Success Stories

Origin Energy Foundation

FROM THE JUDGES:

The program has a good level of participation, and the ‘unlimited’ cap on volunteering was not something I’d seen before. Fantastic to see some real impact data from volunteers.”

RESULTS + IMPACT

  • Executive leadership team is proactively supportive of the program
  • Team members have unlimited volunteer leave
  • Team members contributed 8,466 hours of volunteering hours in FY‘21
  • 7% of over 4,400 employees volunteered in FY’21, well exceeding targets
  • 7,074 students across Australia were reached through volunteering programs in 2021

 OVERVIEW + HIGHLIGHTS

The Origin Energy Foundation, established in 2010, has a focus on education, specifically equality of learning opportunities for regional, remote and First Nations students, and fostering diversity in STEM.  Origin Foundation is the philanthropic arm of Australian integrated energy company, Origin.

Origin’s volunteering program, Give Time, supports the education focus of the Foundation through school outreach and mentoring programs by providing valuable expertise, resources, and labour through skilled volunteering projects and individual volunteering.

Many of the students reached by Origin volunteering are in regional, remote, or otherwise disadvantaged schools – 63 of the 92 schools reached were below average on the Index of Community Socio-Educational Advantage (ICSEA).

Volunteers are drawn from city and regional sites, contributing to face to face and virtual programs through Foundation and local community partners.  Whenever face to face volunteering could be undertaken safely, employees offered enthusiastic support, participating in over 160 online events throughout the year. In regional areas where the pandemic risk was relatively low, volunteers continued to provide regular support to community services such as Meals on Wheels.

During FY’21, Origin team members reported that volunteering:

  • Met or exceeded their expectations – 99%
  • Increased their pride in working at Origin – 89%
  • Improved their awareness of social issues – 79%
  • Challenged them to try something new – 51%