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Letter from the Chair
Dear friends and colleagues,
I want to share with you that Ian Bird will conclude his time as CEO of Community Foundations Australia at the end of May, returning home to Canada to be with his family.
As a Board, we knew this day would eventually come. What we didn’t know was just how much Ian’s time here would reshape our thinking, or how deeply he would commit himself to the possibilities of this network.
Over the last three years, Ian has listened, asked questions, and trusted that bold ideas can come from anywhere. He has walked alongside communities, not ahead of them, and has invited us to think differently – about power, about pace, about how we build the kinds of foundations the future demands of us.
Under Ian’s leadership, we’ve evolved from a traditional peak body into a dynamic, future-fit organisation. He helped establish an inclusive, contemporary membership policy, built reciprocal learning partnerships with international peers, and positioned Australian community philanthropy to step more fully into global conversations that had previously unfolded around us.
There will be time to celebrate Ian properly in the months ahead. For now, I want to acknowledge the clarity and energy he has brought to our work.
Transitions like these can sometimes leave us feeling unsteady. But in this case, I feel like the opposite is true. Ian has helped build a strong and generous team, clarified our strategic footing, and opened up real momentum. The Board has now commenced a structured succession process, grounded in our long-term strategy and informed by the needs of this next chapter. Ian will remain through May to ensure a thoughtful handover and to keep pace with a summer full of critical work – from disaster response to national policy engagement, to preparations for our 2026 Forum.
There is much still to do. But the clarity and commitment I see in this network gives me great confidence in what’s next.
Warmly,
Stacey Thomas
Chair, Community Foundations Australia

Letter from the CEO
Dear members and partners,
I am writing to let you know that my time as CEO of Community Foundations Australia is coming to an end. I will be returning to Canada at the end of May, after our national forum. My family circumstances have changed in significant and unforeseen ways in the past two years, and the pull to be closer to home has become one I can no longer ignore. This decision has not been an easy one, but it is the right one for me and my children at this moment.
I am leaving with mixed emotions. Over the past three years, I have made so many good friends and have had the privilege of being part of work that truly matters. The strength, generosity and ambition of Australia’s community foundation movement have been a constant source of inspiration, and there is so much good work underway. A big part of me wishes I could continue to be right in the middle of it all.
I am very proud of what we’ve achieved together as a network since 2023. We have strengthened our collective voice – not by seeking uniformity, but by celebrating the diversity of our communities and finding shared purpose within it. We’ve formed important new partnerships and secured historic policy change that recognises the potential of community-led action. None of this would have been possible without the strength of relationships across our network, our instinct to share rather than compete, and the steady work of many hands. These are the very qualities that will shape the next chapter. I leave confident in the team at the helm and excited about what lies ahead for the organisation and for the movement.
I want to express my deep gratitude to our Board and to the remarkable staff team. Their commitment, professionalism and belief in the power of community philanthropy continue to drive CFAus forward, and I am enormously thankful for their trust and support.
I also wanted to let you know that a community foundation in British Columbia is taking me on board upon my return. This means I will be able to continue working in the field I care so deeply about. Importantly, it creates the opportunity to host you across the Pacific one day, and to remain collaborating with many of you here in Australia, albeit from a different vantage point. I’ll be in Australia this September for the Philanthropy Australia conference and some sidebar visits with many of you.
Thank you for the trust and generosity you have shown me during my time at CFAus. It has been an honour to serve this network and a whole lot of fun, too.
With sincere thanks and warm regards,
Ian Bird
Chief Executive Officer, Community Foundations Australia

CFAustralia Update

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Board announces CEO departure

