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Our Vision

To support rural and regional youth (16-25) to access the services and resources they need to maintain their wellbeing and fulfil their personal potential, so they are able to contribute fully to the vibrant and thriving communities in which they live and the broader society.

Our Mission

To promote and enable equal access to further education and career opportunities for rural and regional youth irrespective of background, circumstances or location through community-based encouragement and financial assistance.

Our Values

We believe in:

EQUALITY

We strive for equal access to post school education and workplace training opportunities for rural and regional youth.

EMPOWERMENT

We invest in our local communities and provide resources to raise the aspirations of youth in rural and regional areas.

CONNECTION

We collaborate with our networks to build and maintain meaningful relationships with communities and individuals to secure great outcomes for rural and regional youth and the communities they represent.

SUSTAINABILITY

We commit to supporting rural and regional youth and their communities with access to further education, training and lifetime opportunities.

What we measure and how

We measure the following information to produce statistics on Our Impact:

  • Number of students supported annually
  • Value of local grants given
  • Value of education partner co-funding (financial support provided by partner tertiary institutions)

We collate this data from the information provided by our local CEF foundations and the money provided by education partnerships. We also collect valuable information from students during the application process and with mid and end of year student reports.

In addition, we also evaluate the overall support provided to students through the following key areas of operations which support our mission, vision and values.

Our student impact report

Each year, we evaluate both the financial and social impact CEF has on our our rural and regional students and we publish our “Student Impact Report”. This document examines the impact we have in that academic year, and our cumulative impact since inception in 1993. It provides the ‘hard facts’ about our impact, and also provides anecdotal information from partners and students about the importance of the work of CEF.

You can view more of our historical Student Impact reports here.

SOCIAL RETURN ON INVESTMENT = SROI

Social return on investment (SROI) is a method for measuring values that are not traditionally reflected in financial statements, including social, economic, and environmental factors. They can identify how effectively an organisation uses its resources to create value for the community.

In 2011, Social Ventures Australia, Australia’s leading not-for-profit consulting organisation, completed and SROI report for CEF. In 2019, we worked with 180 Degrees Consulting, the world’s largest consulting organisation who give real world experience to top university students, to update this information.

We wanted to see how much we had improved the way we work to provide a great social return for our passionate donors.

2019 REPORT – HOW WAS THIS NUMBER DETERMINED?

The SROI measurement model is a complex measurement method that is a widely recognised and accepted way to measure social impact.

A dollar value was attributed to each of the following categories:

  • Recipient value
  • Volunteer value
  • University partner value
  • Donations
  • Fundraising
  • In-kind support
  • Volunteer time

These dollar values were determined based on:

  • CEF reporting
  • Their own research
  • Data from institutions such the National Centre for Vocational Education Research, Social Value Bank and the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare
  • General financial information like the Australian minimum wage and the value of volunteer time

Finally, the following important information is also taken into consideration:

THE END RESULT?

The final result of the social return on investment report speaks for itself!