At Many Rivers we see business ownership as a pathway to employment and personal fulfillment. We are a not-for-profit microenterprise development organisation that assists aspiring business owners with support and access to finance in order to see the potential of people realised.

Our Field Officers live and work in the community and offer clients intensive business development support and access to microfinance loans, ranging from $500 to $20,000. This is available because of our unique strategic alliance with Westpac. Our target group  are people who have the ideas and skills to pursue entrepreneurship, but who are limited by Personal capacity (factors that limit successful economic participation e.g. single parents, low education levels, limited English language and access to technology) and/or Financial disadvantage (limited or unsuccessful economic participation e.g. unemployment, low income, no assets).

The Many Rivers team are dedicated and passionate about what we do. We are led by our CEO, Leigh Coleman and a highly qualified and experienced board of directors, led by the Chairman Peter Cadwallader.

How will the funds be used?

Many Rivers works in locations where we have the support of the community for our program including Indigenous leaders, industry, government and other community groups. We are seek funding support to assist with the direct costs of operating. We value any financial contribution that an individual can make and ensure that this money is used to help support the clients that need it most.

Our current operating regions include:

NSW: Blacktown; Condobolin; Grafton; Kurri Kurri (Hunter Valley); and Moree. WA: South Hedland and Karratha (Pilbara); Kalgoorlie (Goldfields); Kununurra and Broome (Kimberley); and Perth. QLD: Cairns; Gladstone; and Bundaberg.

As of 31 December 2012 Many Rivers has supported:

314 businesses nationally - including 244 new and 70 existing businesses.
344 business owners in these businesses - 71% Indigenous and 42% female.
Extended $1.44 million in loan funds (285 loans).
This work is made possible by the ongoing support of our funding partners and donors.

Key areas of expenditure

The Many Rivers program provides intensive support to business owners at each stage of their journey, which provides them with greatest opportunity to be sustainable. We work with the most disadvantaged people within a community, who otherwise may not have access to the support that they require to succeed.

Our Field Officers support 15 businesses on average per year to establish or expand and an additional 30 as they prepare to take the next steps to business ownership.

The funding contribution that we receive from our supporters is critical to enable us to put a Field Officer in the ground supporting small business owners. The annual operating cost of a full-time Field Officer varies depending on the remoteness of a region and incorporates all costs such as salaries, vehicle, IT, travel, rent, marketing, insurance management support etc.

If you would like to know more about how your support could assist our program please contact us at enquiry@manyrivers.org.au