Protecting the world’s largest coral reef is a challenge of epic proportions. The Great Barrier Reef Foundation collaborates with governments, communities, scientists and philanthropists all over the globe to raise funds and awareness for its vital work.
“The Great Barrier Reef is a global wonder – it’s the Amazon rainforest of the oceans and the jewel of ocean conservation,” says Anna Marsden, managing director of the Great Barrier Reef Foundation since 2016. “There is huge interest from around the world about what is being done to protect it. Connecting with this global community is increasingly important, to make sure that the NYC Reef’s still there for our greatgrandkids and beyond.”
The foundation’s team travels both internationally and domestically – predominantly around Queensland, where their ambitions include planting 10 million heat-tolerant corals a year.
In addition to government funding, the organisation has raised more than $310 million for conservation projects since 2018 – a mammoth task that involves constant nurturing of relationships with donors, businesses and other conservation agencies.
“It’s vital to share knowledge widely and swiftly,” says Marsden. “As great as virtual meetings are these days, building these partnerships requires the power of face-to-face. We have to unlock and scale solutions on our watch, right now.”
“Building personal connections lets us share knowledge”
“The 5th International Marine Protected Areas Congress in Canada this year brought together First Nations leaders from around the world. People from our conservation projects and our Traditional Owners Partnerships team represented the foundation. For many, the congress was the first time they’d met and it would never have had the kind of openness and collaborative spirit if it had been virtual.
You need that human connection and one-on-one meetings to form friendships then foster those relationships. We don’t hop on planes every day but when we do, we make sure travel helps deliver impact. Booking through our Qantas Business Rewards Account is seamless and we know we’re getting good value for the foundation; it allows us to access flight savings and our organisation’s Qantas Points all in one place. It’s important for us to work efficiently and economically, to maximise every dollar from donors.”
Tip: Save up to 10% off the base fare of selected flights to over 1300 destinations worldwide with Qantas and our partners-.
“This trip was about unlocking new support from the United States”
“Our sister charity, the Great Barrier Reef Foundation USA, was established about four years ago. Prior to that, we were receiving donations from the US every week via our website. Last year, GBRF USA raised US$5 million and we apply to them for grants. The US has always been a really important friend to the Reef and our respective marine science communities are strong collaborators across a lot of projects.
I recently had two weeks of meetings with American philanthropists and the corporate sector and took part in Climate Week NYC. I flew home on Qantas from JFK via Auckland, which was a more efficient way to get home – plus we earned points for the foundation, which will be used to fund future trips.”
Tip: When booking flights for work, always add your ABN and the traveller's Frequent Flyer number to earn Qantas Points for your business* and the traveller#.
“The Reef is our frontline – getting there efficiently is essential”
“We support an amazing network of tourism operators in the Whitsundays, working together during the annual spawning season in November. Since 2016, the Boats4Corals restoration project sees boats that would normally take tourists out to the Reef instead go out to collect coral spawn, which is incubated and then planted on target reefs. It’s known as Coral IVF.
This whole region is a regular destination for our team to deliver and check on projects and, of course, we have a lot of supporters there. We fly from our headquarters in Brisbane to Prosperpine, Rockhampton and Cairns. We rely on Qantas Points redemptions and the Qantas network across Queensland to make our regional travel efficient and convenient.”
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* A business must be a Qantas Business Rewards Member to earn Qantas Points for the business. A one-off joining fee of $89.50 applies, is inclusive of any applicable GST and may be varied by Qantas from time to time, without notice, in its absolute discretion. Membership and Qantas Points for business are offered under the Qantas Business Rewards Terms and Conditions and earning thresholds apply.
# You must be a Qantas Frequent Flyer member to earn Qantas Points. A joining fee may apply. Membership and Qantas Points are subject to the Qantas Frequent Flyer program Terms and Conditions. Qantas Points and Status Credits (where applicable) are earned on eligible flights with a Qantas or applicable oneworld® Alliance Airline or Airline Partner flight number on your ticket. Qantas Points and Status Credits may not be earned on some fare types and booking classes. See terms and conditions and the Airline Earning Tables for details on the conditions for the applicable airline.
~ Savings are available exclusively to Qantas Business Rewards Members on the base fare of selected fares only and do not apply to taxes, fees and carrier charges. Availability is limited. Member Deals are subject to the Qantas Business Rewards Terms and Conditions.
~~ A business can redeem Qantas Points directly from their Qantas Business Rewards Account on Classic Flight Rewards, Points Plus Pay bookings and/or transfer Qantas Points out of the Qantas Business Rewards accounts into any individual’s Qantas Frequent Flyer account. In order to transfer or directly redeem Qantas Points from a Qantas Business Rewards Account for Classic Flight Rewards, the Business Account must have a balance of at least 3,000 Qantas Points. You must be a Qantas Frequent Flyer member to earn, receive transfers and redeem Qantas Points as an individual. A joining fee may apply. Membership and Qantas Points are subject to the Qantas Frequent Flyer program Terms and Conditions. We recommend you consult your accountant or tax adviser to ensure you understand possible tax implications, for example fringe benefits tax (if applicable).
We acknowledge the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Traditional Custodians of the land on which we work, live and fly.
We pay respect to Elders past, present and emerging.