From the Chair

Welcome to Australian Communities Foundation’s Annual Report for 2022/23.

The generosity of our donor community this year resulted in more money being distributed to grant partners than ever before. In fact, the amount distributed was more than double that of last year.

Such generosity at a time of economic and market volatility reflects the deep altruism of our giving community of more than 550 funds and foundations.

The exceptional growth of our giving community is something that Australian Communities Foundation’s co-founders and patrons, Hayden Raysmith AM and Marion Webster AM, could never have anticipated when they established the Foundation in 1997.

This year, we were thrilled to see Marion’s tireless service to the sector recognised in the 2023 Australia Day Honours for her “significant service to the community, to the philanthropic sector, and to women” with her appointment as a Member of the Order of Australia.

In a year when Australia grappled with the question of constitutional recognition of our First Nations peoples, I’d like to pay particular thanks to the founding members of ACF’s First Nations Advisory Group.

Chris Croker, Rueben Berg and Jody Barney each provided invaluable perspectives and experience that continue to inform the work of the Foundation and heighten our cultural understanding.

At the Board level, we welcomed Gia Cari and Caroline Vu, while farewelling long-standing Board Director Cath Smith, Sue Woodward who took up the role of Commissioner at the Australian Charities and Not-for-profits Commission, and Rueben Berg who became Co-Chair of the First Peoples’ Assembly of Victoria.

I’d like to extend my thanks to all my fellow Directors for the insights and experience they have contributed to the Board this year.

A final thank you goes to Maree Sidey and the team at ACF. It is through their efforts that we are able to support and grow the ACF giving community to help create a fairer Australia.

Eric Beecher
Chair

From the CEO

In what was another year of exceptional giving, I’m heartened by the diverse range of causes we have been able to support through our ACF giving community.

Community foundations occupy a special place in the philanthropic landscape, with their ability to make strategic giving accessible to everyday Australians.

ACF is home to Australia’s largest community of everyday philanthropists. Our impact continues to grow with more than 70 new funds and foundations joining our community this year. 

Together, our giving community distributed more than ever before: $37.4 million via grants to 698 organisations and individuals.

One of the absolute highlights of the year was the remarkable generosity shown by our giving community for the Voices for Impact program which generated $2.3 million in support for First Nations organisations mobilising for the referendum. This is the largest-ever collective funding effort in ACF’s 26-year history.

Despite the Referendum result, the Foundation’s commitment to First Nations justice remains unchanged. Consistent with our long history of support, we will continue to stand with First Nations leaders and organisations striving for a better and fairer future.

Another highlight this year was the growth of ACF Advisory, our social business arm that provides a range of light touch to full-service solutions for anyone looking to do more with their giving, including trusts and foundations.

Our partnership with the Paul Ramsay Foundation saw the distribution of $22 million through targeted grant rounds, including grants to help prevent contact with the justice system and to grow the impact of specialist organisations working to end domestic and family violence. 

Community is ACF’s superpower and I would like to thank every member of our giving community for their continued generosity and participation in the many events and opportunities that make ACF such a vibrant and dynamic place.

Thank you to our Patrons, our Board Directors, our sector partners and critical friends, and of course the wonderful ACF team.

And finally, a special thank you to the leaders, the movement builders and the organisations whose work inspires us every day.

Maree Sidey
Chief Executive Officer