RAMS goes for Pink

RAMS home loans have made a concerted push in to the lesbian and gay market with a new loan product which allows clients to direct donations to either Twenty10 or the Bobby Goldsmith Foundation (BGF).

The RAMS Rainbow Loan, launched in Sydney last week, is an extension of the RAMS SmartWay product. RAMS has announced it will donate $250 to either of the two organisations for every new loan settled.

Twenty10 and BGF both have a base philosophy of putting roofs over people’s heads, and we thought that was very appropriate, RAMS home loan manager John Hunter told Sydney Star Observer. The push in to the gay and lesbian market builds on RAMS’ sponsorship of last year’s Mardi Gras festival, he added.

I think it’s very novel, Hunter said. It means putting money back into the community. If it goes according to plan, it will mean a steady stream of income for these two charities.

The BGF’s executive director, Georgina Harman, made a similar point.

It is easy to give a one-off donation to charities, but to show the ongoing dedication which RAMS Homes Loans has, highlights the commitment they have to ensuring our communities benefit over a longer period of time, she said.

The strongest competition for RAMS in the gay and lesbian home loan market is likely to come from Aussie Home Loans.

A spokesperson for Aussie Home Loans told the Star that the company had made headway in the gay and lesbian market over the past four years through advertising in community publications and sponsorship of events and organisations, including Queer Screen and the Adelaide Feast festival.

The organisations we tend to support are the ones who don’t get corporate support, and who therefore need it the most, the spokesperson said.