Community philanthropy in Australia is entering a new era &#8211; one characterised by increasing momentum, strong community leadership, and coordinated investment. In response, Community Foundations Australia has refined our strategic approach. We are thrilled to be sharing this first articulation with you in the form of our <a title="Original URL: https://cfaustralia.us9.list-manage.com/track/click?u=9c9a3d6abea8408f6bf6f3766&amp;id=e5127679a4&amp;e=024df3d5d4. Click or tap if you trust this link." href="https://aus01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcfaustralia.us9.list-manage.com%2Ftrack%2Fclick%3Fu%3D9c9a3d6abea8408f6bf6f3766%26id%3De5127679a4%26e%3D024df3d5d4&amp;data=05%7C02%7Crosie%40cfaustralia.org.au%7C2810e674a96d48844fe608de271bda0d%7C92bbc6a96e294c9694381772b2a4a250%7C0%7C0%7C638991197764991950%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&amp;sdata=RI8eb9INnyA9b7ksZQJ188gcxueJhlGC3S0EfgN3hos%3D&amp;reserved=0" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-auth="NotApplicable" data-linkindex="3">FY26 &amp; 27 Strategic Plan</a>.
Community Foundations Australia is 18 years old this year. We’re proud to have been a trusted and dedicated resource to the community foundation sector over this time &#8211; focused on serving our growing membership’s needs, representing their interests, raising awareness and advocating for this powerful model.
This updated plan is underpinned by Community Foundations Australia’s new commitment to <a title="Original URL: https://cfaustralia.us9.list-manage.com/track/click?u=9c9a3d6abea8408f6bf6f3766&amp;id=7abf75ea75&amp;e=024df3d5d4. Click or tap if you trust this link." href="https://aus01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcfaustralia.us9.list-manage.com%2Ftrack%2Fclick%3Fu%3D9c9a3d6abea8408f6bf6f3766%26id%3D7abf75ea75%26e%3D024df3d5d4&amp;data=05%7C02%7Crosie%40cfaustralia.org.au%7C2810e674a96d48844fe608de271bda0d%7C92bbc6a96e294c9694381772b2a4a250%7C0%7C0%7C638991197765008161%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&amp;sdata=76PmL5i1%2FsT%2F29eLnZaQ1coaxBe7WII7iHcacJUVbIo%3D&amp;reserved=0" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-auth="NotApplicable" data-linkindex="4">field catalysation</a> — a long-term, systems-focused strategy to support the people, organisations, and relationships that make community philanthropy thrive.
The ‘field’ is our ecosystem of actors and allies — community groups, community foundations and other forms of community-led philanthropy, partners and government — working to advance community-led philanthropy in Australia.
We believe that the cause and effect of community philanthropy can be explained as a ‘murmuration’. Each bird in a murmuration is a participant and leader within a complex and ever-evolving system. Each has the power to shape the direction and form of the whole system, each has the power to create entirely new constellations.
Community philanthropy posits that if we are paying attention and are attuned to the relationships within our micro networks, much like a bird within a murmuration, we have the ability to make a difference and influence greater change in our macro systems.
To support Australia’s growing community philanthropy ecosystem, we draw on five interconnected approaches:
<ul>
<li>Providing targeted support to community philanthropies</li>
<li>Facilitating connection and convening</li>
<li>Enabling shared action across the country</li>
<li>Elevating field-wide leadership</li>
<li>Resourcing the field</li>
</ul>
We see this new Strategic Plan as the first articulation of our role as a field catalyst, and as a living document that will evolve alongside the field of community philanthropy in Australia as it goes through its own, far greater transformation, calling on us in new ways.
Thank you to those who supported us as we underwent this process, and to those who shared their insights to help inform it. In tumultuous times, community philanthropy in Australia is bursting with hope, optimism and potential for a brighter future. It’s a privilege to be connected to it and we hope you’ll join us in this next chapter of its story.
Sincerely,
Stacey Thomas
Chair, Community Foundations Australia
&nbsp;
<a href="https://admin.cfaustralia.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Strategic-Plan-CFAustralia-October-2025.pdf">Download our updated Strategic Plan here</a>

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Towards a Just, Bright Future For All

