Good news, real progress and a great Buderim concept all deserve to be celebrated which is why the Buderim Foundation is holding a Good News Night in the Buderim Memorial Hall on 19 September.

The Good News Night will give interested members of the community the opportunity to learn of the Buderim Foundation's progress and to hear of plans for the future.

It's also the perfect opportunity for people who are not yet involved in the Foundation to gain an understanding of the concept, and what has been achieved to date.

For the first time in its short history, the Buderim Foundation is inviting local non-profit organisations to apply for grants available through the Foundation's Community Grants Program.

Developed with the aim of improving Buderim's quality of life, the program has an estimated funding pool of around $15 000 to provide funds to a limited number of projects.

The Buderim Foundation has been offered up to $20,000 for youth projects in Buderim. But, there's a catch: the Foundation must match the offer dollar for dollar.

Foundation Chair Gary Hopkins said a national philanthropic organisation had made the offer on condition the Buderim community organisation could match it.

The Buderim Foundation has had its allocation of funds to help parents with back-to-school expenses more than doubled this year.

The Foundation for Rural & Regional Renewal (FRRR), which operates the programme, has allocated $12,500 to the Buderim Foundation - one of only three community associations to get an allocation - because they believe the Buderim organisation is one of the stronger community foundations..

Starting a new school year can be difficult for parents who have to find resources to get students ready for school.

Local community organisation, the Buderim Foundation, has appointed three new directors, Michael Bloyce, Ken Waddington and Margaret Welshe.

The Foundation, an independent, not-for-profit, philanthropic organisation, was established by the Buderim War Memorial Community Association in 2003 to attract donations from individuals, including bequests and tax deductible donations.

The new directors join Gary Hopkins (Chair), Simon Whittle (Vice Chair), Sarah Bird, Leanne Evans, Rohan Jackson, David Potts and Margaret Thursby on the Board.

An anonymous donation of $50,000 this week has boosted the funds of the Buderim Foundation to nearly a quarter of a million dollars.

Announcing the cash donation, the Foundation's Chairman, Mr Gary Hopkins, said this was the largest single donation the Foundation had yet received. "We are extremely grateful to the donor," he said.

Other donations of $5,000, $10,000 and $20,000, as well as a number of donations of between $100 and $1,000, had also been received recently.

Buderim residents will have an opportunity to breakfast with our popular State Governor Ms Quentin Bryce AC on Wednesday, May 9.

Ms Bryce is revisiting Buderim at the invitation of the breakfast organisers, the Buderim Foundation.

Ms Bryce visited Buderim in April, 2004, to launch the Foundation. At the time she said the Foundation was a credit to the community and provided a mechanism for people to give their time, their treasure and their talent.

It costs more than $2,000 on average every year to send a child to a public primary school and more than $4,000 a year to send a child to a government high school, research shows.

Starting a new school year can be difficult for parents to find resources to get students ready for school. In response to the need, and through the generosity of the Sidney Myer Fund, The Pratt Foundation, and DOXA Youth Foundation, the Foundation for Rural & Regional Renewal (FRRR) is working with community foundations across Australia to provide practical help.

Buderim is breaking out in burgundy-coloured car stickers.

The stickers are appearing on cars and letterboxes as the Buderim Foundation, a community organisation set up to raise funds to preserve and enhance Buderim's quality of life, promotes an Ambassador programme.

Twelve-year-old Ellie Neuendorf stole the show when the Buderim Foundation held a Moonlit Garden Gathering at the Neuendorf's Ormsby Park home on Buderim on Saturday, November 4.

Ellie welcome about 120 guests to her family's beautiful home to enjoy good food and good wine in a garden setting. And, yes, the rain stayed away and as Foundation Chairman Gary Hopkins spoke and introduced Ellie the clouds parted and the moon did shine - briefly.

Here is the text of Ellie's welcome:

The Buderim Foundation will start evaluating potential local community projects to support when its fund reaches an amount sufficient to generate substantial income, Chairman Gary Hopkins said. "Only the income from the pooled funds will be used so that donations and bequests are held in trust for ever. So, we'll need a large pooled fund," he said.

The fledgling Buderim Foundation has received a bequest of more than $38,000, boosting the fund's total to more than $100,000.

Announcing the bequest, Foundation chairman, Mr Gary Hopkins, said the donation, from the estate of the late Mrs Beryl Adsett, was a very welcome gift. "It will go a long way to helping us achieve our goal of an even better Buderim in which to live," he said.