Buderim Foundation

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Buderim Foundation

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Founded in 2004, we provide a trusted way to give back to the Sunshine Coast.
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We support the region through professionally managed investments, structured giving, and community grants. The Buderim Foundation exists 'To build a stronger Buderim by harnessing the power of giving'

Investing in the future... The concept is simple. The Buderim Foundation...
- receives donations and bequests (MONEY IN)
- carefully invests the funds to generate income (MONEY MANAGED)
- distributes the income as grants for community projects (MONEY OUT)

For more Foundation information visit www.buderimfoundation.org.au

26/10/2026

OUR OCTOBER BUMPER EDITION NEWSLETTER IS OUT NOW! 📬

It’s a bumper edition this month! Our October newsletter includes a special celebration of the 2026 Buderim Community Grants alongside the latest news, stories and opportunities from across the Buderim Foundation community.

Inside this jam-packed edition, you’ll find:
💚 Celebrating our 2026 Community Grant Recipients: Meet the incredible local organisations awarded funding this year and discover the projects making a meaningful difference across Buderim and beyond.
🌳 21 years of the 21-Week Challenge: Celebrate the legacy of this much-loved initiative and the unveiling of a special 21st birthday commemorative plinth honouring the community spirit and generosity behind it.
🎭 Thank you, BATS: We share our appreciation for BATS Theatre Company and everyone who joined us for the opening night of Inspector Drake and the Black Widow, including the funds raised in support of the Buderim Foundation.
🎄 Calling all bakers! We’re preparing for our Christmas Carols and Buderim Foundation Christmas stand and would love your help filling the stand with delicious homemade treats. Find out how you can get involved!
✨ Plus, plenty more community news, celebrations and opportunities to see how generosity is being transformed into meaningful local impact.

From celebrating the organisations making a difference to recognising the generosity that helps our community thrive, this bumper edition is full of reasons to feel proud of what we can achieve together.

📩 Check your inbox and catch up on all the latest from the Buderim Foundation!

Not on our mailing list? Sign up via our website to receive future editions: www.buderimfoundation.org.au

22/10/2026

🎄 SAVE THE DATE! 🎄

The year has been busy but is undeniably approaching another festive end! In just a few weeks, Christmas is coming to Buderim, and the Buderim Foundation will be there with our much-loved Fairy Floss Stand! 🍭💚

📅 Saturday 28 November
📍 Buderim War Memorial Hall from 8am-2pm

Come along for a day of community spirit and sweet treats, with every fairy floss purchase helping support the work of the Buderim Foundation.

✨ Bring the family, enjoy the festivities and come say hello!

Save the date - we’ll see you there! 🎅🏼🍭

More details coming soon.

20/10/2026

SAVE THE DATE!

We’re bringing our wonderful Buderim Foundation community together for a Christmas Happy Hour, an opportunity to pause, celebrate, connect and raise a glass to an incredible year of community impact.

📅 Friday 4 December 2026
📍 Location & time: Edenlea On Buderim from 5pm - 7pm

It’s been a big year for the Buderim Foundation, and we’d love to celebrate it with the people who make our work possible, including our supporters, volunteers, partners, donors and community champions.

✨ Save the date, more details coming soon!

20/10/2026

🎙️ LISTEN TO OUR CHAIR, RICK WOODS, ON CHAMBERCAST

What does it take to build a stronger, more connected community?

In the latest episode of Chambercast, Maroochydore Chamber President Brendan Bathersby and Committee Member Peppi sit down with Rick Woods, Chair of the Buderim Foundation, for an inspiring conversation about philanthropy, leadership, community and the future of the Sunshine Coast.

From a career as a mechanical engineer and global business leader with Shell to becoming a passionate advocate for community giving, Rick shares the journey that brought him to the Sunshine Coast... and to the Buderim Foundation.

Rick explores the Foundation’s history and the incredible legacy of Roy and Nola Thompson, the impact of the Thompson Charitable Trust, and the Foundation’s unique approach to philanthropy that continues to support local organisations, charities and people in need. He also shares the Foundation’s exciting vision to expand its reach beyond Buderim, supporting communities across the Sunshine Coast through a new fund designed to strengthen local clubs, organisations and community initiatives.

Along the way, there are stories about international leadership, the importance of culture and volunteering, meeting his wife Karen in England, classic MGs, cricket, AFL, and why maintaining the Sunshine Coast’s strong sense of community will be one of our greatest opportunities in the years ahead.

