BUOYING UP
Annual Grants Report 2023–24
The Ian Potter Foundation acknowledges the Wurundjeri people as the Traditional Custodians of the land on which we work. We pay our respects to their Elders past and present.
Welcome
The Foundation makes grants nationally to support charitable organisations working to benefit the community across a wide range of sectors and endeavours.
OUR VISION
A fair, healthy, sustainable and vibrant Australia.
OUR MISSION
Honour the legacy of founder and benefactor Sir Ian Potter and his commitment to the Foundation making a difference in Australia.
Maintain a tradition of encouraging excellence and enabling innovation to facilitate positive social change and develop Australia’s creativity and capacity as a nation.
Support outstanding charitable organisations, invest in Australia’s innovative and creative people, protect the environment and alleviate disadvantage. GRANTS DISTRIBUTED SINCE 1964 $492+M
Sir Ian Potter, Founder 1902–1994.
Governors
Mr Craig Drummond (CHAIR, COMMENCED APRIL 2024)
Mr Leon Davis AO
Lady Potter AC, CMRI (LIFE GOVERNOR)
Mr Anthony Burgess
The Hon Alex Chernov AC, KC
The Hon Susan Crennan AC, KC
Professor Karen Day AM
Professor Emma Johnston AO
Professor Richard Larkins AC
Mr Allan Myers AC, KC
Professor Brian Schmidt AC
Sir Edward Byrne AC (RETIRED JUNE 2024)
FRONT (L–R): Paula Cruz Manrique, Louise Arkles, Nicole Bortone, Paul Conroy, Ximena Avalos Mendez
BACK (L–R): Bianca Suparto, Caroline Henwood, Coral East, Mairead Phillips, Nicole Hunter, Dr Alberto Furlan, Viktoria Kritharelis, Louise Joel, Sara Hearn, Anna McCallum
Image: Hynesite Photography.
Location: 100 Story Building, Footscray, VIC.
Paul Conroy
CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER
PROGRAM MANAGEMENT
Dr Alberto Furlan
SENIOR PROGRAM MANAGER
Louise Arkles
SENIOR PROGRAM MANAGER
Nicole Bortone
SENIOR PROGRAM MANAGER
Louise Joel
PROGRAM MANAGER
Mairead Phillips
THE GEORGE ALEXANDER FOUNDATION
PROGRAM MANAGER
Paula Cruz
Manrique
PROGRAM OFFICER
RESEARCH AND EVALUATION
Caroline Henwood
RESEARCH AND EVALUATION MANAGER
Ximena Avalos Mendez
RESEARCH AND EVALUATION OFFICER
COMMUNICATIONS
Sara Hearn
COMMUNICATIONS MANAGER
Bianca Suparto
COMMUNICATIONS & ENGAGEMENT COORDINATOR
ADMINISTRATION
Coral East
ADMINISTRATION & HR MANAGER
Sue Wilkinson
ADMINISTRATION OFFICER
Nicole Hunter
RECEPTION AND OFFICE COORDINATOR
FINANCE
Anna McCallum
CHIEF FINANCE OFFICER
Viktoria
Kritharelis
FINANCE OFFICER
Finance & Investment
During the financial year, the Finance Committee met on three occasions, and the Audit & Risk Committee met on one occasion.
The Finance Committee and the Audit & Risk Committee merged to become the Finance, Audit and Risk Committee. This newly formed committee met once during 2023–24.
MEMBERS OF THE FINANCE COMMITTEE IN 2023–24 WERE:
Mr Anthony Burgess (Chair)
Mr Craig Drummond
Mr Charles Goode AC
(resigned April 2024)
Mr Allan Myers AC, KC
The Board extend their appreciation to Pitcher Partners who provide audit services to the Foundation and administered entities.
Directors have approved a distribution budget of $38,100,000* for IPF in the 2024–25 financial year. *This includes a refund that was received and redistributed in FY24.
The corpus of The Ian Potter Foundation is invested in a diversified portfolio, including listed investment companies, managed funds and ETFs. The corpus is managed by members of the Finance Committee.
