Grant round evaluation report: a fair and equal tax system for all
A partnership between the Reichstein Foundation and Tripple, this grant round sought to respond to what we heard from civil society: that tax is a foundational lever for progress on nearly every issue we care about — housing, climate, education, women’s rights, justice and economic equality — but one that remains under-funded and politically fraught.
Together, we built on Tripple’s established deep-dive model — an approach that systematically identifies and supports organisations tackling complex systemic issues. This process includes sector mapping, in-depth consultations, targeted research and a funding process designed to be accessible and relational.
For this round, we received 40 expressions of interest, held conversations with 14 shortlisted organisations and ultimately funded seven leading initiatives. These organisations are advancing advocacy, shifting narratives and strengthening movement infrastructure — all with the shared goal of reimagining tax as a tool for fairness, equality and collective wellbeing.
At its heart, this funding round was about building the capacity of a sector that has long been operating without the support it needs. The organisations we funded are leading work that is bold, strategic, community-led, and grounded in lived experience — from viral campaigns calling out corporate tax dodging to deep alliances between academics and advocates to shape policy and law reform agendas. Many of these groups are working on the frontlines of inequality and yet doing so with incredibly limited resources — many on less than $100,000 a year. In that context, we saw how catalytic even modest grants can be when paired with relationships, trust and shared purpose.
This round also helped us deepen our understanding of the wider ecosystem. Tax reform has long been framed in elite, technical terms, yet the real barriers to reform are much more familiar and practical — entrenched interests, toxic media cycles and political inertia. The housing and cost-of-living crises have created space for new conversations about tax policy, but there is a narrow window to act. The organisations we heard from are categorically ready to act — what’s needed is coordinated, sustained support.
In Australia, the need for tax reform is urgent and increasingly visible. Our current system places a disproportionate burden on wages while offering generous concessions on wealth, property, and corporate profits. This imbalance entrenches inequality and undermines the funding base for essential services.
Despite multiple comprehensive reviews — including the Henry Tax Review in 2010 — few recommendations have been implemented over recent decades, largely due to strong resistance from vested interests and resultant political stagnation. Meanwhile, bracket creep, a rapidly ageing population, cost-of-living pressures and a worsening housing crisis are exposing the cracks in a system that is no longer fit for purpose.
What’s missing is not policy ideas — they are well established — but the political will and public mandate to act. The moment is ripe for change, and civil society has a critical role to play in shaping a more just and sustainable approach to how we shape and resource our collective future.
We’re excited to have supported the work captured in this report. But more importantly, we see it as an invitation — one we received from civil society — to show up with humility, openness and a commitment to learning together. The challenges ahead are significant, but so too is the opportunity. If we want a fairer future, we must start with how we build the systems that shape it — and that means rethinking tax.
Read the report (pdf)
