Wesfarmers Health - Community
Providing care and support to the communities in which it operates is a priority for Wesfarmers Health. The Priceline Sisterhood Foundation was formed in 2011 with the purpose of supporting the community, particularly women and their families.
The Foundation is managed by a separate Board comprising current and former Wesfarmers Health senior executives and independent non-executive directors. Wesfarmers Health provides a range of support and management services to the Foundation. In the 2023 financial year, the Foundation partnered with three charities: PANDA, Raise Foundation and Motherless Daughters Australia, focusing on women and mental health. These charity partners support causes such as advocating for the needs of people with perinatal anxiety and depression, mentoring pregnant and young women and supporting girls and women who have experienced the loss of their mother.
Following a national survey of more than 25,000 respondents, the Board selected these charity partners on the basis they covered a range of causes that were close to the hearts of women. They were also chosen because of their alignment with the Foundation’s vision and focus, with an emphasis on service-delivery and are registered with the Australian Charities and Not-for-profits Commission.
The number of charities the Foundation partners with is generally between three to six, and each charity partner has an approximate tenure of three years, which is likely to be further renewed. The aim of the Priceline Sisterhood Foundation is to help charity partners become self-sustaining through the funding and support provided.
The value of funds allocated to charity partners is provided at the beginning of their tenure. Twice a year, the charities present their strategic plans and goals to the Board, outlining details on how the donated funds have been used.
Fundraising activities
During the 2023 financial year, Priceline launched an exclusive line of ‘Sisterhoodies’, designed by Priceline Ambassador Chrissie Swan and fashion designer Rebecca Thompson, which customers could win as part of the annual Priceline Sisterhood Foundation fundraising campaign. Customers who chose to round up their in-store transaction by $3 or more were eligible to win one of four limited edition hoodies. The campaign raised more than $800,000, becoming the most successful Foundation campaign since 2019.
Funds for the Foundation are collected through donations from customers and team members, vendors, conference participants and standalone events, such as the annual Priceline Sisterhood Foundation Charity Golf Day event. This year’s golf event raised approximately $100,000.
The Foundation raised almost $1.7 million in the 2023 financial year. This money allows the Foundation to provide essential funding for on-the-ground support services, medical research and sustainable programs through its charity partners.
Community support external to the Priceline Sisterhood Foundation
Outside of the Foundation, Priceline supports women’s health through sports sponsorships, which include the Western Bulldogs Australian Football League Women’s Competition team and the CommBank Matildas.
Priceline is the official health partner of the MiniRoos program, which introduces soccer to children of all abilities aged between four and 11 years. Some Priceline franchisees support their local communities further by independently sponsoring their local MiniRoos football clubs.
Wesfarmers Health community investment (direct and indirect) was nearly $800,000 dollars for the 2023 financial year.
