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Aerial view of Gayini. Courtesy of The Nature Conservancy. Image: Annette Ruzicka MESSAGE FROM THE CEO
Unprecedented times Australians are a resilient people. We successfully inhabit one of the most challenging landscapes on the planet. We have managed to create an inclusive and egalitarian society where the concept of a 'fair go' for all Australians is celebrated and, to a large extent, successfully achieved. Right now, we are being challenged, and in a way that the nation has not experienced since the great depression of 1929 to 1932. In the context of this, for the Foundation and for the vast majority of Australians living today, these are truly unprecedented times. I will never forget being in New York City in January 2020 watching images of our country burning. Now, only three months later, we all are living through an even greater public health and economic emergency, the global Coronavirus pandemic. With the unemployment rate expected to hit double figures in the space of one month resulting in millions of Australians now reliant on government-funded financial support; financial
markets in freefall; imposed social distancing forcing the closure of sporting venues and Subscribe Past Issues Translate cultural institutions, and even state borders; and fire-ravaged communities still reeling from the devastation of those bushfires, the challenges facing many Australians are immense and growing daily. This is not what we would consider a normal situation. Under these circumstances, the Board of The Ian Potter Foundation has responded to reflect the urgency and severity of the unfolding situation. So far, the Foundation has: 1. Advised existing grantees that they may (a) extend any progress reporting requirements by at least 6 months and (b) seek the reallocation of existing project funding into operational funding on an ‘as required’ basis 2. Confirmed to existing grantees the Foundation's ability to meet all fiscal 2021 funding commitments 3. Awarded approximately $1.065M in support of COVID-19 focused grants, including seven Community Support grants totalling $535,000, co-funding ($500,000) with the Victorian and Australian governments and other philanthropic funders for the development of the National COVID-19 Clinical Evidence Taskforce, and co-funding ($30,000) with the Minderoo Foundation a COVID-19 e-Learning platform for indigenous Australians 4. Suspended its normal grantmaking rounds for the remainder of 2020, opting to deploy funds across all our Funding Pillars in a proactive manner in areas of greatest need, as assessed by our program managers in conjunction with the Board of The Ian Potter Foundation 5. Suspended consideration of further Major Grants for 2020. Our emphasis when considering how we approach our grantmaking during this time of enormous disruption and challenge for so many will be to support outstanding organisations with untied operational funding, to support innovative and collaborative translational research projects, leverage our funding with like-minded funders wherever possible and support vulnerable sectors of our community to the greatest extent possible. We will be particularly focused on assisting organisations to support as many people and communities as possible in a sustained way ‘on the other side’ of this pandemic This will be critical, as I expect the economic consequence of the COVID-19 pandemic will be felt for many years to come. Australia’s Environment The human toll of the unfolding health and economic disaster is obvious and devastating for many people. As a significant funder of the environmental sector, The Ian Potter Foundation remains focused on seeking strategically important and potentially impactful projects to support via our Sustainable funding pillar. In these challenging times, when many of us are considering deeply what is truly important to us individually, as a community and as a society, it seems appropriate to remind ourselves of the fundamental role a healthy environment plays in a cohesive, sustainable and functioning society. Now more than ever, we must not lose sight of this. Gayini (formerly Nimmie-Caira)
One example of an important, strategic and impactful project is the Great Cumbung Subscribe Past Issues Translate property acquisition (which the Foundation supported with a $2.5m major grant in 2019) and the Gayini Nimmie-Caira property management initiative spearheaded by The Nature Conservancy Australia. Combined, these transactions have allowed for Gayini to be handed back to its traditional owners: the Nari Nari. See below for the announcement of this significant event by Her Excellency the Honourable Margaret Beazley AC QC, Governor of New South Wales. Recent Changes to Staff Roles I am also excited to share with you the continued professional development of both experienced and new programmatic team members at The Ian Potter Foundation. One of our most experienced program managers, Louise Arkles, is assuming the role of Senior Program Manager responsible for the Foundation's Sustainable funding pillar. Current program officer for the Vibrant funding pillar, Subhadra Mistry, will now assume the role of Program Manager in this area. Additionally, Lauren Monaghan is now the Program Manager responsible for the Foundation’s research projects in both the Health and Sustainable funding pillars. Further details are provided later in this newsletter. Please join me in wishing Louise, Subhadra and Lauren well in their respective new roles and expanded responsibilities. These days, I am using the term ‘unprecedented’ an awful lot. However, it seems the appropriate term to describe the enormity of what many of us are experiencing. I was amazed to see recently that the Australian national flag was projected on to the Swiss Alps, in the Zermatt-Matterhorn region, as a sign of hope and solidarity. The regional tourism body responsible for this generous show of support recognised the devastating impact of our bushfires and the COVID-19 pandemic by reaching out to all Australians in a very visual way. Unprecedented? Possibly. Generous of spirit and of heart? Definitely. It reminds us all that this is a time of great human tragedy and it will be the best human qualities that see us through to the other side and a vibrant, healthy, fair and sustainable Australia.
