Marion Webster AM appointed Member of the Order of Australia
Community foundation pioneer, Marion Webster AM, was appointed a Member of the Order of Australia in last week’s Australia Day Honours list.
The award recognises Marion for her ‘significant service to the community, to the philanthropic sector, and to women’.
Marion has played a key role in developing and democratising philanthropy in Australia, and is credited, along with Hayden Raysmith AM, with introducing the community foundation model to Australia.
In 1997, Webster and Raysmith co-founded the Melbourne Community Foundation, which has since evolved into Australian Communities Foundation – a powerhouse community foundation that has so far distributed $117 million in grants nation-wide and even internationally. Almost 26 years on, Marion and Hayden today serve as joint patrons of the foundation.
Marion Webster was also a driving force behind the establishment of a dedicated peak body for community foundations, launched as Australian Community Philanthropy in 2007, and now known as Community Foundations Australia.
On behalf of the national network of community foundations that we represent, Community Foundations Australia congratulates Marion Webster AM.
Thank you, Marion, for all you have done to nurture the community foundation movement in Australia.
You can read more about Marion and Hayden’s journey here.
