Our Mission

Genesis Foundation supports strategic projects that

• will have a multiplier effect and
• will be self-funding after a reasonable time.

Usually these are projects that grow within an existing Christian organisation. We review the development project plan, budgets and management requirements, then Genesis provides the necessary seed capital.

About Us

• Background
• Values
• Who Gets Support
• Age Focus
• Geographic Focus
• What Sort of Work
• New Projects with Multiplier Effect
• Operating standards of the organisation
• Other ministries supported by Genesis
• Directors

Genesis Charitable Foundation was established in June 1998 as a public foundation with the principal objective to provide financial and other support to charitable organizations (approved by the Taxation Commissioner as Public Benevolent Institutions) which promote the message of Christianity and provide spiritual and material support to people in need including families and children who for any reason lack family support.

Gifts to Genesis Charitable Foundation are tax deductible – distributions from this foundation can only be to charitable organizations that have Deductible Gift Recipient (DGR) endorsement from the Taxation Office.

Genesis Life Foundation was established in August 1998 with the principal objective to provide financial and other support to charitable organizations which are located in Australia, which incur their expenditure principally in Australia, which pursue their charitable purposes solely in Australia and which promote the message of Christianity and provide spiritual and material support to people in need including families and children who for any reason lack family support.

Gifts to Genesis Life Foundation are not tax deductible – distributions from this foundation can only be to charitable organizations whose work is primarily in Australia and who have the Income Tax Exempt Charity (ITEC) endorsement from the Taxation Office.

Each Foundation has the company “Genesis Charitable Foundation” as trustee. The Board of the trustee is David Smith (Chairman), Trisha Smith, Bob Bucknell and Peter Kaldor.

In 2008/9 the Genesis Foundations supported about 100 projects, primarily in Australia.

Genesis seeks to support organisations that support the total person, not only their physical and psychological needs but also their spiritual needs as espoused in the Bible.

Christian based organisations are favoured because usually:

• they deal with the whole person as well as the specific need
• they tend to be more committed to their work
• there is less chance of money going to the wrong places
• there is a strong moral ethic in the management
• the organisation has a long term vision.

This page deals with the following topics. You can scroll down to read each one, print this page or click on the bullet heading to go directly to the relevant section:

• Age focus
• Geographic focus
• What sort of work
• New projects with the multiplier effect
• Operating standards of the organisation
• Other ministries supported by Genesis

While Genesis supports Christian work across all age groups, in the recent times Genesis has mainly supported youth and family ministries.

Examples of past youth ministries supported are

• School chaplains – Genesis is providing initial funding for the infrastructure of area chaplaincy managers
• MAX7 – web based Sunday school material to assist churches with Kidsgames
• NET – an evangelistic ministry to Catholic youth

Examples of past family ministries supported are;

• Focus on the Family – which provides seminar material for all ages in the family
• Christians Against Poverty – which assists families work their way out of financial difficulties, and the associated stress on the family relationships.

Genesis supports Christian work mostly within Australia, but has supported certain strategic projects overseas.

Examples of past overseas projects supported are:

• China – Micro enterprise development through Opportunity International
• Africa – leadership development through George Whitfield Bible College and other projects through African Enterprise
• Global – leadership development in Youth for Christ International

Having an active and supportive church strengthens a community. Within the church communities there are specific age based and interest based groups, such as youth work, business groups and caring for the needy (whether or not the person is within the church). The churches are supported by specialist ministries and agencies.

Genesis has supported church plants to appoint a second staff member, usually with the support of a fulltime youth worker.

Genesis supports the growth in specialist ministries and infrastructure, particularly where the group demonstrates its objective of enhancing the work of the local church. Examples of such ministries are

• AFES – missionary work among university students
• Sports Chaplains Australia
• Christian Surfers Australia

The funds are directed towards the establishment of strategic ongoing projects that are likely to become self funding after a reasonable time. Genesis rarely supports the regular funding of ongoing projects

Start up projects often have difficulty finding supporters who will take the “risk” before they become financially viable in their own right.

In considering a project Genesis pays particular attention to the strategic implications and any multiplier affect that the new project may provide.

New projects are favoured over ongoing projects. However, the organisation has to demonstrate that the new project is likely to become self sufficient (or funded by ongoing donors or grants), in a reasonable time.

Many projects require funding over several years and Genesis typically provides a funding commitment of up to 3 years, though this maybe extended in appropriate circumstances.

The organisation should demonstrate a high level of professionalism in their standard of delivery. They should seek world class practice. They should have a long term vision and proven discipline in their operations.

Genesis has supported Prison Ministries in Australia such as:

• Kairos - funding the growth into new prisons
• PFM - assisting families of inmates
• Alpha - developing the after prison care of inmates 

Genesis has supported Christian Media, an important infrastructure for Kingdom growth. Examples include:

• Training for smaller radio stations
• Web based sharing of programmes and podcasting
• Investigation and development of a Christian news commentary service
• Development of world class contemporary TV and film production.

The development of Christian leaders has also been a theme for Genesis, such as:

• Arrow Leadership Australia - leadership development for young leaders with potential
• Ministry Training Strategy in Australia - a staged program of preparing leaders for theological training and ministry
• Youth for Christ International - coaching programme for global leaders

David R Smith. David regularly attends a Christian church, is a businessman and actuary. David has experience in starting and growing businesses and has an analytical approach to strategic planning. He was appointed Director in June 1998 when the Foundation was formed.

• The unity of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit in the Godhead.
• The sovereignty of God in creation, revelation, redemption and final judgment.
• The divine inspiration and infallibility of Holy Scripture, as originally given, and its supreme authority in all matters of faith and conduct.
• The universal sinfulness and guilt of human nature since the Fall, rendering man subject to God's wrath and condemnation.
• Redemption from guilt, penalty and the power of sin only through the sacrificial death, as our representative and substitute, of Jesus Christ, the incarnate Son of God.
• The bodily resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead who is now the Lord and Judge of all creation.
• The necessity of the work of the Holy Spirit to make the death of Christ effective in the individual sinner, granting him repentance toward God and faith in Jesus Christ.
• The indwelling and work of the Holy Spirit in the believer.
• The one universal Church, which is the body of Christ, and to which all true believers belong.
• The expectation of the personal return of the Lord Jesus Christ.”