COMBINED OPERATING EXPENSES
MEMBERS OF THE AUDIT COMMITTEE IN 2023–24 WERE:
Mr Craig Drummond (Chair)
Mr Anthony Burgess
Mr Charles Goode AC (by invitation)
(resigned April 2024)
Mr Allan J Myers AC KC
1. Note - future commitments include current and non-current combined
2. Net assets – Total assets less liabilities (excluding grant commitments)
MEMBERS OF THE FINANCE, AUDIT AND RISK COMMITTEE IN 2023–24 WERE:
Mr Anthony Burgess (Chair)
Mr Craig Drummond
Mr Allan Myers AC, KC
About the Foundation
The Ian Potter Foundation was established in 1964 by Australian financier, businessman and philanthropist, Sir Ian Potter (1902–1994). The Foundation continues to be one of Australia’s major philanthropic foundations.
Based in Melbourne, the Foundation makes grants nationally to support charitable organisations working to benefit the community across a wide range of sectors and endeavours.
Through its grants, the Foundation seeks to invest in Australia’s intellectual capital, encouraging excellence and supporting Australia’s talent: the visionaries, social entrepreneurs, scientists, academics and researchers, artists and educators, and those who dedicate themselves to bettering our communities for the benefit of all.
Grants are made through program areas that reflect Sir Ian’s interest in the arts, and his visionary approach to issues concerning the environment, public health and medical research, education and community wellbeing.
Through its major grant stream, the Foundation funds iconic or significant projects, often over a number of years and sometimes where the project does not fit defined program area funding guidelines. These projects are proactively sought out by the Foundation from which select applications are considered once a year by the Foundation’s Board.
Since 1964, The Ian Potter Foundation has contributed over $492 million to thousands of projects, both large and small. Led by its Board of Governors, the Foundation has a strong track record of funding projects that respond decisively to key issues and develop our creativity and capacity as a nation.
FUNDING PRINCIPLES
Grantmaking across all program areas is underpinned by the following principles:
EXCELLENCE We support organisations, programs and individuals who are outstanding in their field.
PREVENTION To maximise the value of our grants, we try to identify and support projects that address the causes of problems rather than treat the symptoms. Supporting research is fundamental to this approach.
INNOVATION We seek to fund programs and projects that take a new approach to solving problems, especially those that can be evaluated and have the potential for expansion and further development.
LEVERAGE Our grants have greater impact when combined with support from other sources such as other trusts and foundations, government, and business. We are happy to be one of a number of supporters of a program.
We encourage grantees to have collaborations and partnerships that facilitate combining knowledge and resources to achieve a shared goal.
LONG-TERM THINKING
We try to fund projects that will continue to have an impact well beyond the period of our grant. The long-term sustainability of the project is an important consideration.
SOCIAL LEADERSHIP
We aim to cultivate leadership in the Australian social sector that is highly skilled, well prepared, and best placed to fulfil an organisation’s mission.
Using these principles, the Foundation partners with not-for-profit organisations:
• funding capacity building, supporting established organisations to expand operations
• working with organisations to set clear goals and appropriate measures to track progress, and
• assisting organisations with non-financial support where appropriate.
FUNDING PILLARS AND PROGRAM AREAS
The Ian Potter Foundation has four funding pillars that align with the four elements of its vision: Fair, Healthy, Sustainable and Vibrant. Within each pillar, there are specific funding areas, each with focused funding objectives.
Chair’s Report
Craig Drummond
I am pleased to present my first report as Chair of The Ian Potter Foundation. I took up the role in April 2024 upon the retirement of Charles Goode AC after 37 years as a Governor of the Foundation, 30 of those years served as Chair.
With my fellow Governors, I wish to acknowledge Charles Goode’s faithful service to the Foundation and the broader philanthropic sector in Australia with immense gratitude.
Few cultural, scientific, or public institutions in our country have not engaged with Charles Goode during his tenure as Chairman of the Foundation over the past three decades.
Joining the Board at Sir Ian Potter’s request in 1987, Charles was appointed Chairman in 1994 after Sir Ian’s passing.
As Chairman of one of this country’s oldest philanthropic foundations, Charles has made an extraordinary contribution to the Australian community. I have greatly admired Charles and sought his counsel over many years. So, as the new Chair, I was pleased he agreed to remain as Emeritus Chairman, allowing us all to continue to benefit from his wisdom and experience.
Recently, Philanthropy Australia interviewed Charles about his time at the Foundation. It is an excellent summary of the development and evolution of the Foundation, but it also acts as a testament to the leadership that Charles has shown not just to this organisation but to the philanthropic and not-forprofit charitable sectors in general. In the interview, he also reflects on what his involvement with philanthropy and this Foundation in particular has provided to him, saying:
‘The Foundation has given a lot of help to organisations, but it has also been a wonderful experience for me. I have met such wonderful people who serve the community in education, health, and the arts. Many of these people work extraordinarily long hours serving the community for very modest rewards compared to the commercial world. And yet they make such a significant contribution and are such fine people. I admire them, and I enjoy their friendship and values.’
