Economic and community contributions

Wesfarmers has a long history of being connected to and invested in the communities in which we operate. 

Connection to and investment in community 

Having strong, high-performing businesses allows us to make significant financial and other contributions to community organisations. We focus our support on organisations that are connected to our local, regional and national communities, and have the capacity to drive meaningful impact.

During the 2024 financial year, the Group contributed $88.2 million to community organisations in Australia and New Zealand, comprising $22.5 million in direct community contributions and $65.7 million in indirect contributions, facilitated by our divisions from our customers and team members. 

The Wesfarmers Corporate Office contributed more than $8.6 million to more than 47 community organisations during the year. The Corporate Office’s focus is on organisations that operate in three key areas: medical research and wellbeing, education, and the arts. Across each of these areas, we endeavour to support organisations that are Indigenous-led or have meaningful outcomes for First Nations people.

With a focus on medical research and wellbeing, our support for the Telethon Kids Institute reached its 30-year milestone, supporting the Wesfarmers Centre for Vaccines and Infectious Diseases, which leads research to prevent infectious diseases affecting Australian children and families. Among other priorities, in 2024, the Centre used data-driven epidemiology modelling to guide an $11 million Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) immunisation program currently being rolled out across Western Australia, to reduce RSV-related hospitalisations among infants.

In the area of education, Wesfarmers’ support of the Clontarf Foundation is in its 24th year, helping to improve the education, life skills and employment opportunities for more than 10,000 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander boys and young men, Australia-wide. 

Earlier in the year, Wesfarmers committed to a five-year partnership with the Australian National University (ANU) to provide education opportunities for Indigenous Australians through the ANU Kambri Scholars Program with a $5 million donation to ANU Kambri. 

During the year, the Group generated wealth of $44.4 billion, of which $28.8 billion related to supplies of raw materials and inventory, $4.4 billion for rent, freight, services and other external expenses, $6.3 billion in salaries, wages and other benefits for team members and $1.5 billion in taxes and other charges. Wesfarmers reinvested $1.0 billion in our businesses, while distributing $2.2 billion to shareholders in the form of fully-franked dividends.

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