The Reichstein Foundation’s granting has long reflected our conviction that investing in smart advocacy initiatives is critical to achieving enduring and meaningful change for people suffering poverty and discrimination. We’ve been privileged to worked alongside other trusts, foundations and donors to support some of Australia’s most dogged changemakers, from self-help groups to large established charities.
Smart advocacy is essential to tackling the four great challenges facing us:
- Growing economic inequality
- Growing cultural and racial divisions
- Growing impacts flowing from climate change
- Growing distrust in democracy and its capacity to resolve these complex issues
Growing numbers of trusts and foundations believe this too. Inspired by the work of Philanthropy Australia, especially through last year’s Philanthropy Meets Parliament summit, there is now a palpable energy and interest in advocacy across Australian philanthropy. The sector’s efforts in support of marriage equality in 2017 was a turning point for many funders. That was a smart investment that achieved a phenomenal result.
We are proud to have co-funded The Power of Advocacy with the Myer Foundation which, along with the Sidney Myer Fund, has always funded across so many great causes and continues to inspire the philanthropic and community sectors.
The Power of Advocacy report is a vital resource that:
- helps explain the rationales for funding advocacy;
- talks about the legal aspects (and how the law is firmly on the side of funding advocacy!);
- addresses some misconceptions; and
- sets out some fantastic and diverse case studies, some of which involve funders gathered for today’s Roundtable.
So take a look at the report to find out more about the power of advocacy. And check out our video ‘Changing the Rules: Doing Social Justice Philanthropy‘ (below), which shares some of our own case studies, and explains why we #fundtheadvocates!
The Power of Advocacy report was launched at a Roundtable of philanthropic trusts and foundations in Melbourne on Friday 9 February 2018. It was produced by Philanthropy Australia and co-funded by the Myer Foundation and The Reichstein Foundation
