NCSLSC Foundation

The establishment of the North Cottesloe Surf Lifesaving Club Foundation was identified in the 2021 Club Strategic Review and talked about and worked on for a number of years.

It will one of the most significant decisions in the Club’s history.

A few years ago the Club celebrated its centenary. The Foundation seeks to build on this strong base and support it for the next 100 years.

The Club Board of Management and Foundation Working Group are conscious that the Foundation calls for a substantial investment by the Club.

Accordingly, members are being asked to endorse this investment and the approach being taken and support the Foundation at launch at a Special General Meeting (SGM) on 11 October 2025.

The Club has accumulated a sizeable amount of cash reserves that are currently kept in term deposits. This is not the most effective use of these funds to encourage growth.

While the Club is a charitable entity in its own right, having a Foundation gives the Club the ability to raise funds from supporters in a targeted, professional manner to invest for the longer term, allowing the Club to maintain focus on its core operations.

The Club is one of the few clubs that owns its club facility. These facilities are usually owned by the local council or similar bodies. As such, the Club needs to ensure it has the funds on hand in order to rebuild or refurbish the building when it is needed. Given the anticipated cost of that exercise, substantially more funds will be needed than currently at hand.

The Foundation will provide a dedicated entity with a sole focus on the long-term financial stability for the Club for the next 100 years. It will encourage philanthropy within the membership and the broader community to ensure the success of the Club long into the future.

The project to establish the Foundation commenced approximately four years ago.

During the initial research stage, the working group contacted other clubs around Australia that have fundraising entities to discuss the various structures and the benefits and downfalls of each. Discussions were also held with the Surf Life Saving Foundation particularly around the Rescue Fund and the Legacy Program (bequest program).

A number of options have been investigated throughout this process including various direct investment funds, using the existing charitable status of the NCSLSC to establish a trust deed and establishing the Foundation as a public ancillary fund.

The advantages and disadvantages of each option were discussed at length with both the Foundation Working Group and the NCSLSC Board of Management along with professional legal and financial advice from friends of the Club.

With the firm intent of growing a corpus for the long-term success of the Club and to encourage philanthropy within the membership and broader community, we believe the final decision to establish a new public ancillary fund, which is registered by the ATO, with the sole purpose of providing money, property and benefits to the NCSLSC as a Deductible Gift Recipient (DGR) is the best outcome. The Board of Management approved this model in June 2023.

The advantages of this structure are:

• It is clearly separate from the NCSLSC from inception and all donations are made direct into the NCSLSC Foundation in which case the operational liability of the NCSLSC cannot be tied to the NCSLSC Foundation.

• All third-party donors would take comfort in the fact the NCSLSC Foundation is registered by the ATO as a public ancillary fund. While we have not checked, a big company may have a requirement that donations only be made to a registered fund.

• There is an audit requirement and ATO oversight of the NCSLSC Foundation which will also provide greater comfort to the third-party donors.

• This structure makes it clear that the NCSLSC is taking the set up of the NCSLSC Foundation seriously.

The SLSA Rescue Fund is a good option for Clubs looking for a low cost, low maintenance and low touch investment fund. However the Club is seeking to do much more than just investing its funds and wishes to encourage philanthropy within the membership and community to grow a significant corpus for the long term success of the Club.

In considering the experience of other clubs and the ambition North Cottesloe SLSC has, it was determined the SLSA Rescue Fund would not drive the level of engagement, connection or outcomes sought.

Additionally, the Club has the expertise, professionalism and access to highly credentialed members to assist with the establishment, maintenance and fundraising for its own Foundation.

The Club Board considered the appropriate amount to contribute to the Foundation over the course of many months.

It is not unusual for the establishment of a Foundation to receive an initial contribution from the parent organisation. The initial donation of $1m by the Club provides the Foundation a sizeable initial corpus and is a demonstration to members and potential donors of the level of its commitment to the Foundation’s success.

As part of its considerations, the Board considered membership and sponsor outlook, potential capital requirements (eg refurbishments) and day to day operational demands.

The Club has around $1.5m in cash / term deposits and our judgement is that retaining $500k is a conservative position to guard against any unforeseen cash requirements over the next 4 - 5 years, before grants are able to be made from the Foundation.

Members will be asked at a SGM on 11th October 2025 to endorse this initial seed contribution.

The Foundation is clearly delineated in its purpose from the Club and this is reflected in the Foundation Charter.

