About the Swan Districts Foundation

The Swan Districts Foundation Ltd has been established as a separate, independently managed foundation to ensure the long-term future and sustainability of the Swan Districts Football Club.

While football’s in the club’s DNA, it exists for a deeper purpose. The Club builds community and develop people. It has an important role to play in strengthening community, creating social value, and building environments where people can be the best they can be. It’s a community-engaged Club that improves people’s lives.

Swan Districts now conducts a wide range of programs of benefit to the wider community. The successful delivery of these programs - many of which are youth-related - has been recognised with a number of community awards for excellence.

The Foundation is a not-for-profit company limited by guarantee and is registered as a charity with the Australian Charities and Not-for-profits Commission. It was established to assist the Club deliver community programs building social impact while also supporting past Swans players and Club program participants in disadvantaged or necessitous circumstances through poverty, sickness, misfortune or helplessness as a result of social, health, economic, cultural, racial or physical disability.

  • The Foundation was established to be a charity for the purpose of funding the construction and maintenance of facilities at Bassendean Oval to provide some or all of the following and other related public services:

    • medical centre (including community access to services such as rehabilitation facilities and pools)

    • infant health nursing facilities

    • child care centre

    • senior citizens centre (specifically to offer sporting, recreational and social facilities)

    • museum of Club social history

    • education and training facilities for all football-related people

    • youth at risk service facilities

    • vocational and core life skills education and training facilities

  • The Foundation is a not-for-profit company limited by guarantee and registered as a charity with the Australian Charities and Not for profits Commission. It has been endorsed for charity tax concessions by the Australian Taxation Office and is income tax exempt.

    The Foundation has also established and manages a separate benevolent fund to which donations are tax-deductible.

  • In keeping with its aim of independence from the day-to-day operations and risks associated with the club, the Foundation has a small voluntary Board of independent Directors with appropriate corporate, business and financial experience.

  • Neville Bassett AM – a chartered accountant and corporate consultant. Neville has been involved in the Club since 1975 and is former chair of the Royal Flying Doctor Service (Western Region) and long-serving committee member of the Club's coterie Group, Swansmen Inc.

    Jim Watterson – a past president and Director of the Club and was responsible for overseeing a fund-raising campaign that saved the Club from extinction in the late 1990s. He has held senior management positions in the education system in three states.

    Peter Snow OAM – a retired venture capitalist, a past Director and Treasurer of the Club and a past President and Treasurer of Swansmen Inc. He is independent chair of a number of commercial and not-for profit organisations and is the former Treasurer of the Order of Australia Association (WA Branch).

    To maintain a direct link with the Club, the Foundation's Constitution requires the Club's President to be a Director. Current President and 1990 Premiership Captain Peter Hodyl, fills the remaining seat on the Foundation's four-member Board.

  • IThere are many opportunities for supporters of the club to contribute to the future and sustainability of the club's activities, programs and facilities.

    These are unlimited and could include:

    • Donations or sponsorship of capital works aimed at delivering the facilities covered by the Foundation's Objects

    • Grants or funding for community programs that can be delivered by the Club's staff under formal contractual service arrangements with the Club. The possibility of naming rights can also be considered.

    • Establishment of scholarships for disadvantaged youth

    • Sponsorship of certain parts of the Club's museum and exhibits

    • Contribution to a Fund set aside to assist past players who are suffering health or financial difficulties.

  • The Foundation Board will assess all requests for assistance or funding - be they from the Club or directly. The Board will determine the basis and conditions under which any grant funding is made.

    Any funding of programs or services to be delivered by the Club will be subject to an acquittal process appropriate for any public or corporate grant recipient.

  • The foundation has a separate Benevolent Fund to which donations are tax deductible to the donor. The objects of the Swan Districts Foundation Benevolent Fund are:

    “To provide funds, property or services directly to persons within Australia with particular emphasis on assisting those past players and participants of the community programs of the Swan Districts Football Club Inc. who are disadvantaged or in necessitous circumstances through poverty, sickness, destitution, suffering distress, misfortune or helplessness as a result of social, health, economic, cultural, racial or physical disability.”

    Those interested in making a tax-deductible donation are encouraged to make further enquiry as to the scope of their donation.