The Melbourne Cricket Club (MCC), as managers of the iconic Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) and the Australian Sports Museum, is committed to providing meaningful support to the community we operate in.
The MCC Foundation, a company limited by Guarantee and a not for profit entity, provides financial support to various community sport activities and programs. The MCC Foundation is passionate about providing all people access to sport, and the promotion and development of sport throughout communities.Having invested in facilities and amenities for the use and enjoyment of members and the Club’s 13 sporting sections, in recent years the MCC Foundation partnered with Elwood College and Beaumaris Secondary College to develop grounds which benefit both students and local community groups outside of school hours.
The Foundation is proud to partner with a number of organisations whose values align with these core aims, providing each with significant support and ongoing opportunities.
Bachar Houli Foundation
The Bachar Houli Foundation, created by Richmond premiership star, Bachar Houli, aims to support social cohesion by fostering young Muslims, both male and female, with a sense of belonging through sport, employment opportunities and education programs.Since first partnering with the Bachar Houli Foundation in July 2019, the MCC Foundation has furthered its support and in 2022 became a presenting partner of the Bachar Houli Foundation. Highlights of the partnership include providing ongoing access to the MCG for the Bachar Houli Academy, including hosting the Jolson-Houli Cup on the hallowed turf the day after the 2019 and 2022 AFL Grand Final, and hosting the annual Iftar dinner at the MCG.
National Indigenous Cricket Championships
The National Indigenous Cricket Championships bring the best Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cricketers from across Australia to compete for national titles in the T20 format.In November 2022 the MCC Foundation and Cricket Australia announced a partnership to ensure the NICC can continue to provide a meaningful pathway for Australia’s most promising and passionate men’s and women’s cricketers from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander background, as well as help strengthen relationships between these athletes.
In addition to being the official inclusion partner of the NICC through to 2025, the MCC Foundation will also host an annual training camp for the best players from both the men’s and women’s competition – bringing them to the MCG to experience playing on cricket’s premier stage.
Melbourne Indigenous Transition School
The Melbourne Indigenous Transition School (MITS) exists to empower Indigenous students from regional and remote communities to achieve their educational aspirations in Melbourne. Based on Wurundjeri Country since 2016, MITS provides a high-quality and culturally safe learning environment for Year 7 and 8 students before supporting their transition into places at partner schools across Melbourne.With the MCC Foundation’s support, MITS students from Year 7, 8 as well as past MITS students who remain connected to the program through the MITS boarding houses are able to participate in organised club football within the local Richmond community.
Sports Excellence Scholarship Fund
The Sports Excellence Scholarship Fund (SESF) aims to break down the financial barriers preventing young Australian athletes from pursuing their goals and representing their state or country in their chosen sport.Since commencing a partnership in 2021 the MCC Foundation has helped SESF provide hundreds of scholarships for students from low socio-economic, Indigenous or rural and regional backgrounds, supporting them to achieve their dreams and build skills for life through the power of sport.
Over time not only has the MCC Foundation’s partnership with SESF grown, but so too has the support SESF provides. In 2022 the SESF began offering scholarships to student athletes across Australia (previously only Victoria) in addition to providing ongoing mentorship and support of scholarship recipients.
Santa Teresa Oval Project
In a small, isolated Indigenous community 80km south-east of Alice Springs is the town of Santa Teresa (Ltyentye Apurte).The Santa Teresa Oval Project is a joint venture between Melbourne Football Club and Atyenhenge Atherre Aboriginal Corporation to re-grass the town’s clay red dirt oval, with the MCC Foundation becoming a major partner of the Project in August 2019.
In June 2021, the Oval was officially launched, allowing the local Ltyentyies Apurte Football Club, AFL Auskick programs and school students to consistently utilise the green space for sport and recreation activities. The MCC Foundation will continue to provide funding and support to the Oval until at least 2023, to assist the Oval's irrigation and ongoing maintenance.
Western Bulldogs Community Foundation - CALDPLAY Program
In 2023, The MCC Foundation and Western Bulldogs Community Foundation (WBCF) announced a two-year partnership with the WBCF CALDplay program, which will help provide greater opportunities for multicultural and migrant communities to connect through sport, while experiencing all the iconic MCG has to offer.CALDplay program is a free program that annually provides more than one thousand culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) adults and children newly arrived to Australia with the opportunity to engage in sport as a means to improving their English, developing skills and increasing social participation.
As the presenting partner of the CALDplay program, the MCC Foundation looks forward to welcoming participants to the ‘People’s Ground’ and encouraging them to enjoy physical activity, and deepen their community connections through sport.
Cricket Victoria Girls Leadership Program
In 2024 Cricket Victoria, through the Cricket Victoria Foundation, announced a new multi-year partnership with the Melbourne Cricket Club Foundation, aimed at empowering young female athletes through its successful Girls Leadership Program.Developed in collaboration with former Australian and Victorian cricketer Belinda Clark AO and her company, The Leadership Playground, the program offers personal development and leadership training to female athletes aged 14 to 16, while also providing valuable insights into the diverse roles within cricket, both on and off the field.
The partnership will also see the MCC Foundation directly support a female coaching summit and female umpires program. Through mentoring, development opportunities and tailored support, these two new programs are designed to further support women’s participation and pathways in cricket.
Other events and partnerships at the MCG
As ground managers of the MCG, the MCC has partnered with Melbourne City Mission since 2012 to host their flagship fundraising activity, Sleep at the ‘G. All funds raised from the annual event go to supporting the thousands of young Victorians facing homelessness on any given night.Find out more
The MCC also works with key stakeholders and their partners to provide support for initiatives such as Freeze MND’s The Big Freeze at the ‘G and the Breast Cancer Network Australia Field of Women.
Local Community Support
In addition to these larger partnerships, the MCC endeavours to also support community groups and local organisations that align with the Club’s values through the donation of vouchers for visits to the Australian Sports Museum and MCG Tours.To find out more or to submit a donation request, visit our Donation Requests page.