In a powerful demonstration of community supporting community, the Buderim Foundation is today hosting its inaugural Thompson Charitable Fund Grants Celebration at the Buderim War Memorial Hall, to award $372,200 in life-changing grants to organisations supporting those in need across the region.
Sunshine Coast Mayor Rosanna Natoli is joining Buderim Foundation chairman Rick Woods, grant recipients, Foundation volunteers, and community champions at the event, which honours the generosity of Roy and Nola Thompson, who established the fund. The event celebrates the three local organisations providing a lifeline to people facing their toughest moments.
Five grants totalling $372,200 are being awarded to grassroots organisations addressing homelessness, domestic violence, and financial hardship across the Sunshine Coast and Noosa regions, support that will help local families and individuals find stability, hope, and a path forward.
The new 2025 Grant Recipients include:
- $112,200 to SunnyKids – $44,200 to provide essential equipment and goods in new transitional housing, helping people rebuild their lives with dignity and $68,000 for a program supporting people in necessitous circumstances
- $160,000 to Aus Living Support – $45,000 for its School Aid program – ensuring local children don’t miss out on education, and $115,000 for its Rental Supplement Program and Bond Aid Program, keeping families in homes and preventing homelessness
- $100,000 to Gateway Care to provide food vouchers to provide immediate relief for people in crisis
Today’s celebration marks the first official recognition of the Thompson Charitable Fund’s impact since its establishment – a fund born from one couple’s deep commitment to their community and designed to support the most vulnerable among us.
Buderim Foundation chairman Rick Woods, who is presenting the cheques at today’s celebration, said the Thompson Charitable Fund embodies the spirit of community looking after community.
“The Thompson Charitable Fund was created to address some of the most pressing needs in our community – supporting people experiencing homelessness, domestic violence, and financial hardship across the Sunshine Coast and Noosa,” Mr Woods said.
“Through the incredible generosity of Roy and Nola Thompson, local people are helping local people in their hours of need. These grants enable our partner organisations to provide emergency accommodation, essential goods, rental assistance, and support services that can make the difference between crisis and stability for families and individuals doing it tough.
“What moves me most is that this is our community rallying around our neighbours who need help. The Foundation is proud to work alongside organisations like SunnyKids, Aus Living Support, and Gateway Care who are on the frontline every day, providing not just practical help but genuine hope to those who need it most.”
Sunshine Coast Mayor, Rosanna Natoli said the Foundation’s work and the generosity of all those who contribute to the Buderim Community Funds and the Thompson Charitable Fund reflected the spirit of the Sunshine Coast where connection and kindness help our region thrive.
“We live in a very special place and I am proud to see community members doing what they can to work with organisations like the Buderim Foundation to come together and support those in need,” Mayor Natoli said.
The Thompson Charitable Fund Grants Celebration comes as the Buderim Foundation marks its 21st birthday with an ambitious 21-week Community Challenge, calling on the community to support the community by raising $2.1 million by Saturday, 17 January 2026. Every dollar raised will be invested to generate lasting support for local organisations helping local people in perpetuity.
Since its inception, The Buderim Foundation has channelled more than $2.5 million back into the community through its Buderim Community and Thompson Charitable Funds – investment earnings from generous donors that continue supporting neighbours, friends, and families facing hardship year after year.
Launched in 2004 by community members committed to creating lasting impact, the Foundation began distributing grants in 2008. The model is elegantly simple: donations and bequests are received, funds are professionally invested, and only the earnings are distributed as grants – meaning the original donations continue generating support year after year.
Remarkably, thanks to Major and Silver Sponsors, dedicated volunteers who donate their time and talent, and fundraising events that cover administration costs, donated or bequeathed funds are invested, stay invested and generate income every year.
To date, the Foundation has provided $1,137,059 in Buderim Community Grants to 110 local organisations serving the Buderim region (4556), and $1,278,612.00 in Thompson Charitable Fund grants to organisations throughout the Sunshine Coast region. Additionally, through partnership with the Foundation for Rural & Regional Renewal (FRRR), the Foundation has distributed $307,950 in Back-to-School vouchers for families facing hardship.
About The Buderim Foundation
The Buderim Foundation is a philanthropic organisation that harnesses the power of community giving to enrich and enhance the quality of life for everyone in the Buderim area and across the Sunshine Coast.
The Foundation works by professionally investing all donations and bequests from community members. The earnings from these investments are redistributed back to the community via annual grants programs, ensuring that today’s generosity supports tomorrow’s needs in perpetuity.
The Foundation manages two funds: the Buderim Community Fund supporting organisations serving Buderim residents, and the Thompson Charitable Fund providing grants to organisations supporting people experiencing homelessness and financial hardship across the entire Sunshine Coast.
About the Foundation’s Thompson Charitable Fund
The Buderim Foundation’s Thompson Charitable Fund was established through the extraordinary generosity of local residents Roy and Nola Thompson, who wanted to ensure their community would always have resources to help those facing the toughest circumstances. The fund specifically supports organisations helping people experiencing homelessness, domestic violence, and financial hardship, turning compassion into action across the Sunshine Coast region.
About the Foundation’s 21-Week Community Challenge
The Buderim Foundation is currently running a 21-week Community Challenge, inviting the community to invest in the community by raising $2.1 million by Saturday, 17 January 2026, marking the organisation’s 21st birthday. Every contribution – no matter the size – will be invested to generate perpetual support for local organisations helping local people.
How to Get Involved
For more information about the Buderim Foundation, how to get involved or make a donation, visit www.buderimfoundation.org.au/buderim-foundation-21-week-community-challenge/ or follow the Buderim Foundation on Facebook, Instagram or LinkedIn.
If you prefer not to donate online, you can email info@buderimfoundation.org.au or drop into the old Buderim Post Office, which the Buderim Foundation shares with the BWMCA.