The Community Foundations Australia Board is seeking to appoint two new directors to fill vacancies that will arise at the 2025 AGM, with directors Sally Gamble and Ben Rodgers concluding their service, having both reached the maximum term (three terms of three years).
Priority areas for Board recruitment
Community Foundations Australia is committed to maintaining a Board that reflects the diversity, experience, and strategic direction of the communities and the community philanthropy sector it serves. To complement the strengths and capabilities of the current directors, the Board will be giving priority in the 2025 recruitment round to the following skills and perspectives:
<ul>
<li>Representation from rural and regional community foundations;</li>
<li>First Nations/Indigenous-led community foundations;</li>
<li>Representation from Queensland;</li>
<li>Representation by a CF leader &#8211; CEO or Executive Officer</li>
<li>Representation by a current Board Chair, or Board Director from a community foundation.</li>
</ul>
Expressions of interest
The Board invites expressions of interest from suitably qualified and experienced individuals. Before nominating, we ask that you contact the incoming Chair Stacey Thomas for a conversation at <a href="mailto:sthomas@wyatt.org.au">sthomas@wyatt.org.au</a>.
Selection process
Candidates will be shortlisted and interviewed the week beginning 1 September 2025. Preferred candidates must provide written Consent to Act as a Director before being proposed for election to the Members of the Company at the AGM.
Nominations will be reviewed by the Community Foundations Australia Nominations Committee, which will provide recommendations to the full Board. Successful nominations will be presented for endorsement at the 2025 Annual General Meeting.
How to nominate
To express your interest in being considered for election to the Community Foundations Australia Board, please provide a) a short professional CV, and b) a cover letter setting out why you are interested in joining the Board, how you match the current key priorities for recruitment, and what your key contribution would be to Community Foundations Australia governance and strategic development no later than close of business (5pm AEDT) on Friday, 29 August 2025 via email to chair@cfaustralia.org.au.

The CFAustralia Board is seeking two new directors. 

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Join the Community Foundations Australia Board

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Having joined the Board in 2022, Stacey will transition from her role as Deputy Chair to commence her tenure as Chair at the AGM in October 2025.
Stacey is the Chief Executive Officer at Wyatt Trust, Australia’s oldest philanthropic trust, and was founding CEO of Foundation SA, a statewide community foundation established in 2021. In her executive roles and sector leadership, Stacey brings a deep commitment to social equity and inclusion. At Wyatt Trust she led a pioneering <a tabindex="-1" href="https://www.wyatt.org.au/what-we-do/stories/the-truth-is-ours-to-accept-5-learnings-from-truth-telling-at-the-wyatt-trust/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">truth-telling journey</a>, openly reckoning with the Trust’s colonial history as part of its reconciliation efforts. Under her leadership, the Trust also embedded a <a tabindex="-1" href="https://www.wyatt.org.au/what-we-do/stories/new-report-valuing-and-embedding-lived-and-living-experience-at-the-wyatt-trust/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Lived and Living Experience approach</a> across its grantmaking and program design practices, sharing the groundbreaking learnings widely with the field. Stacey’s vision and leadership style – marked by curiosity, humility, and a commitment to genuine power-sharing – make her an ideal leader for the community foundation network at this pivotal moment.
“I am honoured to take up the role of Chair at Community Foundations Australia,” said Stacey. “Communities know what they need — our role is to listen, to share power, and to ensure all people have the voice and agency to shape their own futures. I look forward to building upon the work of current and past board members and to continue to support our members and partners to realise this vision.”

“Communities know what they need — our role is to listen, to share power, and to ensure all people have the voice and agency to shape their own futures.”

As the team and Board welcome Stacey, we bid farewell to outgoing Chair Ben Rodgers, who has led the organisation from its early days, known then as Australian Community Philanthropy, into a new landscape of opportunity.
With a DGR category for community foundations now in effect, and Community Foundations Australia pioneering its field catalysing strategy, Ben said his three terms as Chair had been deeply satisfying.
“Across Australia, people come together for the greater good. From Buderim to Benalla, and from Fremantle to the Fleurieu, it’s been inspiring to learn from others, to build on what’s come before, and to play a part in our network reaching this inflection point,” Ben said.

Community Foundations Australia CEO Ian Bird says, “Community Foundations Australia is now at the leading edge of Australia’s community philanthropy revolution, and community foundations now find themselves in a new era. This is in no small part due to the critical role Ben has played over the last nine years, guiding the organisation and its membership network throughout transitions and growth. The team and Board are all immensely grateful for his generous and thoughtful leadership.”
You can read more about Stacey’s experience and qualifications <a tabindex="-1" href="/about" target="_blank" rel="noopener">here.</a>

Community Foundations Australia is delighted to announce that Stacey Thomas will step into the role of Chair in October. 

