ING DIRECT is calling on Australia’s most inspired go-getters to apply for their share of $100,000 of funding through Dreamstarter – an online initiative to get bold ideas for social change off the ground.

Since launching in 2013, the Dreamstarter program has helped to raise over $345,000 for 31 inspiring projects covering diverse areas such as indigenous entrepreneurship, youth homelessness and environmental education.

David Breen, Head of Corporate Affairs, ING DIRECT, said: “ING DIRECT is proud to be supporting social entrepreneurs across Australian with additional funding for the Dreamstarter program in 2015. Dreamstarter enables people to bring to life their own vision for a better future, empowering them to make a difference and helping communities to get ahead.

“It’s great to see Dreamstarter continue to grow and have such a positive impact on so many communities across the country.”

Through Dreamstarter, ING DIRECT provides seed funding towards selected projects or ideas that are also supported by the Australian community through crowdfunding – a model which uses the power of social media and collaboration to raise funds in support of projects which communities collectively wish to support.

“Crowdfunding is a great way for people to easily connect with projects that share their values and that can make a difference in their communities. With small contributions from lots of people, big things can happen,” added Mr Breen.

ING DIRECT will support 15-20 Dreamstarter projects by the end of 2015, with the aim to fund different types and sizes of projects across Australia. Applicants have the flexibility to request various funding amounts according to the size of their idea.

For selected projects, ING DIRECT will fund up to 50% of the project’s ‘tipping point’ – the amount requested for the project to kick off. This will require our ‘Dreamstarters’ to enlist the support of the broader community to ensure their project goes ahead.

ING DIRECT has a strong affiliation with social enterprise in Australia and projects will be selected by a panel that includes representatives from the School for Social Entrepreneurs and StartSomeGood, Dreamstarter’s crowdfunding platform partner.

Recruitment of new Dreamstarter projects will be open from 2 – 31 March 2015 and selected projects’ crowdfunding campaigns will go live in May. For more information, visit www.ingdirect.com.au/dreamstarter

ING DIRECT spokespeople are available for comment. To arrange an interview, please contact Kristen Costandi, ING DIRECT PR Manager.

Media contact:

Kristen Costandi
PR Manager, ING DIRECT
+61 2 9018 5160
+61 413 317 225

About ING DIRECT
ING DIRECT changed the way Australians bank 15 years ago by launching the country’s first high interest, fee free online savings account. Since then, we’ve brought this low fee value to home loans, transactional banking and superannuation. With over 1.5 million customers – and $32 billion in savings and $38 billion in mortgages – ING DIRECT has the highest Net Promoter Scores of any other bank in Australia (Q4 2014). Please note ING DIRECT is never abbreviated to ING.

About StartSomeGood
StartSomeGood is a crowdfunding platform for social innovation. They aim to create an “everyone a changemaker” world, where anyone with an idea for creating a better future is empowered to make it happen. They connect your dream with the people and resources you need to make an impact. www.startsomegood.com

About the School for Social Entrepreneurs
The School for Social Entrepreneurs (SSE) Australia runs practical learning programs for entrepreneurial individuals who have an idea or start-up venture with a social or environmental benefit. www.sse.org.au