This year, we also farewelled Professor Sir Edward Byrne AC, who was appointed to the Foundation’s Board of Governors in April 2021. During his tenure, Sir Ed Byrne’s background as a leading neuroscientist and clinician, and his decades of experience as a highly regarded administrator of higher education and research institutions in Australia and
internationally proved invaluable to the Foundation. In addition, his broad interest in the arts enabled him to share unique and thoughtful insights into our grantmaking in this area.
Finally, I look forward to working with the Board of Governors as we strive to fulfil the Foundation’s mission, and continue the legacy of our founder and the work done by my predecessor.
Craig Drummond
FY2024 SNAPSHOT
GRANTS AWARDED
34
TOTAL VALUE
$20,743,550
GRANTS PAID
153
TOTAL VALUE
$38,113,013
Charles Goode AC and Craig Drummond at Mr Goode’s retirement dinner in April 2024.
I am very thankful to have had the opportunity to Chair the Foundation for 30 years. I am extremely proud of everything the Foundation has accomplished during my time as Governor and Chairman. It has been a privilege to work with such a wide range of organisations in our society, witnessing the rise of so many leaders across our cultural, health research and social sectors.
I have every confidence in the future of the Foundation, with Craig Drummond being the Chairman of a highly capable and respected Board, supported by a very good CEO in Paul Conroy, who, in turn, is supported by a very professional staff. I am sure the Foundation will grow and continue to contribute to our society and its culture.
Thank you to my fellow Governors for their expertise, guidance and friendship over the years. Your support has not been underestimated. I have greatly appreciated it over many years. — Charles Goode AC
GROWTH SNAPSHOT
DISTRIBUTIONS
CORPUS GROWTH
$84,404,575
* Appointment to Board
^ Appointment as Chairman
ɫ Includes bequest from Sir Ian Potter’s estate
GRANTMAKING TRENDS
$97,889,928
$5,764,120 SUSTAINABLE $65,173,649
CEO Report
Paul Conroy
This year, we marked two milestones: the 60th anniversary of The Ian Potter Foundation and the retirement of Charles Goode AC as Chair after 30 years of service. I am personally glad to have had the opportunity to work with Charles during my first year as CEO of the Foundation. He generously shared his experiences and insights into philanthropy and the work of the Foundation gained over three decades. I look forward to continuing to carry out the mission of the Foundation under the guidance of the new Chair, Craig Drummond.
In June 2024, Sir Edward Byrne also resigned from the Board of Governors to take up a prestigious role as President of King Abdullah University of Science and Technology in Saudi Arabia. We thank Sir Edward for sharing with us his diverse expertise and knowledge across medicine, health and the arts during his tenure as Governor.
During fiscal 2024, the Foundation awarded just over $20 million in new grants fairly evenly across its program areas. All but four grants awarded were multi-year grants, ranging from two to five years in duration. This report elaborates on details of just some of the organisations and projects we have chosen to support.
When considering organisations to back, we look for a range of qualities: strong leadership, clear goals, innovative thinking, and good governance. However, in the for-purpose sector, resourcing is limited. Organisations often feel compelled to direct most of their funding into their activities and underinvest in their internal resourcing and development. This can lead to the underdevelopment of staff and the organisational capacity to carry out its work.
Over the past few years, The Ian Potter Foundation has tried to address this by awarding capacity-building grants to organisations we have built a strong relationship with that need to spend time and money on getting themselves fit for purpose to take on the next challenge or achieve the next milestone. We also understand that philanthropy can be like an iceberg; the grant is what you see above the water, but much of the value we can offer is non-financial support. We refer to this non-financial support as the five C’s: Connecting, Coaching, Convening, Communicating and Championing.
1 Connecting: introductions and networking with similar cohorts/sectors.
2 Coaching: offering guidance on identified opportunity areas.
3 Convening: providing space for convening events and discussions.
4 Communicating: disseminating organisations’ successes and achievements.
5 Championing: introductions and letters of support to government and other philanthropic funders.
Of course, one funder can only do so much in terms of funding and non-financial support. So, it was propitious this year to support the Benefolk Foundation via a $360,000 capacity-building grant as it created an online hub containing resources and access to specialists designed for social sector organisations. Benefolk’s Community Well contains a wide range of go-to resources for the social sector, while its Expert Bar is an online service (akin to telehealth for the social sector) to enable for-purpose leaders and their teams to access a broad range of experienced, pre-vetted specialists.
