2023 HDR Foundation Grants

This AU$5,000 grant for the Head and Neck Cancer Clinics at Chris O’Brien Lifehouse Hospital will support their research program. By learning more about DNA variations that indicate oral cancer susceptibility and resistance to chemotherapy drugs, doctors will be able to select drugs to target specific mutations within an individual’s cancer, giving them the best possible chance of effective treatment. The HDR-designed Chris O’Brien Lifehouse, a comprehensive cancer center, specializes in rare and complex cancers and provides integrative care that increases the chances of patient survival and improves their quality of life.

Employee sponsor: Marica Pozega | Sydney, NSW

RUN DIPG funds research and provides resources for families affected by DIPG (diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma), the deadliest form of childhood cancer. With a median life expectancy of nine to 11 months post-diagnosis, there is currently no cure, and the only treatment option available is palliative radiotherapy. This AU$5,000 grant to RUN DIPG will contribute toward innovative therapy development, research and education in their mission to improve outcomes for patients and families. 

Employee sponsor: Shayne Blazley | Sydney, NSW

Through desexing programs, medical care, rehabilitation, rehoming and community education, Kitty Rescue Squad works to reduce the overpopulation of stray cats in Melbourne. Founded in October 2021 by a group of Latin American women, the organization has since taken in 332 stray cats and found new homes for over 80% of them. With this AU$2,000 grant, six new foster carers will have the expenses covered to onboard and take in cats for Kitty Rescue Squad.

Employee sponsor: Katherine Riano | Melbourne, VIC

An AU$2,000 grant will go towards the Vedanta Centre’s volunteer-run soup kitchen to provide 500 free meals to people experiencing poverty in the Springfield Lakes area.

Employee sponsor: Jyotiba Patil | Brisbane, QLD

An AU$2,000 grant will support OzHarvest, a leading food rescue organization on a mission to “Nourish our Country” by stopping good food from going to waste and delivering it to charities that help feed people in need. 

Employee sponsor: Cate Cowlishaw | Sydney, NSW

An AU$2,000 grant will support SecondBite’s mission to redirect food destined for waste to community organizations that help reduce food insecurity and hunger.

Employee sponsor: Nicole Tan | Melbourne, VIC

The Colorado Association of Black Professional Engineers and Scientists encourages underrepresented students to pursue science, technology, engineering, and mathematics careers through after-school and summer programs for minority elementary, middle and high school students. This $30,000 grant will provide computers, equipment and supplies for their classes. Over 250 students will benefit from these resources in their robotics, drones, construction, engineering, computer science and architecture programs, as well as math tutoring and SAT/ACT college preparation classes.

Employee sponsor: Juan Guzman | Denver, CO

As part of its mission to improve water equity worldwide, Drink Local. Drink Tap. built a borehole at Irimba Primary School in the dry cattle corridor of Nakasongola, Uganda, in 2016. This well provides water for all 4,000 residents of Irimba and two other villages, where they wait in line for 14 hours to fill a single 20-liter container. To build upon that project and meet a critical need for better water access, Drink Local. Drink Tap. will use this $26,050 grant to build a solar-powered piped water system in this community consisting of tap stands and a water tower to supply the borehole.

Employee sponsor: Adam Arnold | Cleveland, OH

Minds Matter Cleveland is a three-year mentoring and academic program that connects driven high school students from low-income families to the opportunities and resources they need for successful college careers. The Cleveland branch will use this $16,301 grant to purchase laptops and internet hotspots to implement a Learning Management System. The LMS will allow for curriculum mapping, integrated communication, student and family engagement, and outcome metrics to develop program strategies.

Employee sponsor: Mae Thompson | Cleveland, OH

Youth in Red Hook, a low-income coastal community with known hazardous waste pollution, have worked with the Resilience, Education, Training and Innovation Center for two years to test floating “BlueBlock” sustainable gardens on their coastline. Inspired by lily pads, these artificial marshlands improve air and water quality, increase marine life habitats, and act as breakwaters to protect shorelines. This $30,000 grant will fund the next phase of this project, which will replace the wooden gardens with biophilic concrete frames. The RETI Center, born out of Superstorm Sandy, works to help New York coastal communities adapt to the changing climate with environmental justice, social responsibility and innovative design.

Employee sponsor: Julie Stein | New York, NY

River Keepers has worked with historians and a local designer to develop an interpretive walking trail along the Red River that will be used by 100,000 locals and tourists in Fargo-Moorhead. This $15,100 grant will be used to install educational signs about the river’s natural and historical history, as well as stories and poems about its connection to the community. River Keepers advocates for safe and sustainable use of the Red River by coordinating conservation, recreation, riparian restoration and water quality efforts.

Employee sponsor: Brian King | Fargo, ND

The 13-square-mile Shoal Creek watershed suffers from uncontrolled, polluted stormwater runoff and is home to a rapidly growing population of 72,000. Established from grassroots endeavors in 2013, the Shoal Creek Conservancy fosters community health and vibrancy by restoring fishable, swimmable waters, empowering community stewards, and spearheading safety and accessibility improvements. This $15,500 grant will fund 30,000 square feet of riparian vegetative buffers along the creek to help filter pollutants and curb streambank erosion. In addition, HDR will host 20 employee engagement volunteer days to remove up to four tons of trash from the watershed.

Employee sponsor: Samantha Paul | Austin, TX

This $30,000 grant will place book vending machines at three public elementary schools in Kansas City, providing 5,000 students with books that feature intersecting identities and diverse representation. Turn the Page KC mobilizes the community to ensure that children gain the literacy skills they need to succeed. Their goal is to transition students from “learning to read” to “reading to learn” through achieving grade-level reading skills by the end of 3^rd grade.

Employee sponsor: Jessica Adams-Weber | Kansas City, MO

The U.S. Green Building Council is an independent non-profit that bridges the gap between social equity and environmental resiliency. Funded by this $23,000 grant to USGBC-LA, the Watts Survivors Healing Garden will be a restorative gathering space for survivors of violent crime and will incorporate community-focused programming. The park will include the essential cooling shade of tree canopies and solar sails, bringing walkable amenities to a neighborhood that has historically experienced high levels of divestment, redlining and suppression policies.

Employee sponsor: Kate Diamond | Los Angeles, CA

Wonder Girls is a rapidly growing after-school program that cultivates confidence, leadership, community spirit, and business skills in middle and high school girls. The women-led workshops are customized to each school’s needs and demographics in order to effectively address their students’ current challenges. This $13,045 grant will increase accessibility to this opportunity for 500 girls by supplying the program with updated tablets and computers.

Employee sponsor: Amie Lenkowiec | White Plains, NY

Following our annual employee Day of Giving, the HDR Foundation and our global philanthropic funds awarded more than $338,000 in grants to food banks in our employees' communities. Eighty-five local food banks received grants in recognition of employees in HDR offices who met a special fundraising challenge.