Craig Connelly CEO
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GRANTS ROUND UP
$6 million across 27 grants In this funding round, the Board awarded a Major grant towards the National COVID-19 Clinical Evidence Taskforce which is addressing the needs of frontline medical workers in the COVID-19 health crisis. The Board also approved several Community Support grants as a strategic response to the unfolding health and economic crises caused by the combination of Australia’s devastating bushfires and the COVID-19 pandemic. This round also saw the first grants awarded in the new Public Health Research Projects funding area within the Health pillar, as well as grants supporting Medical Research. Find out more about this round's grantees on our blog or see the complete list in our Grants Database.
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FUNDING AREAS
By invitation only
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Changes to Rounds 2 and 3, 2020 The Board of The Ian Potter Foundation agreed at its most recent meeting to change its approach to grantmaking for the remainder of 2020. This change is in response to the unfolding health and economic crises caused by the combination of Australia’s devastating bushfires and the COVID-19 pandemic. This means that the usual funding rounds for September and December 2020 will not open. Instead, for the remainder of 2020, the Foundation will consider grant applications by invitation only across all four of the Foundation’s funding pillars. Visit our website to learn how to engage with the Program Management team until further notice.
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IN THE NEWS
Historic announcement
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A message from Her Excellency the Honourable Margaret Beazley AC QC, Governor of New South Wales
Gayini (Water) Ownership of almost 88,000 hectares of internationally significant Murrumbidgee floodplain in southern New South Wales is officially back in the hands of its Traditional Custodians – the Nari Nari people. On Friday 20 March, the Nari Nari Tribal Council marked the hand back of the land now called Gayini from the NSW Government. This significant event was marked by a special video announcement (see above) by Her Excellency the Honourable Margaret Beazley AC QC, Governor of New South Wales. This is an inspiring message that marks a historic moment in the management of Australia’s environmental assets and a powerful example of Indigenous empowerment and selfdetermination. The Nature Conservancy is an active partner in this initiative and in this detailed article, they explain the background of the Great Cumbung and Gayini Nimmie-Caira waterways, their restoration to health and the traditional owners.
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SECTOR ENGAGEMENT
Staying connected
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Welcome Workshops go virtual Welcome workshops for new grantees will be done remotely via Zoom. On 14 May, there will be a session for current and new grantees across Arts and Community Wellbeing program areas. On 18 May, a session for new Public Health Research Projects and Medical Research grantees will be held. All successful grant applicants will be contacted by the first week of May in order to secure a spot.
Staff news
Role changes
L-R: Louise Arkles, Subhadra Mistry and Lauren Monaghan.
Consistent with The Ian Potter Foundation’s move to narrowing its focus in funding, one of our most experienced program managers, Louise Arkles, is assuming the role of Senior Program Manager responsible for the Foundation's Sustainable funding pillar. For the past five years, Louise has done a wonderful job managing the workload of two funding pillars, Vibrant (Arts) and Sustainable (Environment) but will now devote her time, experience and enthusiasm for our environment into becoming a true subject matter expert in the field of Sustainable grantmaking. Over the past two years, Louise Arkles has guided and mentored Subhadra Mistry, who will now assume the role of Program Manager responsible for the Foundation’s Vibrant
funding pillar, which includes the Foundation’s Arts program area, The Ian Potter Cultural Subscribe Past Issues Translate Trust and The Ian Potter Moving Image Commission. Subhadra has recently completed her Master of Arts and Cultural Management at The University of Melbourne and we know she will provide considered insights into the Foundation’s approach to grantmaking within the Vibrant pillar. The Foundation is also very lucky to have Lauren Monaghan stepping up to assume responsibility as a Program Manager for our new Research Project funding streams in both the Health and Sustainable pillars. Lauren has a Bachelor of Science as well as a Masters in Public Health, both from The University of Melbourne. Lauren has worked across a range of program areas in the past three years, including the now-closed Science and Health & Disability program areas, as well as Community Wellbeing, and Medical Research. Along with the Health Committee, Lauren recently presented the Foundation’s first applications for Public Health Research Project grants to the Foundation’s Board of Governors. Lauren will also work alongside Louise Arkles considering research projects in the Sustainable pillar. Congratulations to Louise, Subhadra and Lauren on their new roles and responsibilities.
Grantee news
Stepping up to the challenge
Since the beginning of the year, we have seen many of our not-for-profit (NFP) partners respond to the needs of the community; firstly, during the bushfire crisis and now in response to the COVID19 pandemic. We've put together a list of organisations that have quickly adapted their activities to
NFP Sector
Useful resources
After a disastrous summer of bushfires across the country, the not-for-profit (NFP) and philanthropic sectors are yet again stepping up to provide urgent community relief. Charities are doing this while trying to survive the impact of COVID-public health crisis themselves. Here is a list of some useful resources that peak bodies and sector-focused providers are making available to the NFP sector during these difficult times.
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provide the goods and services the Subscribe Past Issues community needs most in the current circumstances.
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We encourage any of our NFP partners to contact us and share what they are doing to assist their communities to recover from bushfires, deal with COVID-19 restrictions and/or directly assist frontline health services.
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COVID-19 protocols Due to the COVID-19 virus, The Ian Potter Foundation has instituted a series of operational protocols for the coming weeks and months to ensure the health and wellbeing of our staff and the organisations and individuals with which we work. These protocols will remain in place until further notice.
We produce this quarterly e-newsletter to keep our friends and associates up to date with all the news and recent grants made by The Ian Potter Foundation.
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