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Chair transition at Community Foundations Australia

As Community Foundations Australia enters an exciting phase of growth, we’re expanding our team to meet the energy and momentum building across the community foundation field. With more communities stepping into leadership, more foundations forming, and stronger networks emerging across the country, we are seeking two new team members to help steward this evolution: a Strategic Communications Lead to elevate our public voice and shift national narratives around community-led change, and an Impact Communities Lead to support the coordination and infrastructure of our growing impact networks.
Read on for more details, and to download the relevant position description.
Strategic Communications Manager (2 days/week)
We are seeking a strategic, values-driven communications professional to lead our external communications and campaign strategy. This role is critical to raising the profile of Community Foundations Australia as a national organisation, while shifting the broader narrative around the power of community philanthropy.
The Strategic Communications Manager will develop and implement clear, purposeful messaging that elevates our public voice, builds trust with key stakeholders, and supports the growth of our field. You can apply via <a href="https://www.ethicaljobs.com.au/members/australiancommunityphilanthropy/strategic-communications-manager?locations=1">the advertisement here</a>, and download the full <a href="https://admin.cfaustralia.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/Strategic-Communications-Manager-PD.pdf">position description</a> here.
Impact Communities Lead (Full-time)
Are you a natural connecter, facilitator and systems thinker? We&#8217;re also on the hunt for an Impact Communities Lead to support the growth and coordination of our national impact communities – starting with our renewable energy network, and with the potential to expand into other domains.
This is a rare opportunity to help shape the future of how we support communities to self organise, collaborate and lead transformational change. Working closely with community foundations, community philanthropy practitioners and partners across the country, you’ll facilitate shared learning and collective action while also building the infrastructure and scalable processes that underpin our emerging model of support for the field. You can apply via the <a href="https://www.ethicaljobs.com.au/members/australiancommunityphilanthropy/impact-communities-lead">advertisement here</a>, and download the full <a href="https://admin.cfaustralia.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/Impact-Communities-Lead-PD.pdf">position description here</a>.
If you have any further questions about either of these roles, please get in touch with Rosie Funder at rosie@cfaustralia.org.au to arrange a call.

CFAus is expanding - we're recruiting for a Strategic Communications Manager and an Impact Communities Lead. Could one of these roles be for you?

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CFAus

We're hiring!

Diving into themes of community self-determination and regeneration &#8216;Horizons&#8217; offered our growing network a meaningful opportunity to come together — to share stories and lessons, to inspire and challenge one another, and to build the trusting relationships that will fuel the future of community philanthropy in Australia.
We&#8217;re excited to now share this video of our time together. Filmed on Bundjalung Country, it captures the sense of joy and connection at the heart of our growing movement.
Thank you to everyone who joined us and contributed to &#8216;Horizons&#8217;, presented in partnership with local co-hosts Northern Rivers Community Foundation.
Please mark your calendars for the next National Forum which will be held in Greater Melbourne in May, 2026.

Member Update

We're excited to share a video of our time together at Forum Week 2024. Filmed on Bundjalung Country, it captures the sense of joy and connection at the heart of our growing movement.

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Video: Forum Week 'Horizons'

Established in early 2025, the Field Catalyst Fund (FCF) invites diverse actors from within our wider field &#8211; private and public funders, local leaders and change-makers &#8211; to pool funding, share learning, and coordinate collective action.
The Fund is grounded in the belief that community philanthropy is a powerful model for locally led development—one that strengthens community capacity and voice, builds trust, and mobilises local resources. By fostering local ownership, governance and accountability, community philanthropy has been shown to deliver deeper, more enduring outcomes.
We believe that the cause and effect of community philanthropy can be explained as a ‘murmuration’. Each bird in a murmuration is a participant and leader within a complex and ever-evolving system. Each has the power to shape the direction and form of the whole system, each has the power to create entirely new constellations.
Community philanthropy posits that if we are paying attention and are attuned to the relationships within our micro networks, much like a bird within a murmuration, we have the ability to make a difference and influence greater change in our macro systems.
Together, we can create an Australia where all local communities can participate in and benefit from community philanthropy, and all funders will have a community philanthropy partner to walk alongside them no matter where they fund.
How the Field Catalyst Fund works
The Field Catalyst Fund exists to put in place the building blocks for an accessible, thriving community philanthropy ecosystem in Australia. It is shaped by a set of shared values and principles that keep us focused and accountable:
<ul>
<li>Alignment with and across our strategic priorities, acknowledging much of our field catalyst work is interwoven</li>
<li>Informed by deep knowledge, engagement and relationships in the field that give us a unique view of the ecosystem, reflect community philanthropy practices and support trust-based approaches.</li>
<li>Amplification of reciprocity and collective benefit by resourcing initiatives that give back to the field.</li>
<li>Enabling the free flow of resources to the field, not hoarding or withholding, instead being bold and taking on an abundance mentality.</li>
<li>Transparency of decision-making processes and communications</li>
</ul>