Funding Benefolk exponentially increases our impact, ensuring the wider social sector has access to the information, knowledge and advice it needs to undertake its activities successfully.
Finally, I wish to acknowledge the management team throughout this fiscal year for their resolute commitment to the Foundation and the organisations we support. Thanks also to our Board of Governors for the time and experience they generously donate to support the work of the Foundation. I look forward to continuing to work with you all to develop and strengthen the social sector in Australia.
Paul Conroy
L–R: Bernard Meadowcroft, Business Banking Manager, Beyond Bank; Katherine Ellis, CEO, Leadership Victoria; Peter Walton, CEO, LMCF; Maree Sidey, CEO, Philanthropy Australia; Julia Keady, Founder and CEO, Benefolk; Dr Wendy Scaife, Director Benefolk Foundation and Adjunct Associate Professor, Australian Centre for Philanthropy and Nonprofit Studies, QUT; Paul Conroy, CEO, The Ian Potter Foundation; Kylie Daniels, National Community Development Manager, Beyond Bank; Marlaina McPhillips, Community Development Manager of Victoria, Beyond Bank; Shane Farley, Head of Community, Sustainability and Corporate Affairs, Beyond Bank. Image: Benefolk.
Facts & Figures 2023–24
GRANTS BY GEOGRAPHIC REACH^
Note: Grantees indicate the geographic reach of their project based on the Australian Statistical Geography Standard (ASGS) Remoteness Areas Classification. Further details on ASGS are available on the Australian Bureau of Statistics website [https://www. abs.gov.au/statistics/standards/australian-statistical-geography-standard-asgs-edition-3/jul2021-jun2026/remoteness-structure/ remoteness-areas].
Community Wellbeing
Dr Alberto Furlan SENIOR PROGRAM MANAGER
GRANTS: 14
VALUE: $6,935,000
The Community Wellbeing program is focused on funding initiatives delivered by organisations that support people with disabilities or otherwise marginalised individuals, primarily to secure employment pathways.
In fiscal 2024, $450,000 was awarded to WISE Employment to develop the WISE IDEAToolkit, which will equip social enterprises and for-purpose businesses with best-practice support for employees with mental illness. This year’s largest grant to a social enterprise was $500,000 to Recycle4Change (see case study on page 14), a transitional employment program for people exiting the justice system.
Other grants also directly support job creation and workforce development, including a $450,000 multi-year capacity-building grant to Ganbina, Australia’s most successful Indigenous school-to-work transition program, to expand its Jobs4U2 program.
The Reconnect Project, Australia’s only charity mobile devices repair/resell social enterprise, will receive $330,000 over three years to develop a School Leaver Employment Support program. The Reconnect Project distributes refurbished mobile technology to people experiencing hardship. It supports the training and employment of neurodivergent young adults, providing technical skills development, retail customer service and workplace skills in a real-world retail repair environment. This year, we also provided funding for Benefolk Foundation’s Community Well, a new wellbeing and resilience resource hub explicitly designed for charities, not-for-profit organisations, social enterprises, their employees and volunteers.
CERES Honey Lane Farm. Image: Catherine Elise Photography.
Since its inception, Good360 has distributed over $400m worth of goods (about 40 million items), avoiding disposal of over 6,500 tons of product in landfills. Image: Courtesy of Good360.
FEATURE GRANTS
Good360 Australia Ltd
Good360 Growth Strategy 2030
$3 MILLION OVER 3 YEARS
Good360’s mission is to ensure excess unsold goods go to people in need, not landfills. It currently redistributes about $130 million worth of goods (~ 9 million items) annually, diverting about 2,000 tons of products from landfills in partnership with over 50 corporates.
The Foundation has supported Good360 with several program grants (totalling $1 million) since 2014. This $3 million major grant will enable Good360 to scale
its operations, redistributing goods to a larger number of charities. Core funding is necessary to expand Good360’s capacity to a target of 30% of the addressable market share within the next 5–10 years, bringing the total redistribution value of goods since its inception to $1 billion.