Whether you’re passionate about philanthropy, community leadership, business or simply love hearing the stories of people making a difference, this is a conversation worth tuning into.

🎧 Grab your headphones and listen to Chambercast Episode 32 with Rick Woods now at: https://maroochy.org/chambercast-episode-32-with-rick-woods/

19/10/2026

WHAT A YEAR IT’S BEEN SO FAR!
As we reflect on an incredible year to date at the Buderim Foundation, we’re reminded that meaningful community impact doesn’t happen because of one person, one organisation or one big donation. It happens because people choose to give. People choose to get involved. And people choose to believe that together, we can make a difference.
Every donation matters, whether it’s a few dollars, a significant contribution, a bequest or a commitment to give back over time. Each one becomes part of something bigger, helping us connect generosity with meaningful impact across our community.
And it’s not just the generosity of our donors that inspires us. It’s every person who contributes to the Foundation, including our Board, volunteers, supporters, community partners, grant recipients and the many people who give their time, energy, expertise and passion. Every one of them brings something of enormous value.
One person who embodies this spirit is Darius Kiss.
We’ve shared a little of Darius’ story before, and we’re delighted to share this glimpse into the remarkable young man behind the generosity. His story is a wonderful reminder that you don’t have to wait until you’re older, wealthier or more established to make a difference.
🌱 You can start where you are.
💚 You can give what you can.
✨ And you can inspire others along the way.
This is what community looks like.
Thank you to everyone who has been part of the Buderim Foundation’s journey so far this year. Your generosity, involvement and belief in our purpose continues to inspire us, and we can’t wait to see what we can achieve together in the months ahead.
🎥 Take a minute to meet Darius and get a glimpse into his inspiring story, and his family business, Simplee Sweet on Buderim.
Every gift matters. Every person matters. Every contribution helps build a stronger community.

14/10/2026

BAKE FOR A GREAT CAUSE! 🎄

The Buderim Foundation is getting ready for the Buderim Christmas Fair on Saturday 28 November, and we’d love our wonderful community of bakers to help us fill our stand with delicious homemade treats!

We’re calling on our amazing baking community to donate cakes, slices, biscuits, Christmas treats or other baked goodies that we can sell at the Foundation stand, with proceeds supporting our work connecting generosity with meaningful community impact.

Whether you’re a seasoned baker or simply love whipping up a batch of cookies, every contribution makes a difference. 🧁🍪

What you can bake:
• Cakes & cupcakes
• Slices & brownies
• Biscuits & cookies
• Christmas treats
• Other homemade goodies

📅 Buderim Christmas Fair, Saturday 28 November 2026

💚 Bake something delicious. Give something back. Help make a difference in our community.

For more details, including what to bake, create or donate, please go to: https://www.buderimfoundation.org.au/event/christmas-fair-stall/

Let’s make the Foundation stand the sweetest spot at the Christmas Fair! 🎅🏼✨

13/10/2026

OVER $132,000 AWARDED! CELEBRATING COMMUNITY & GENEROSITY 💰💛

We were delighted to come together for the Buderim Foundation 2026 Community Grants Celebration on Sunday for a special afternoon celebrating the inspiring organisations making a difference across our community.

This year, we are proud to award more than $132,000 to 18 deserving community groups, supporting a diverse range of initiatives that strengthen connection, wellbeing and opportunity across Buderim.

The afternoon was an opportunity to hear stories of impact, celebrate the incredible work happening in our community, and recognise the generous sponsors, donors and ambassadors who make these grants possible.

Some of our 2026 Community Grant Recipients include:
🌊Alexandra Headland Surf Lifesaving Club
🎭BATS Theatre Company Inc
💡 Buderim Bowls Club
🛠 Buderim Craft Cottage Inc
🔨 Buderim War Memorial Community Association (BWMCA)
🐎 Buderim Horse and Pony Club
🗣 Creativity Australia
💻 Cittamani Hospice Service
📱 DV Safe Phone
🌱 endED Charity
🏄 Kawana Waters Surf Life Saving Club
♻ Mooloolah River Landcare
🐾Sunshine Coast Animal Refuge Society
🚁 SLSQ Westpac Lifesaver Rescue Helicopter Service
💎 Suncoast Gem Club
🩺 Sunshine Coast First Aid Volunteers Inc
🧭 The Compass Institute

Behind every grant is a group of passionate people working to make our community stronger, and we’re incredibly proud to support them.

Over the coming weeks, we’ll be sharing more about each of our grant recipients, the projects receiving funding and the important services and initiatives these grants will help deliver across our community.