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Getting resources into the field
The Field Catalyst Fund will make resource transfers to the field. A ‘resource transfer’ is any transfer of resources from the FCF to the field for the purposes of creating an accessible, thriving community philanthropy ecosystem in Australia.
Resource Transfers may take two forms:
<ul>
<li>Resource Transfers from the FCF to field actors for their own use in line with the FCF purpose and strategy</li>
<li>Resource Transfers from the FCF for the procurement of goods or services to be delivered in line with the FCF purpose and strategy</li>
</ul>
Each type of support falls into one of the three below categories:
<ul>
<li>Proactive: Strategic investments that help build the field over time</li>
<li>Adaptive: Quick responses to urgent or emerging needs</li>
<li>Responsive: Open calls for proposals, reviewed by a field-led stewardship committee</li>
</ul>
Contributions from the following organisations have helped pave the way for the Field Catalyst Fund: <a href="https://www.paulramsayfoundation.org.au/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.paulramsayfoundation.org.au/&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1750305170586000&amp;usg=AOvVaw05pCp4MDEHp848I8C3P_HR">Paul Ramsay Foundation</a>, <a href="https://hmstrust.org.au/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://hmstrust.org.au/&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1750305170586000&amp;usg=AOvVaw0O8un4rFL3dJ0MOWcWfOX5">Helen Macpherson Smith Trust</a>, <a href="https://www.jackbrockhoff.org.au/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.jackbrockhoff.org.au/&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1750305170586000&amp;usg=AOvVaw2Dnx1chVZxDHcMlS09iP-k">Jack Brockhoff Foundation</a>, <a href="https://www.ianpotter.org.au/">Ian Potter Foundation</a>, <a href="https://www.globalgiving.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.globalgiving.org&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1750305170586000&amp;usg=AOvVaw0OCFSzl_XmHel0wiZ9Ypzl">GlobalGiving</a>, <a href="https://communityfoundation.org.au/get-started-with-giving/?campaignid=22350995236&amp;keyword=australian%20communities%20foundation&amp;gad_source=1&amp;gad_campaignid=22350995236&amp;gbraid=0AAAAABZR0XPj0Syi8YqDh_w5N0LObAf0K&amp;gclid=CjwKCAjwpMTCBhA-EiwA_-MsmWhQy0AWsA0zPfGHYaX6vLzNJvoQ825vPAu89OlJ2Vm8p_GGd-GPYhoCzpcQAvD_BwE" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://communityfoundation.org.au/get-started-with-giving/?campaignid%3D22350995236%26keyword%3Daustralian%2520communities%2520foundation%26gad_source%3D1%26gad_campaignid%3D22350995236%26gbraid%3D0AAAAABZR0XPj0Syi8YqDh_w5N0LObAf0K%26gclid%3DCjwKCAjwpMTCBhA-EiwA_-MsmWhQy0AWsA0zPfGHYaX6vLzNJvoQ825vPAu89OlJ2Vm8p_GGd-GPYhoCzpcQAvD_BwE&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1750305170587000&amp;usg=AOvVaw20YI03dx9xOft-fAlFbn0F">Australian Communities Foundation</a> , <a href="https://www.mott.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.mott.org/&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1750305170586000&amp;usg=AOvVaw1GV2uFGybfh6vrv1d40kBg">Mott Foundation</a>, <a href="https://www.lmcf.org.au/about" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.lmcf.org.au/about&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1750305170587000&amp;usg=AOvVaw2fJckhUcKxMMmIvicEYPt9">Lord Mayor’s Charitable Foundation</a>, <a href="https://www.minderoo.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.minderoo.org/&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1750305170586000&amp;usg=AOvVaw0QEJfvS3iic_cH24MlqJSz">Minderoo Foundation</a>, <a href="https://menziesfoundation.org.au/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://menziesfoundation.org.au/&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1750305170586000&amp;usg=AOvVaw0UJzX1dFBJIab0MXEmhJ8y">Menzies Foundation</a>, <a href="https://globalfundcommunityfoundations.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://globalfundcommunityfoundations.org/&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1750305170586000&amp;usg=AOvVaw2ka1nzw0fqHTOIB2geMykt">Global Fund for Community Foundations</a>, and  <a href="https://frrr.org.au/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://frrr.org.au/&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1750305170587000&amp;usg=AOvVaw0ZdKKd6G5g9R1YmV2nng0K">Foundation for Rural &amp; Regional Renewal</a>.
We also acknowledge the valuable contribution of <a tabindex="-1" href="https://georgiamathews.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Georgia Mathews</a> (Georgia Mathews Consulting) whose insight and expertise as an extended member of our team have helped shape this work.
With collective contributions totalling over $3 million, this represents an unprecedented investment in Australian community philanthropy, and is one of the most significant opportunities in our history to accelerate and strengthen the field at scale.
United by a shared commitment to long-term, systemic impact together we are laying the groundwork for the next generation of community philanthropy in Australia.

