About the Foundation
Formed in 2003 in conjunction with Perpetual Trustees, the NJ Innis Charitable Foundation has two trustees; Norm Innis and Veronica Balatti.
Since its inception, the Foundation's main aim has been to assist disadvantaged young people. Given Norm Innis' strong association with the sport of surfing, a number of the initiatives have used some aspect of the sport in conjunction with the sponsored programmes.
One of the first projects undertaken by the Foundation was the formation of a scholarship to the Southern Cross University Diploma of Sport Management (Surfing Studies). Originally designed to assist Indigenous students, the terms of reference for the scholarship were widened to include all potential students demonstrating significant disadvantage.
The NJ Innis Charitable Foundation has contributed to medical research, specifically Asthma research, and also sponsored an Indigenous football team from Kormilda College (in the Northern Territory) to compete in the Ron Barassi tournament in Canberra. In 2007, the Foundation funded a winter holiday camp for disadvantaged children through the Edmund Rice Camps Inc charity. A specific donation has also been made to the SurfAid Foundation through the Noosa Festival of Surfing.
Of recent years, one of the principal recipients of funding from the NJ Innis Charitable Foundation has been "Mision Mexico". "Mision Mexico" was established by two Australians (originally from the Sunshine Coast in Queensland) in the far south west mainland of Mexico (in a town called Tapachula). Alan and Pam Skuse have the care of over 50 children in their mission, and given their association with surfing in Australia, use the sport to assist in helping the children find some sense of happiness and self worth. The NJ Innis Charitable Foundation continues to provide support to "Mision Mexico".
In 2009, one of the children from the mission, Moacir Zeladon, applied for, and was accepted into, the Southern Cross University Surfing Studies course. Accordingly, Moacir was a most worthy recipient of the Foundation's scholarship. Moacir aims to return to Mexico to establish surf related businesses providing employment prospects for the children of "Mision Mexico" on graduation.
For more information on "Mision Mexico", the NJ Innis Charitable Foundation recommends the film "Somewhere in Tapachula".
The NJ Innis Charitable Foundation looks forward to continuing to support worthy causes, particularly with reference to the sport of surfing.
