Auckland, NEW ZEALAND – 31 May 2023: Today, Canon Oceania is opening submissions for its 2023 Grants program. This year they have increased the Grant pool to $50,000 across the region. In addition to the three category winners across Education, Community, and Environment, Canon will also recognise an overall winner to receive both a Grant and a Content Development Package valued at $10,000.

Since the inception of its Grants program 17 years ago and guided by its Kyosei philosophy of living and working together for the common good, Canon has supported more than 100 community organisations and schools and provided more than $500,000 in monetary and product support.

“Through our annual Grants program, we get the chance to hear from organisations who are contributing to positive change. Kyosei is at the heart of everything we do, so it gives us great pride to be able to celebrate and reward the important role they are playing within their local communities. We are excited to be able to offer $50,000 worth of Grants across the region, extending our support so these organisations can continue the great work they’re doing,” said Kotaro Fukushima, Managing Director for Canon Oceania.

The three categories in this year’s Grants program are Community, Education and Environment. The program will provide each Grant recipient (in both Australia and New Zealand) with $2,500 in cash and Canon product worth up to $2,500 RRP. Products will range from cameras to lenses, printers, and other accessories.

In addition, the $10,000 Content Development Package awarded to the overall Grant recipient in each country will enable the winning individual or organisation to build professional content to support their initiative in the form of editing, photography, videography and/or studio hire.

The Grant pool is made up of $25,000 of Grants in Australia and $25,000 in New Zealand, totaling $50,000 across the region. These funds will support the winning projects to continue their important work across the Community, Education and Environment sectors.

Last year’s winner stories

Winners of the 2022 Canon Oceania Grants have put their rewards to great use. Hearing Dogs New Zealand, winner of the Community Grant, is a National Charity that exists to enhance the independence and wellbeing of deaf and severely hearing-impaired New Zealanders through the provision of specially trained Hearing Dogs.

“The grant from Canon has made everyday office life so much better for us all here at Hearing Dogs. It’s a bit like going from a Mini to an Audi – we had a very basic black and white copier and now have this beautiful colour printer/scanner/ copier, we’re able to do all our printing in-house, newsletter labels, display cards, application packs etc. Especially with using the accounting package being able to scan receipts directly into the system is amazing. Thank you, Canon, – you really have helped move us forward!” said Clare McLaughlin, General Manager, Hearing Dogs New Zealand.

Last year’s winner of the Education Grant, Kia Kotahi Ako, which means ‘Learning as One’ is an alliance of Edmund Hillary Fellows, activating education initiatives that will have the biggest impact for Papatūānuku (mother earth). They’re running the Aotearoa pilots of ‘We Share Solar’ a hands-on STEM programme where students take action on climate change and become the solutionaries of the future.

“In 2022 we were fortunate to be awarded the Canon Oceania Grant to help support the implementation of ‘Ka Tu, Ka Ora’, an innovative kaitiakitanga kaupapa and climate action pilot. In partnership with Kia Kotahi Ako the kaupapa explores solar energy opportunities through a Te Ao Māori approach. “Ka Tu, Ka Ora” prioritises and empowers indigenous-led solutions to climate change, “Through this award we can now capture and share our stories and journey with state-of-the-art technology from Canon, and more importantly showcase how indigenous-led solutions and kaitiakitanga can have intergenerational impact for both people and planet”. said Te Waiora Wanoa-Sundgren, Project Coordinator, Kia Kotahi Ako Kaituitui.

Finally, Sustainability Trust, winner of the 2022 Environment Grant, is a social enterprise that encourages sustainable and healthy living. From curtain banks to just sew sessions their ethos is all about creating as little waste as possible all while helping the most vulnerable in their community.

“Having the Canon equipment has allowed us to take better photos, with depth of focus we have been able to capture many special moments at many of our events. We have also enjoyed being able to take better photos of our products and offerings to better share our sustainability stories and messaging. Having a better-quality camera has also allowed us to capture better warmth in photos, which for us is very important when we are trying to create warm, dry, healthy homes.” said Heather Horswell, Marketing Manager, Sustainability Trust.

The 2023 Grants categories

The 2023 Grants will be awarded under the following categories:

1 x Community Grant – NZ$5,000 (made up of $2,500 cash and Canon product up to $2,500RRP)

Open to organisations that have a positive impact on communities, encompassing cultural and societal causes.

1 x Education Grant – NZ$5,000 (made up of $2,500 cash and Canon product up to $2,500RRP)
Open to schools and other educational centres for children and adults alike.

1 x Environment Grant – NZ$5,000 (made up of $2,500 cash and Canon product up to $2,500RRP)
Open to not-for-profits and organisations dedicated to raising awareness of the protection of the environment or promoting sustainable practices.

The Overall Grant (Content Development Package), valued at NZ$10,000, will be awarded to the category Grant recipient who received the highest total amount of votes for their entry.

Submissions are open now until 23 July 2023 via https://www.canon.co.nz/about-canon/community/grants. The wider community will vote on finalists in August, and winners will be announced in September.

For more information about the 2023 Canon Oceania Grants program, please visit:

https://www.canon.co.nz/about-canon/community/grants

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