A heartfelt thank you to everyone who contributes to making this work possible. Your generosity helps turn good ideas into meaningful community impact.

More than $132k. 18 community organisations. One community working together to make a difference 🤗

12/10/2026

CELEBRATING 21 YEARS OF COMMUNITY, GENEROSITY & IMPACT 💚

Last week, we were proud to unveil a special commemorative plaque and plinth celebrating 21 years of the Buderim Foundation and the incredible generosity of the sponsors who supported the 21-Week Community Challenge from 2025-2026.

The 21-Week Challenge became a much-loved part of the Buderim community, bringing people together, inspiring generosity and demonstrating what can happen when our community gets behind a shared purpose.

This new plinth is more than a physical marker. It represents a legacy of community spirit, generosity and collective action, and serves as a lasting reminder of the major donors who contributed to the success of the 21-Week Community Challenge.

For over 21 years, the Buderim Foundation has been connecting generosity with community impact. Countless contributions. One extraordinary community.

Here’s to celebrating the legacy, and looking forward to the next chapter!

Sincere thanks to all involved in the planning, design, coordination, construction and installation of the commemorative plaque and plinth, including:

💚 The BWMCA, including Dougall Pitt and the Management Committee, Property Manager John Barton, Grounds Manager Colin (Col) Parker and Executive Services Manager Roxxie Young.
💚 BF Ambassadors, including John Devers and Simon Whittle.
💚 The Buderim Mens Shed, including Ian McGrath, Steve Parkin, Brian Creese, Jeff Franklin and Ron Peick.
💚 Buderim Foundation team members, including Alex Sweet, Charlie Morris,
Michelle Williamson and Georgina Last.

11/10/2026

Celebrating dads, giving back and supporting local community 🙌

Amongst a big and busy few months for the Buderim Foundation, last month we were delighted to join the Buderim Mountain State School community for its Father’s Day Stall, celebrating the special dads, grandads and father figures who play such an important role in the lives of our children.

As part of the stall, students had the opportunity to make a small donation to the Buderim Foundation in their dad’s name, choosing to give $1, $2 or $5.

It was a wonderful way to introduce our younger community members to the joy of giving, and to show that even a small contribution can make a difference.

We were also lucky to be located next to Kai Loomes from A Blind Man’s Jerky, and loved learning about his inspiring entrepreneurial journey.

Blind from birth, Kai has built a successful jerky business and regularly sells his products at local markets across the Sunshine Coast. His determination, entrepreneurial spirit and positive attitude are a wonderful inspiration. Be sure to look out for Kai at a local market or check out A Blind Man’s Jerky online.

A heartfelt thank you to the Buderim Mountain State School P&C and school community for welcoming us to the Father’s Day Stall and creating an opportunity for students to give back in their own special way.

It was a wonderful morning of celebrating dads, supporting local and giving back to our community.

09/10/2026

$160,000 FOR AUSLIVING SUPPORT TO HELP FAMILIES FACING HARDSHIP 💰

As part of the 2026 Thompson Charitable Fund Grants, the Buderim Foundation is proud to provide $160,000 in funding to to support two important initiatives helping people across the Sunshine Coast.

🏠 $150,000 for the Stay Safe Program: This frontline homelessness-prevention initiative provides short-term rental assistance, paid directly to landlords or real estate agents, helping families at immediate risk of homelessness remain safely housed while they work towards longer-term stability.

🧺 $10,000 for the Kindness in a Basket: This campaign provides practical, dignity-filled support to domestic violence survivors, vulnerable children and struggling families across the Sunshine Coast — offering essential items and a tangible reminder that their community cares.

Together, these two programs provide practical support at critical moments, helping people stay safe, stay housed and navigate some of life’s toughest challenges with dignity.

The Thompson Charitable Fund was established through the generosity of Roy and Nola Thompson, whose legacy continues to make a meaningful difference for people experiencing hardship across our region.

We’re proud to partner with organisations like AusLiving Support, whose work turns community generosity into real, practical support for people who need it most.

$160,000. Two vital programs. Thousands of moments of support, dignity and hope.

Learn more about AusLiving Support at: https://www.auslivingsupport.org.au/.
Learn more about the Buderim Foundation at: www.buderimfoundation.org.au.

Address

Buderim Foundation/50 Burnett Street Buderim/PO Box 1408 Buderim
Buderim, QLD
4556

Website

http://www.buderimfoundation.org.au/

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