Working with business, government & for-purpose partners to make an impact
The Buildcorp community has never shied away from its responsibility to be more than just a business, consistently involved in many charitable events, great causes or things in the community our people are passionate about. In 2012 we asked ourselves how could we do the same but have a greater impact?
How could we create a situation where 1 + 1 could equal 3?
The answer came in the creation the Buildcorp Charitable Fund to support our community. Fast forward to 2021 and the Buildcorp Foundation is now one of the largest mental health funders in Australia. The Buildcorp team first steered us to support mental health back in our beginnings and we have since gone on to donate $3.29m to preventative and crisis support services.
Today, the Foundation is a purpose built independent charitable structure with full DGR status and 0% running costs. We partner with government and business to jointly fund large initiatives. To boost the impact of our partnerships we fundraise, donate and run a workplace-giving program, where Buildcorp matches staff contributions dollar-for-dollar.
Since 2015 the Foundation has been fundraising for mental health and suicide prevention initiatives to help address our industry’s biggest issues.
Our Mission
Together Giving More
The Buildcorp Foundation is on a mission to support good mental health and help put an end to suicide. Together with our supporters, we aim to tackle the spectrum of our mental health crisis by donating to charities that offer both crisis support (Lifeline Australia) and prevention through mental health education (Smiling Mind).
A donation to the Foundation enables you to contribute to a bigger and wider impact, not just for those in crisis who need it most, but also for a mentally healthy and resilient generation of tomorrow. By tackling this from both sides, we can work together to put an end to suicide.
Our Patron
The Buildcorp Foundation is honoured to have General Sir Peter Cosgrove AK CVO MC (Retd) as our Patron.
General Sir Peter Cosgrove AK CVO MC (Retd) has been Patron of the Buildcorp Foundation since 2021.
The patronage position will support the Buildcorp Foundation’s ongoing work with corporate, community and government partners to tackle the spectrum of our mental health crisis.
In his first duty as Patron, Sir Peter made the official cheque presentation for the Foundation’s 2021 donation of $200,000 to Lifeline Australia, which was accepted by Lifeline International President and Lifeline Australia Patron John Brogden AM.
The Foundation has now donated $1.69million to Lifeline since 2015, which has helped to support over 31,000 people in crisis.
Sir Peter is a significant public figure from his work as a decorated Defence Force Chief, former Governor General of Australia and, in more recent years, supporting community rebuilding and resilience efforts. Sir Peter’s honours include the Military Cross (MC) for his leadership in Vietnam in 1971, the Companion of Order of Australia (AC) for leadership of INTERFET in 1999, named Australian of the Year in 2001 and became a Knight in the Order of Australia in 2014.
Buildcorp Foundation Chair, Josephine Sukkar AM, said:
“We are honored that Sir Peter Cosgrove has accepted the patronage role for our Buildcorp Foundation. The Foundation has been operating for over eight years to amplify the collective giving power from partners in the property sectors and beyond to make an impact on mental health.
“Sir Peter’s leadership in the Army, government and community is both an inspiration and a lesson in diplomacy, courage and empathy. His experience and values align with the Foundation’s mission to partner with Not-for-Profit and Government leaders to deliver the prevention and crisis support initiatives our communities need to create a more resilient future.”
Buildcorp Foundation Patron, General Sir Peter Cosgrove, said:
“I welcome the opportunity to support organisations like the Buildcorp Foundation who take a collaborative leadership role in addressing the important issues affecting the wellbeing of our communities. The mental health of our Nation has been of concern for some time, and this has been further impacted by the recent natural disasters and present health crisis. Suicide remains the leading cause of death for Australians aged 15-44 and every individual death impacts at least 135 people, including family and friends.
“However, there is hope that comes from our collective action. While the need for crisis support is ongoing, the Buildcorp Foundation is also committed to investing in programs that help the next generation strengthen their resilience and emotional wellbeing. These bookends of the support spectrum will give us the best chance of imagining a future free from suicide.“
Our Impact
Established in 2015, the Buildcorp Foundation has grown to become one of the top supporters of mental health in Australia. We work to amplify the contributions of corporate and individual partners and donors to tackle the spectrum of our mental health crisis. Our impact in recent years includes:
- $1.69 million donated to Lifeline Australia to positively impact hundreds of lives every week
- $1.25 million invested in the Smiling Mind Schools program, dollar matched by the NSW Government, to deliver mindfulness and foundational skills to 143,826 children and 10,428 teachers at 445 schools. An independent report by PWC for this program highlights that teachers saw significant improvements in mental wellbeing in themselves and students.
Our Board
Board members offer a broad baseline of skills and experiences, representing a cross section of the business community.
JOSEPHINE SUKKAR AM (CHAIR)
As Principal, Josephine has been integrally involved in the development of the Buildcorp Group actively involved in corporate governance, executive business development, human resources, corporate social responsibility and sustainability.
