CSL Fund: Planning Details

 1/3/15

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CSL FUND FRAMEWORK

 

NAME:   DCW Inc.’s Community Sustainable Living Fund (CSL Fund)

 

VISION:

The Shire of Denmark renown for Sustainable Community Enterprises, particularly as a showcase for Sustainable Energy contributing to a Community of Sustainable Living

 

MISSION:

Aspire to the vision through fostering and funding to support and develop Sustainable Community Enterprise (SCE) Projects. This may involve pro-bono review of early concepts for SCE Projects, critique of draft proposals for funding, and assessment of funding applications with feedback if unsuccessful.

 

SCOPE:

(based on section 3.1 Objects of DCW Inc. Constitution).

The fund will contribute to SCE Projects, particularly Sustainable Energy within Denmark and the south coast region of WA, by DCW Inc. itself or in concert with government and/or private enterprise.

 

The Fund may provide fostering, critique and/or funding to the following types of SCE Project:

(a)     Developing a SCE, for profit or non-profit;

(b)     Conducting research programs and feasibility studies aimed at achieving greater knowledge of the factors influential in affecting SCE Projects;

(c)     Encouraging cooperation and coordination between agencies whenever it is important to the cause of greater awareness of Sustainable Energy, Energy Descent and SCE Projects;

(d)     Fostering community acceptance of Sustainable Energy and SCE Projects through cooperation, collaboration, sharing of information and understanding;

(e)     Printing, publishing, issuing, distributing, and circulating such proceedings, lectures, papers, communications, correspondence, reports, periodicals, pamphlets, books plans drawings tables compilations circulars and literary matters as DCW considers conducive to the attainment of its objects or any of them.

 

FUND SOURCES:

As well as using the proceeds from retaining equity or receiving dividends in SCE Projects such as the Denmark Wind Farm dividend to DCW Inc., CSL Fund may source funding through;

(a)     Receiving from any person or corporation who may desire at any time to further the objects of DCW, gifts of property of every nature whatsoever, whether real or personal, movable or unmovable and where so ever situated and to hold all property so received in perpetuity either in its then form or investment for so long as DCW for the time being thinks fit or at the unfettered discretion of DCW to sell, call in and convert to money all or any such property or so much as does not consist of money;

(b)     Raising funds from grants, solicit donations, gifts, bequests or subscriptions from Members and from the public; and

(c)     Gaining sponsorship.

 

FINANCIAL PROCEEDS

 

Where funding goes to an Enterprise that plans to make a return on investment, a profit, then the DCW Inc. Management Committee may deem that funding provided should represent a stake in the enterprise and generate an appropriate return.

 

CSL FUND STRATEGY

 

COMMITTEE

 

The DCW Inc. committee will consider funding applications at general meetings. Where beyond the scope of committee experience, an appropriate organisation from a Reference Group will be consulted.

 

The committee will function on a consensus basis, convened by the DCW Inc. Chair, but where there is need of a vote to break a deadlock, all reps have one vote with the Chair will have a casting vote.

 

Reference Group

 

The following groups (and/or others deemed appropriate by the CSL Fund Committee) may also be approached to nominate Reference Group members to informally support the Funds activity/deliberations:

            South Coast Power Working Group (SCPWG)         Sustainable energy issues

            Green Skills (GS)                                                NFP SCEs

            Denmark Community Windfarm Ltd (DCW Ltd)      Commercial SCEs

            Small Business Centre Great Southern (SBCGS)    Small SCEs

            Shire of Denmark (Shire)                                     Local government

            Denmark Community Resource Centre (DCRC)       Community networks and small NFP SCEs

            Great Southern Development Commission (GSDC)  SCE development funding and support

            Bendigo Bank                                                       NFP and commercial finance

 

ENTERPRISE SUPPORT AND FUNDING

 

• Funding would be advertised bi-annually, following availability of funds at least $5,000.

• The advertising timeline is at the Fund’s discretion and will be widely advertised in local papers and via local community groups.

• Enterprise initiative can approach the committee at any time, potential progressing through a series of steps negotiated as the proposer wishes

  • Initial approach is through email to the Chair of a one page synopsis of the concept proposal, to be circulated to the committee.

  • where two committee members determine to 'champion' the concept proposal, encouragement would be given to enlarge on the initiative.

  • Critique of the more detailed proposal would be provided by the 'champions' and other 'Reference' people they nominate

  • A revised proposal would then be considered by the committee for funding, or recommendations made for alternative funding or reconsideration of concept.

• No specific format would be required for submissions.

• Funding would be provided in advance of expenditures.

• Once funding is received, updates of actions and outcomes, with copies of expenditure receipts, would be provided every 4 months, as an article about the project suitable for submission to newspapers and social media.

• It is recognised that by their very nature, success of proposals cannot be guaranteed and that risk is accepted by the Fund.

• Funds available at time any will be all monies held by DCW Inc. less a management account determined by the DCW Inc. management committee.

• Only funding applications requesting funding greater than 1/3rd of the available funds at any time (unless varied by the DCW Management Committee) would be considered; this scenario means at most 3 applications would be successful until new funds come available, but funds allocated would be more substantial.

• All monies attributed to the Fund at the time of a proposal or proposals go to funding assessment may be allocated where appropriate.

• Final funding allocations would be first ratified by DCW Inc. management committee in a timely manner (eg email consensus).