Submissions are now open for Canon Oceania’s 2024 Grants program.
The 2024 Grants will be awarded under the following categories:
1 x Community Grant – AU$5,000 ($2,500 cash and $2,500 in Canon product)
Open to organisations with their community at the heart of what they do, ranging from not-for-profits, to grassroots groups.
1 x Education Grant – AU$5,000 ($2,500 cash and $2,500 in Canon product)
Open to schools and other educational centres for children and adults alike.
1 x Environment Grant – AU$5,000 ($2,500 cash and $2,500 in Canon product)
Open to not-for-profits and organisations dedicated to raising awareness of the protection of the environment or promoting sustainable practices.
1 x First Nations Grant – AU$5,000 ($2,500 cash and $2,500 in Canon product)
Launching for the first time in 2024, this grant is open to First Nations community groups and organisations.
Previous winners of the grants program have used program funding and Canon equipment supplied through the grant to close the technological equity gap for their communities. Teigan Butchers, Advocacy Program & Innovation Manager at Cerebral Palsy Alliance, which won the 2023 Canon Education Grant for its CPActive program, said the grant had provided better access to technology that had unlocked new opportunities for young Australians.
“Being the recipient of a Canon Grant has been a big win for our community, giving us another tool to create meaningful change for people with cerebral palsy and similar disabilities. The funding and equipment we received through the 2023 Canon Grant allowed us to provide opportunities for our Youth Ambassadors to access photo and video technology, and helped participants develop new skills, tell their stories and amplify the lived experience of people with disabilities. Equal access to technology is important for all Australians, but particularly important for Australian students with disabilities. We’re proud of the students and community members who have developed new skills as a result of the Canon equipment and funding provided by the Grant,” she said.
This year’s Grants Program launches alongside research conducted exclusively for Canon Oceania that shows a lack of access to technology could be holding Australians back from major career and life opportunities. The Canon Oceania survey of 1,000 Australians showed nearly half of all respondents, including 65 per cent of Gen Z participants, say they may have chosen a different career path for themselves if they’d had greater access to technology in schools, including opportunities like media, design, creative arts, and photojournalism.
Australians also strongly agreed that equal access to technology impacted future career prospects, with 92 per cent of Australian women and 87 per cent of Australian men identifying career benefits.
Submissions can be made at https://www.canon.com.au/about-canon/community/grants. The wider community will vote on finalists in August, and winners will be announced in September.