Josephine serves on a number of private, public, government and not-for-profit boards, including Growthpoint Properties Australia, Parramatta Park Trust, Australian Museum Trust, Melbourne University Infrastructure Advisory Board, Opera Australia, Centenary Institute of Medical Research and the Australian Rugby Foundation. Along with her role as President of Australian Women’s Rugby, Josephine also serves on the Nominations Committee of Rugby Australia. From 2010-13 Josephine was an independent, non-executive director of The Trust Company Limited and between October 2011 and July 2015 Josephine was the Co-president of the YWCA NSW.
JORDAN SUKKAR (DIRECTOR)
Jordan joined Buildcorp in 2012 and during this time developed diverse experience across the industry in internal and external roles covering growth, finance, people and performance, CSR construction contracts management, and systems and governance.
In his current role as Chief Operating Officer of Buildcorp, Jordan is accountable for the business strategy, and the Health, Safety, Environment and Quality (HSEQ), Commercial, Information and Technology, Corporate Social Responsibility and Marketing functions.
TONY SUKKAR AM
As Managing Director of the Buildcorp Group, Tony has over 30 years experience in developing and leading high performing teams in the construction and property development industry. Prior to founding Buildcorp in 1990, Tony held management roles with both Lendlease and Girvan Corporation.
Tony is a former Councillor of the Kambala School and former member of the Building and Estates Committee, a subcommittee of the Senate of the University of Sydney.
ANDREW WENNERBOM
Andrew has over 25 years experience as a commercial real estate and hospitality lawyer having been a partner at international law firm Phillips fox (now DLA Piper) and being a founding partner of boutique law firm Lands Legal which he established 10 years ago.
Andrew has held various roles within sporting and charitable organisations and is a former president and current vice-president of the Sydney University Football Club. He is also a board member of the SUFC Foundation and Sydney University Blues Committee and Blues Association and the Sydney Stars.
BRUCE CORLETT AM
Whilst Bruce initially trained as a lawyer, he has operated in the business world for the past 40 years. He has been actively involved in a range of sectors including investment banking, property, mining, financial services and maritime. He has been a non executive director of many companies including Stockland Trust Group, Advance Bank, TNT, Australian Maritime Safety Authority (Chair), Adsteam Marine (Chair) and the Trust Company (Chair). In addition to Fortius Funds Management he currently chairs Servcorp and Australian Maritime Systems.
He has had a lifetime involvement in the not for profit sector including Chair of the Microsearch Foundation of Australia, Senate Fellow – University of Sydney, Chair Advisory Board Faculty of Economics and Business – University of Sydney. Current roles in this sector include Ambassador – Australian Indigenous Education Foundation, Chair – Lifestart, Chair – Mark Tonga Relief Trust Fund.
MARTY PERRY
Marty, both a practising lawyer and licensed builder, was previously General Counsel for a leading Australian contractor and also held various positions in two leading international law firms.
Marty owns a boutique law firm specialising in building, construction, planning and real estate law, which prides itself on employing lawyers with disciplines in both law and the area of law in which they practice, including lawyers that hold Engineering and Town Planning degrees.
His firm represents large and small developers, contractors, subcontractors and consultants on all building, construction, planning and real estate related matters in all Australian jurisdictions and has been associated with many high profile projects.
The Committee
A committee made up of Buildcorp staff manage and orgainse the activities of the Foundation.
All Buildcorp team members are given the opportunity to join the committee and it is a full representation of our team across Sydney, Brisbane and Melbourne. The committee meets monthly and delivers on the key roles of selecting the nominated cause the Foundation will support and agrees and implements the initiatives undertaken by the Foundation across the year.
Testimonials
Sponsors
Our sponsors are the lifeblood of our fundraising events, enabling all money raised to go directly to support mental health. On top of this, we work hard to offer our valued sponsor partners a unique experience with meaningful benefits throughout the year:
Your hearts
- Genuine connection: We provide opportunities to make a genuine connection to Buildcorp’s people, the event and the cause. As our sponsor partners, we want you to be proud of your association, the experience and impact you helped create.
- Real impact: At our events, you can be assured that the money raised and distributed has maximum impact on mental health and suicide prevention. This is thanks to our: 0% operating costs, government / business / not-for-profit partnerships, and rigorous due diligence when selecting
For our supporters, the impact is a simple 1 + 1 = 3 equation. That is, your support + our network’s support = triples the impact.
Our minds
Corporately speaking, your association will promote your brand to an audience and influential leaders spanning the property sector. Your brand will benefit from widespread event communications through the Buildcorp Foundation’s internal and external networks, as we work together to put an end to suicide.
These businesses represent a true cross section of the Buildcorp business community who have supported us in the past and we are so grateful for their ongoing support.
Diamond Sponsors
Other Sponsors
