Adapting for the future: our new strategy
As we witness escalating threats to democracies worldwide, deepening economic inequality, and an existential climate crisis, support for dedicated systems change advocacy and movement building is more crucial than ever.
At the same time, philanthropy is being challenged to decolonise its funding models, centre the expertise and authority of people with direct experience of injustice and confront our role in the systems that fuel economic injustice.
As the Foundation embarks on its 50th anniversary, its staff and trustees have been reflecting on this context and taking all that the Foundation has learned over half a century to develop a new strategy that ensure it rises to the challenges of our time.
In coming years, we will support systemic change through our grantmaking, convening, advocacy and – for the first time – our investing. We will focus our work on addressing four interconnected spheres of justice: First Peoples Justice, Gender Justice, Environmental Justice, and Economic Justice.
The scale, complexity and interconnectedness of the issues we’re confronting demand a high degree of flexibility and openness to new ideas, organisations and movements for change. To address this our grant-making strategy places a strong emphasis on supporting advocates working at the intersections of our thematic focus areas.
There also remain significant, unaddressed, foundational injustices flowing from Australia’s colonial history, as demonstrated through the debate and outcome of this year’s Voice referendum. If we are to make progress towards justice and equality as a nation, we need to keep First Nations justice front and centre. We are committed to continuing to support First Nations-led advocacy for justice and self-determination and working with the sector to boost and coordinate our collective response.
We will also be confronting the reality that capital markets, which have provided the opportunity to accumulate and grow our wealth, can perpetuate economic inequality and contribute to injustice. We believe that through engaged and activist investing we can contribute to systemic change in line with our vision of an equal and just society on healthy country.
As always, the Foundation remains committed to working in collaborative ways that build collective power and centre the experience and expertise of those directly impacted by injustice. We will also continue to use our voice, platforms and networks to bolster the advocacy efforts of our civil society partners.
In recognition of our role in service of civil society and communities, we hold our strategy lightly, remaining ready to respond to the shifting plans and priorities of the organisations and movements we support, and emerging opportunities for social change philanthropy.