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Field-led Stewardship Committee
We’re excited to announce that we will soon be calling for Expressions of Interest to join the Field Catalyst Fund Stewardship Committee — a key mechanism for supporting transparent, inclusive, and values-aligned governance of the Fund.
This Committee will play a vital role in overseeing the Responsive Transfer process, ensuring that decisions are effective, accountable, and informed by the needs and perspectives of the community philanthropy field. Guided by the Fund’s values — participation, equity, and shared leadership — the Committee will help ensure resources are stewarded strategically and with integrity.
We’re seeking broad representation from across the national field, and welcome individuals with relevant expertise, including lived experience in community-led work, systems change knowledge, philanthropic practice, and community development.
Please stay tuned for Responsive Transfer Guidelines and Committee EOI details.

Field Learning Report
In late 2025, we will publish the inaugural Field Learning Report — a landmark reflection on the first year of learning, experimentation, and progress supported by the Field Catalyst Fund.
This report will gather key insights, stories, and lessons from across the community philanthropy ecosystem. It will explore what we’ve learned about growing and strengthening the interconnected national field of community foundations — from the fund’s design and delivery to the collaborations, relationships, and systems it has helped catalyse.
By documenting both successes and challenges, the report aims to deepen our collective understanding of what it takes to build and sustain a vibrant, equitable, and future-facing field. These insights will help guide and inform the next phase of our shared journey — supporting better strategy, stronger impact, and more connected communities.
We look forward to sharing these learnings with you and continuing to build the field, together.

We’re thrilled to announce the launch of our Field Catalyst Fund — the most significant collective investment in Australian community philanthropy to date. 

