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Giving

Fees

At Australian Communities Foundation, our scale enables us to charge cost-effective fees.

As a non-profit organisation, we aim to strike a balance between our commitment to accessible and cost-effective philanthropy and to ensuring the ongoing sustainability of the organisation.

Regardless of which of our products or services you choose, when you join the Australian Communities Foundation giving community you have full access to events, giving inspiration, newsletters and targeted granting opportunities that align with your interests. You’ll also have access to our meeting rooms and boardroom at the Community of Giving in East Melbourne at no extra charge.

Named Funds

Includes Gumnut Accounts and Future Funds

To assist with ongoing costs, Australian Communities Foundation charges a Donor Administration and Support Fee. This provides the necessary resources to operate, ensuring fiscal responsibility in grant due diligence, research, reporting, and compliance, and enables us to provide personalised philanthropic advice. Fees are based on a cumulative tiered structure, and are assessed and deducted monthly based on fund balances.

The breakdown of the fee structure is as follows:

BalanceAnnual Fee
Gumnut Accounts (up to $20,000)1.2%
Future Funds (available to charities) (up to $1M)1.2%
Named Funds
Assets up to $500,0002.2%
Next $500,000 – $1M2.0%
Next $1M – $2.5M1.0%
Assets over $2.5M0.5%

Once a Future Fund reaches a balance of $1M, the fee will follow the fee structure listed for Named Funds, i.e. 1.0% for the next $1M – $2.5M and 0.5% for assets over $2.5M.

Investment Management Fee

Australian Communities Foundation uses professional investment advisers to invest funds under management.

The annual Investment Management Fee for this service is calculated on total funds under management and therefore varies, ranging from 0.34% to 0.36%.

This fee is assessed and deducted monthly. We can advise of the exact fee at the time of your fund’s establishment.

Additional information

Funds that require additional administrative support for activities such as research, flow-through grantmaking or fundraising may incur additional fees. We negotiate additional charges on a case-by-case basis before any work is undertaken.

Private Foundations (or PAFs)

Private Foundations (or private ancillary funds) are charitable trusts that give you the opportunity to manage your investments independently.

Australian Communities Foundation charges an establishment fee of $5,000 (+ disbursements) for Private Foundations. The ongoing service fee is dependent upon the package chosen.

  • Granting: $12,900 per annum or $3,225 per quarter
  • Compliance: $10,900 per annum or $2,725 per quarter
  • Granting + Compliance: $19,400 per annum or $4,850 per quarter

Foundation Support Services

Our Foundation Support Services provide a range of services for trusts and foundations to utilise. Building on the existing expertise and infrastructure within our team, we can offer support to foundations and trusts who are just starting or for those who want to leverage the benefit of outsourcing.

Contact us below to request a quote for services.

Got a question about our fees?

Contact us to speak with a member of our team.