As essentially a philanthropic entity, the Foundation will be focused on - and attractive to - a different cohort than the sponsors and partners who support Club operations. The Club and Foundation will co-ordinate their fundraising efforts.

In terms of Club resources, it is expected the Foundation will require some element of administrative and financial support in the early years. This will be managed via the Board and Club Manager as appropriate, within the approved Club annual budget.

The Foundation is an independent entity and its Board will be separate from the Club Board.

Under the Foundation Charter, the Board will comprise of a minimum five Directors with a mix of qualifications, experience and expertise which will assist the Foundation in fulfilling its responsibilities, as well as assisting the Foundation in achieving growth and delivering on the vision and purpose set out in the Charter.

The majority of the Board of the Foundation shall be comprised of a minimum three (3) Directors who are not on the Board of the Club (Independent Directors). Each Independent Director is required to be a member of the Club and must be approved by the Club Board.

The Foundation must comprise of a minimum two Directors who are also a member of the Board of the Club (Club Directors).

The process for commencing the search for appropriately skilled Directors with the right mix of qualifications, experience and expertise is commencing in coming months.

There will be a minimum of two Club Directors appointed to the Foundation Board.

The Foundation will operate its own financial accounts and manage its investments which will be reported quarterly to the Club Board and audited annually.

The Club is the ultimate shareholder of the Foundation and can direct its activities. If it is absolutely necessary, the Club could change the Foundation Board or wind up the Foundation.

Given the clarity provided by governance documents such as the Foundation Charter and Investment Policy along with representation on the Foundation Board by Club Directors, it is expected that the Club and Foundation Boards will be closely aligned.

The Foundation has been discussed for a long time and originally only considered the potential funding of a new building or major renovations.

During the strategic planning process undertaken in 2021 there was extensive engagement with the NCSLSC membership and community. During this process, opportunities to support leadership development, the community and the environment were identified.

The Working Group has taken the information developed during that process and refined it into the Three Pillars that the Foundation will support which are specified under the Charter.

1. Safeguarding our Home – The clubrooms are more than just a building - they are the heart of our lifesaving service, our sense of belonging, and where future generations develop vital skills. The Foundation will ensure that our facilities remain safe, welcoming, and fit for purpose so that members, volunteers, and the community can continue to train, learn, connect, and serve for years to come. The Foundation will support major long-term building and club infrastructure projects.

2. Growing Tomorrow’s Leaders – Lifesaving shapes leaders. The Foundation will support access to vital leadership skill development, equipping current and future generations with resilience, responsibility, and the ability to serve their community for years to come.

3. Extending our Community Service - Along with servicing people, we want to serve and preserve the place. The Foundation invests in community engagement, environmental stewardship and coastal preservation programs to ensure our beach remains pristine, safe, and accessible for future generations to enjoy, just as it is today.

The Foundation is intended to support the Club with a focus on the long-term. As such, day to day operational and seasonal expenses will remain the responsibility of the Club and will not be eligible for funding by the Foundation.

The Charter defines the areas which the Foundation will support and the Club may determine different areas to support in the future. At that point it may elect to work with the Foundation to amend the Charter.

The Foundation Charter specifies that it be on call for the Club in a crisis, for example an event or situation causes the Club to have insufficient funds to meet its obligations or to be unable to continue normal operations.

Should the Foundation ever be wound up, all funds must be distributed back to the Club as per the Constitution and Charter of the Foundation.

The Foundation must operate in accordance with the Investment Policy to ensure funds are invested in an appropriate way and in accordance with agreed risk tolerances. The Investment Policy is approved by the Club Board.

The Foundation is being set up with an Investment charter aiming to deliver an annual return of CPI plus 4% after fees on a rolling five year period. The Foundation will be appointing appropriately qualified investment advisors to manage its investments.

The Foundation has been established to raise a significant amount of capital within an initial period of 4 years and, beyond mandatory distribution requirements imposed by the ATO, there is intended to be minimal distributions provided to the Club during that 4 year establishment period. It is not expected that there will be a major distribution event for up to 10 years.

An experienced and credentialed Working Group has come together to deliver the activities required to get it up and running comprising

• Kelly Moss (Life Member)

• James Forbes (Chair of Strategy and Governance)

• Roger Steinepreis

• Michael Silbert

• David Andrews

• Ash Gely (Marketing & Partnerships)

• Pat Walsh (President)

• Bob Hunter (Chair of Lifesaving)