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The Field Catalyst Fund

Over the past 18 months, we’ve evolved our approach to keep pace with the rapid growth of community philanthropy, fully aligning behind a comprehensive field-catalysing strategy.
Our mission is to grow and strengthen the interconnected network of individuals and organisations (‘the field’) to advance community philanthropy across Australia by fostering collective action and systems leadership.
We see our field-catalysing approach structured around these five interconnected roles:
Direct Support for Community Foundation
We are committed to providing resources, guidance, and peer-to-peer learning. Some examples of how we do this:
<ul>
<li>Our Startup Cohort:  a dedicated pathway for emerging community foundations.</li>
<li>Learning curriculum: Digital learning modules and webinars to upskill the whole field.</li>
</ul>
Connection and Convening
We are committed to keeping our growing network connected and collaborative through our:
<ul>
<li>Monthly Member Calls: network dialogue, feedback and learning.</li>
<li>Peer Groups: include First Nations funders, executive leadership, rural foundations, board chairs, and ‘exploring communities’.</li>
<li>Regional Networks: in SA, WA, Gippsland, and the South East NSW-ACT region, community foundations are building cross-community alliances to work on shared priorities.</li>
<li>Leading practice groups for: grant and donor management , AI exploration and impact investing.</li>
</ul>
Enabling Shared Action Across the Country 
We coordinate shared action in the following priority areas:
<ul>
<li>Community Foundations for Renewable Energy: Collective advocacy and action for a just transition.</li>
<li>Food Systems &amp; Insecurity: Vic-wide systems finance approach to education and impact.</li>
<li>Gender Equity: Follow-up work emerging after the Gender session at our national forum.</li>
<li>Healthy Ageing: inclusion and connection for this priority cohort; community-led solutions for ageing well.</li>
</ul>
Elevating Field-Wide Leadership
We amplify community philanthropy across Australia by:
<ul>
<li>National network communications and cross sector advocacy</li>
<li>Government advocacy and relations on key policy issues and public investments, including DGR reform</li>
<li>Measuring, evaluating and sharing field-level learnings</li>
</ul>
Stewarding Resources to Catalyse the Field
We transfer resources from our new Field Catalyst Fund (FCF) to accelerate field momentum. You can read more about this exciting new fund <a href="/news/the-field-catalyst-fund">here</a>.
Opportunities to join in and contribute to field-building across the sector are growing. Whether you’re part of a local organisation, a funder, a policymaker, or simply passionate about community-led change, we invite you to explore the growing movement of place-based philanthropy across Australia — and consider how you might get involved.
To become a member or register your interest in learning more about our work contact Rosie Funder, Director of Communities and Members, via the <a href="/contact-us">contact us page.</a>

Across Australia, communities are leading bold new approaches to building community capacity, voice and local resources. DGR reform is unlocking new potential, and a shared commitment to shifting power to communities is redefining what philanthropy can be.

christmas-group-photo-peep-program

Christmas group photo - PEEP program

Cataylsing the field  

Driven by a vision of an empowered, sustainable, and united rainbow community sector, Rainbow Giving Australia (RGA) is born of a merger between GiveOUT and The Aurora Group.
Community Foundations Australia was at the launch celebration last month in Naarm, and loved hearing from key Rainbow Giving team members <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/catfay/">Caitriona (Cat) Fay</a>, <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/samturner1/">Sam Turner</a>, <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/emilyscott22/">Emily (Em) Scott</a>, and friend of CFAus <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/georgiamathewsphilanthropy/">Georgia Mathews</a>, as well as Leonard Vary (<a tabindex="0" href="https://www.linkedin.com/company/sidney-myer-fund/" target="_self" data-test-app-aware-link="">Sidney Myer Fund &amp; The Myer Foundation</a>) and <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/eva-granger-mfia-94545853/">Eva Granger MFIA</a> (<a tabindex="0" href="https://www.linkedin.com/company/minus18-inc/" target="_self" data-test-app-aware-link="">Minus18 Foundation</a>).
Despite progress, rainbow communities are far from equal, with the underfunded sector often struggling to meet community demand. RGA drives change by funding community-led solutions, growing skills, and expanding the knowledge base about the funding needs across the LGBTQIA+ sector. When just 30 cents out of every $100 in philanthropic giving goes towards LGBTQI+ causes, we are looking forward to working with RGA to support their vital mission.
Learn more about Rainbow Giving Australia <a href="https://rainbowgiving.org.au/">here</a>.

The Community Foundations Australia network welcomes a new, national community foundation for Australia’s LGBTQIA+ communities

