Coast Shelter has spent 35 years helping people through some of the hardest moments of their lives on the Central Coast - providing crisis accommodation, long-term housing support and two meals a day through its community centre.
It’s work that rarely slows down. Demand doesn’t ease because funding cycles change.
So when the Coast Shelter team arrived at an event in Gosford expecting to receive a $20,000 Community Grant, they were already thinking about how far that money could stretch.
“We support some of the most vulnerable people in our community who are experiencing homelessness and domestic and family violence,” Coast Shelter CEO Alicia Pigot said. “Every day we’re providing crisis accommodation, meals and support to help people get back on their feet.”
They weren’t expecting their Grant to stretch five times further.
When the figure changed to $100,000, there were tears.
“We’re blown away,” Pigot said. “For a small community organisation, $100,000 is absolutely huge.”
What the team didn’t know was that while 180 organisations across Australia receive $20,000 through the annual Community Grants program, six are selected by CommBank staff nationwide to receive an additional $80,000 Super Grant - bringing their total to $100,000.
“For us, this sort of funding is life-changing,” Pigot said. “It gives us the flexibility to do more of the work we know our community needs.”
Coast Shelter was one of six chosen this year.
For Pigot, the impact isn’t about the headline number - it’s about what it allows them to do.
“It means we can say yes more often than we say no,” she said.
For an organisation operating at capacity, that flexibility can mean additional support for someone transitioning into housing, expanded services at the community centre, or deeper support for families in crisis.
A moment shared by staff and community
Vanessa Nolan-Woods, CommBank General Manager Northern NSW, presented the Super Grant and said the emotion in the room captured why the program matters.
“It was absolutely amazing to be part of that moment,” she said. “To see the surprise and the pure joy when the amount was revealed - you could immediately see how much it meant.”
The grant itself was made possible through staff nominations - and for Coast Shelter, that connection ran deep.
Natasha McInnes, a CommBank Director in IB&M Delivery and Change Governance, has volunteered with Coast Shelter for five years and said nominating the organisation was an easy decision.
“I actually volunteer at Coast Shelter, so when the Community Grants came into play, it was the obvious choice,” she said.
Anthony Cook, Executive Manager Regional and Agribusiness Banking, said the organisation’s impact on the Central Coast made his nomination personal.
“They do amazing work in crisis accommodation, supporting those that are homeless and also domestic violence victims and those going through challenges in life,” he said. “They’ve been doing it for over 30 years here on the coast - and that means a lot to me.”
When the amount was revealed, both said the atmosphere changed instantly.
“All I can say is there were tears amongst everyone in there,” McInnes said. “The massive difference that $100,000 is going to mean - it’s incredible.”
For Nolan-Woods, the moment brought together what the program is designed to do: recognise community impact and empower staff to back the causes that matter most to them.
“These organisations do so much in their communities,” she said. “Being able to stand there and recognise that work - and help amplify it - is incredibly special.”
How a weekly ritual sparked a Super Grant
Meanwhile in Western Australia, one of the Super Grants was sparked by something deeply personal.
A CommBank staff member in Customer Service Direct nominated the Kids Cancer Support Group - an organisation their family attends each week while their son undergoes cancer treatment. The group provides a space for children to play, connect and support siblings, giving them critical family time and support, regardless of where a cancer journey may lead.
Executive Manager Community Investment, Nathan Barker said the strength of the program lies in that direct connection.
“They’re all nominated by our people, which is just really powerful,” he said.
He said the additional funding would have a tangible impact.
“We know this Super Grant of $80,000 will help those kids and families receive critical support through their cancer journey and beyond.”
For families navigating treatment, a cancer diagnosis impacts everyone in the family – siblings, parents, grandparents and the extended family. Kids Cancer Support Group offer connection however it is needed.
Six organisations, six different missions
Across Australia, this year’s Super Grant recipients span a wide cross-section of needs and causes that CommBank staff care about.
“All six charities are doing amazing work,” Barker said. “They cover areas from domestic violence, homelessness, youth development and community support through to cancer support.”
Each of these organisations began with a $20,000 Community Grant nomination. From there, staff across the country voted to determine which six would receive the additional $80,000 Super Grant.
“These grants are really important ways we can help communities across Australia build brighter futures for all,” Barker said.
The difference on the ground
For Coast Shelter, the funding means the ability to respond more confidently to demand.
“It will have a massive impact on what we can do,” Pigot said. “To have that kind of support - it’s incredible.”
And in WA, it means children facing treatment can continue to access a space designed simply for joy.
For charities that operate close to the edge of demand and capacity, that difference is felt quickly, and locally.
