Inner North Community Foundation’s rapid response to COVID-19 wins 2021 Community Philanthropy Award
The Community Philanthropy Award recognises best practice in addressing place-based challenges and achieving great outcomes, ability to unlock community assets beyond granting, and adding value through collaboration, partnering, and convening power as a conduit to local knowledge and need.
The Inner North Community Foundation’s COVID-19 response exemplified all these aspects of successful community philanthropy. The power of the place-based model was underlined throughout the process, which also emphasized the value of a community foundations at a time of crisis when trust is vital. “Community foundations are trusted because you can’t behave badly in your own neighbourhood – if you did, everyone would know,’’ said Sylvia Admans, Grants Assessment Panel Chair at the Foundation, in accepting the award.
The Community Philanthropy Award is a joint initiative of Australian Communities Foundation, Australian Community Philanthropy, the Foundation for Rural & Regional Renewal, and the Lord Mayor’s Charitable Foundation under the auspices of Philanthropy Australia.
The Award’s selection panel chair Georgie McKay said the diversity of nominations made it very difficult to select a winner and thanked all those who nominated.
ACP leading member Australian Communities Foundation was also among the award winners as part of a collaboration with Australian Progress and the Australian Council of Social Service who jointly established the Rapid Advocacy Fund to help support grassroots advocacy campaigns in the evolving pandemic context in 2020. Congratulations to all concerned.