rga-launch

RGA launch

New community foundation for Australia's LGBTQIA+ communities

This week, the community foundation network joined the Hon Dr Andrew Leigh MP in Canberra to formally announce, and celebrate, historic DGR reform and a new era for community foundations. As the Hon Dr Andrew Leigh MP remarked, &#8216;Today’s announcement is a story that affects communities across Australia.&#8217;
Community Foundations Australia CEO, Ian Bird, was joined by Philanthropy Australia&#8217;s Executive Director, Policy and Sector Development, Krystian Seibert, Hands Across Canberra CEO, Genevieve Jacobs, local MPs Alicia Payne and David Smith, as well as a throng of local Canberra charities and businesses. As Genevieve Jacobs put it in her welcome &#8211; &#8216;a whole representative floor of the people who do good for the community in Canberra.&#8217;
It was a full and rejoicing room, with community foundations hailed for their unique role in nurturing social capital and building community.
In his opening remarks, the Hon Dr Andrew Leigh MP said that &#8216;community foundations are vital at a time in which Australia has become, over the last generation, increasingly a nation more of ‘me’ than of ‘we’. At a time when we need to deal with these twin challenges &#8211; rising inequality and declining community &#8211; community foundations may be just the answer.
&#8216;They’re about trying to inspire local communities to solve local problems. Community foundations can help join up organisations, build bridges across local charities, and encourage new charities to deal with community challenges,&#8217; said the Assistant Minister, who went on to single out community foundations for their role in &#8216;ensuring that the most vulnerable aren’t left behind.&#8217;
Community Foundations Australia CEO, Ian Bird, said that community foundations &#8216;facilitate the kind of social capital development that comes from being a connected community, not one that’s being pulled apart, and the enabling legislation makes this more possible.&#8217;
Ian Bird thanked the Federal Government for its commitment to these groundbreaking reforms. &#8216;Assistant Minister Leigh is someone who will go down around the world as a leading public figure in community foundation development.&#8217;
Australian community foundations collectively steward $650 million in community assets, and by 2028 that figure is projected to surpass $1 billion. There are currently 50 community foundations operating across the country, with another 74 communities intending to start their own foundation within the next two years.
&#8216;That makes our movement Australia&#8217;s largest philanthropic network, and the fastest-growing community foundation movement globally,&#8217; said Ian Bird.
&#8216;What this means is that more and more Australian communities have a way to govern their own resources and lead their own decision-making processes. When a community has its own foundation, local people can participate in their own development, build up their collective vision, and create solutions that last.&#8217;
Philanthropy Australia&#8217;s Krystian Seibert said of the game-changing reforms, &#8216;It removes the red tape, it removes those roadblocks, it removes those barriers to giving.&#8217;
Hands Across Canberra&#8217;s Genevieve Jacobs said, &#8216;This reform is something that will free up an enormous flow of donations, of goodwill and good work.
&#8216;The significance of these reforms can&#8217;t be overstated,&#8217; said Ian Bird. &#8216;Community assets are now more likely to stay in that community, and become a lever to unlock all sorts of other resources &#8211; networks, trust, new ideas and aspirations &#8211; to build community capacity over time.
&#8216;We’re now setting the pace around the world, and it’s true that none of that would have happened without the leadership from this government. It also wouldn’t have happened without our partnership with Philanthropy Australia and our partnerships with many of the large private philanthropies, who created the capacity for us to sustain a campaign over a decade or more,&#8217; said Ian Bird.
&#8216;What’s happening here is putting Australia at the front of the global development of community philanthropy.&#8217;
&nbsp;
For more information, see:
<a href="/membership">For communities interested in starting their own foundation</a>
<a href="/news/historic-dgr-reform-for-community-foundations-now-legislated">Historic DGR reform for community foundations now in effect</a>
<a href="https://www.communitydirectors.com.au/articles/community-foundation-reforms-help-build-a-multi-billion-dollar-funding-pool">Community foundation reforms help build a multi-billion-dollar funding pool</a>
<a href="https://ministers.treasury.gov.au/ministers/andrew-leigh-2022/media-releases/new-era-community-foundations">A new era for community foundations &#8211; Treasury press release</a>
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The community foundation network and Canberra officials celebrate historic reform

communityfoundationsaustralia_launch

CommunityFoundationsAustralia_launch

Canberra celebration for historic reform - a story for all Australian communities

Impact

Community Foundations Australia

Policy and advocacy

Vital Signs® is a community-driven data program that uses local knowledge to measure the vitality of a community and support action towards improving the collective quality of life.
First developed by the Toronto Community Foundation in 2001, it became a national program spearheaded by Community Foundations of Canada (CFC) in 2006 and is now licenced by CFC for use by community foundations throughout the world.
In Australia, twelve Community Foundations have so far collaborated with local stakeholders to undertake this pulse check in their communities with further Vital Signs reports by Australia’s Community Foundations due to be released in 2022.