The astute investment and management of Helen’s original bequest has enabled HMSTrust to grant on average $4.9m annually over the past 15 years.
By 30 June 2021, 4,908 grants totalling $133m had been approved by the Trustees. Adjusting for inflation, this has the equivalent buying power today of $206m.
Helen’s personal philanthropy has guided HMSTrust’s grantmaking strategy from its earliest beginnings. Helen M. Schutt (Helen’s married name) appears regularly in the listings of charitable donations made to various causes in The Age and The Argus newspapers from 1916 to 1944. Helen’s commitment to health, children, disadvantaged, regional Victoria and community renewal is reflected throughout HMSTrust’s grantmaking history.
Helen Macpherson Smith’s spirit of generosity has touched countless Victorians over the last seven decades and will continue to do so in perpetuity. Hers is a truly amazing legacy.