Australian Pro Bono Centre | Law firm support sought to enable CLCs to access high quality recycled goods

Issue 113: October 2016

Law firm support sought to enable CLCs to access high quality recycled goods

Eight law firms and the Australian Legal Sector Alliance have already pledged their support to a new national sponsorship program for Community Legal Centres which was launched in Sydney (at Henry Davis York) and Melbourne (at Ashurst) on 18 October 2016 but more are needed.

The pilot program will provide CLCs with access to free high-quality donated office products and technology through a partnership with Good360, a not-for-profit which seeks to rehome these goods. This will help to support the implementation of a new national case management system and provide much needed support to CLCs facing significant funding cuts. The launch featured speakers from Henry Davis York, AusLSA, Good360, NACLC, and the Immigration Advice and Rights Centre.

Good360 facilitates large donations of brand new unsold goods from businesses and distributes them to charities and Not for Profits to help Australians in need – from computers office supplies and electrical goods to bedding, clothes, shoes, beauty products and toys. The goods are donated by some of Australia’s leading brands including 3M, Officeworks, Woolworths, Staples and Atlassian. At the launch, CLCs indicated that stationery, office supplies and furniture are in high demand.

Good360 plans to expand its successful office supplies and office furniture product range by adding reused computers and ICT peripherals. Good360 will check, wipe and certify donated equipment and then make it available to registered charities and not-for-profits.

There is an opportunity for law firms to join the program in two ways:

Sponsor CLCs with registration- for as little as $250 per CLC. For example $2,000 will sponsor 8 CLCs subscriptions and give them access the full Good360 product range; or
Identify and donate their firm’s excess goods – high quality furniture or computers, laptops and other ICT are always in demand.

Firms that have already pledged sponsorship support include: