Community Foundations Australia appoints Georgia Mathews and Dylan Smith as Co-CEOs
Community Foundations Australia has appointed Georgia Mathews and Dylan Smith as Co-Chief Executive Officers, ushering in a new model of shared leadership for the organisation.
This is a bold move for both the organisation and the broader community foundation network, embracing a model of leadership that reflects the values of community philanthropy, including collaboration, connection and the sharing of power. It also reflects the moment in which the movement finds itself: contemporary, fast-growing and constantly evolving, requiring leadership able to adapt and move with it in real time.
Board Chair Stacey Thomas said the decision signals a confident step. “We’re at a point where the way we lead matters just as much as what we do,” Stacey said.
“Georgia and Dylan have worked alongside this network of community foundations – and alongside each other – for many years. There is a depth of trust, energy and shared purpose in how they work that makes this a natural next chapter.”
Both leaders have been deeply involved in shaping the organisation’s strategy and are well known across the field, bringing complementary strengths grounded in practice. With Dylan based in Western Australia and Georgia in Victoria, their leadership also reflects the distributed, national nature of the work – strengthening connection across geographies while remaining attuned to local contexts.
Georgia Mathews, left, has been a catalytic partner in the movement’s recent evolution. At Australian Communities Foundation, she developed and led the Impact Fund – mobilising capital around a shared agenda shaped by communities and focused on systems change, and led the philanthropy team as Director of Philanthropy. She also founded GiveOUT, a national organisation that mobilises funding for LGBTQIA+ communities, and has served on the board of Rainbow Giving Australia. Through her consulting work, Georgia has supported donors, institutions and community foundations to rethink how resources flow – strengthening strategy, clarifying purpose and shifting decision-making closer to communities.
Dylan Smith, currently Senior Director of Foundation and Field Development at Community Foundations Australia, has been a champion of community foundations in Australia for more than 15 years. A former Chair of the organisation and founding Executive Officer of the Fremantle Foundation, Dylan has played a central role in growing the field nationally. Through his previous work with Philanthropy Australia and the First Nations Funders Network, he has consistently backed community knowledge and wisdom as the foundation for lasting change.
Georgia Mathews said: “Across my work in philanthropy, both in Australia and globally, community foundations have consistently stood out as one of the most compelling models for shifting power and resources in more equitable ways. What we are seeing emerge in Australia – a more inclusive, diverse and community-led expression of this model – is deeply significant. I’m thrilled to step into this role alongside Dylan and help realise its full potential.”
Dylan Smith, pictured, said: “At this point in the movement’s rapid growth, we’re seeing a deepening sense of what’s possible when communities are properly resourced and connected. I’m incredibly energised by that, and honoured to play a role – alongside Georgia and this field – in shaping a vibrant community foundation network in Australia that leaves no one behind.”
Stacey said: “This is about more than two people sharing a role. It’s about showing what leadership can unlock when it is shared, generous and grounded in deep respect. We’re excited by the energy and experience that Georgia and Dylan will bring.”
The Board also acknowledged the contribution of outgoing CEO Ian Bird, who will return to Canada at the end of May after three years of transformative work with the organisation.
Community Foundations Australia enters this next chapter with strong momentum – continuing its work with members, partners and communities across the country, and preparing for its 2026 National Forum when community foundations from across the country convene in Melbourne.