OfficeMax is pleased to announce it has secured four gold level sponsors and seven bronze level sponsors for its Max e Grants programme, ensuring the initiative will continue for the next year.
The stationery and office supply company is joining Acco, Croxley Stationery and HP as gold level sponsors and Acme Supplies, Bic, Brother, Energizer, Francko & Simon Furniture, Henkel Consumer Adhesives and Tork as bronze level sponsors to help less fortunate children over the next year.
OfficeMax New Zealand General Manager of Education, Dr Suzanne Flannagan, said the urgency of the support comes off the back of recent OfficeMax research that shows that schools and similar not-for-profit groups receive just over half of the grants that they apply for.
“Our research shows that the majority of funds requested through grants are for under $5,000, with many applications only for a few hundred dollars,” Dr Flannagan said.
“Thanks to these businesses, $165,000 has been raised for children who are most at need within New Zealand’s school communities.
“It’s wonderful that so many organisations are willing to be involved in a programme that is making a real difference in a child’s schooling life. It might mean they can afford to catch the bus to school or participate in extra curricular activities.
“Unfortunately of course demand often exceeds supply, there are always requests for grants that we just can’t find the funding for, but we’re lucky to be able to aid more children with the help of our sponsors,” she said.
Education providers are able to nominate children for financial assistance via grants of up to $5,000. Grants are available to not-for-profit schools, kindergartens and day care centres.
OfficeMax has raised more than $420,000 since the programme began. In the most recent round of grant distribution, more than 80 grants totalling $70,000 was distributed to help more than 1600 New Zealand children access a better education.
The grants helped pay for extra hours of teacher aide and support, stationery and textbooks, excursions, sporting equipment and extracurricular activities including club fees and uniforms.