Fund Works

The Tradewinds Overseas Aid Fund works with organisations in partner countries to establish project partnerships, and develop a funding agreement. Tradewinds supporters and customers make tax deductible donations to support our development projects (donations over $2 are tax deductible). The funds are directed to the projects as agreed, on a regular basis, and the outcomes of the project are tracked against the agreed outcomes.

Donate to our Projects

Currently we're raising funds for three projects which you can read more about:

Education for Sri Lankan tea estate children

Institute of Business student scholarships in Timor-Leste;

Women's Home Gardens

Auspiced Projects

We also auspice a number of projects that Board members have direct knowledge of and which meet the DFAT overseas aid fund guidelines. 

     Topu Honis: Shelter Home Timor-Leste - http://www.topuhonis.org

     WithOneSeed: Community Forestry in Timor-Leste - http://withoneseed.org.au

     SIES: Save Indonesia's Endangered Species - 

     Friends of Suai (Timor-Leste) Health Education project - http://www.portphillip.vic.gov.au/friendsofsuai.htm

If you would like to support one of our Auspiced Projects, here's the steps:

1. Contact us and let us know you would like to donate to one of the projects listed here.

2. We will create an account for you and send you login details.  

3. When you log into your account on our website, then click "Donations" in the Shop section, all our projects will show up.  Select your project, specify the size of your donation by choosing the quantity, and then proceed with the order.  You can pay by EFT transfer or credit card (not recommended for larger donations), and a receipt for your tax deductible donation will be sent to you by email.

Project Key Criteria

We support development projects:

  • which are sustainable and have clear long term benefits we can measure
  • which are sought by the community who are receiving the resources
  • facilitated by local non-government organisations who are trusted by the producer communities and where the financial probity and effectiveness of the project is audited regularly
  • where we have direct on-the-ground experience and long term relationships
  • which support sustainable agriculture, production infrastructure and producer community capacity-building and social development.

Our fund is approved by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade and all projects must meet the criteria set out in the guidelines for Overseas Aid Funds.

 

Donate to our Projects