The next phase of Good360’s growth involves developing industry partnerships (goods, transport, technology, digital, media, funding, etc.) and charity networks to distribute the goods to communities. It will also develop education campaigns to encourage businesses to donate excess goods to communities rather than send them to landfills.
CERES
Capacity Building Funding
$750,000 OVER 5 YEARS
CERES (The Centre for Education and Research in Environmental Strategies) is an environmental education centre, community garden, urban farm and social enterprise hub spread across four locations, linked by the Merri and Darebin Creeks in inner-north Melbourne.
Over the last 40 years, CERES has transformed a former quarry and landfill site into an urban oasis, nursery, bookshop, cafe, environmental education centre, and social enterprise hub.
This capacity-building grant provides core funding to allow CERES to develop its next generation of leaders, build an effective financial reserves strategy, improve systems and operations, and pursue a critical infrastructure renovation and expansion strategy over the next five years.
CERES is one of Australia’s most successful examples of not-for-profit social businesses, with 90% of its income derived from the trade of its social enterprises. Image: CERES.
Serena Morton Nabanunga and Norman Frank Jupurrurla progress the concept design of the first home in the Barkly to be designed by Aboriginal people, June 2023. Image: Simon Quilty.
Wilya Ajjul Janta Aboriginal Corporation
Wilya Janta – Tennant Creek Housing Pilot
$300,000 OVER 3 YEARS
Wilya Janta means Standing Strong in the Warumungu language of the area surrounding Tennant Creek in the Northern Territory. It is also the name of an innovative Aboriginal cultural housing design consultancy founded on long and deep crosscultural relationships of trust between its Indigenous and non-Indigenous founders.
Wilya Janta recognises the Warumungu people’s experience and knowledge about
YMCA Northern Territory Youth & Community Services
Remote Pools Project
$270,000 OVER 3 YEARS
The Remote Pools Project is a new program model to ensure the safe operation of swimming pools in remote Indigenous communities.
YMCA NT will closely partner with Roper Gulf Regional Council and Traditional Owners to replicate this program in the communities of Ngukurr and Borroloola, some 300 and 650 km southeast of Katherine, NT.
In remote regions across the Northern Territory, the public swimming pool is a vital community resource and preventative health initiative that supports children and families in improving hygiene and increasing physical activity.
Managing these community assets has been challenging, primarily because more operational personnel, historically sourced from outside the communities, are needed.
This project will address these challenges by providing a pathway to ongoing employment for a local workforce, making the pools a viable and key asset for both communities.
living well in a very hot climate. Coupled with architectural, construction and engineering expertise, this knowledge paves the way for remote communities to live better and thrive, even in the face of climate change.
The Tennant Creek Housing Pilot is a community-led design of two demonstration homes using local knowledge of climateresilient and culturally appropriate design with remote housing innovation, costeffectiveness, and scalability.
This initiative provides an extraordinary opportunity for Wilya Janta to influence future infrastructure policy to ensure new buildings are fit-for-purpose and financially and environmentally viable.
Children at the pool in Ngukurr. Goggles donated by Ygear. Image: Remote Pools Project.
The Ripple Effect
ORGANISATION NAME
Chance Creators PROJECT
Recycle4Change
Community Wellbeing
CHANCE CREATING
Recycle4Change is a certified Social Enterprise and registered Charity owned by Chance Creators. It operates the Victorian State Government’s Container Deposit Scheme (CDS) from Geelong to Laverton North in Melbourne’s west. The scheme started in November 2023 and rewards Victorians with a 10-cent refund for every eligible can, carton and bottle they return.
Chance Creators’ results are outstanding. In the eight years of its existence, Fruit2Work has supported more than 100 people with an unprecedented record of zero recidivism against a Victorian state record of 45.2% (almost 1 in 2) returning to the system within two years. Currently, 90% of Fruit2Work’s income comes from trade, a remarkable success for a relatively young social enterprise now turning over $7.8 million annually.
November 2023 – July 2025
$500,000
Recycle4Change creates opportunities for people who have been impacted by the justice system by providing meaningful employment and wrap-around support, helping them rebuild their lives. In doing so this social enterprise reduces recidivism and its significant social impact costs. In addition, Recycle4Change contributes to a stronger circular economy in Victoria, creating a positive environmental impact.
Chance Creators also operates the Fruit2Work social enterprise which was established in 2018 to create chances for those impacted by the justice system, providing transitional employment opportunities to allow them to reintegrate into society. This model was designed and implemented by people with lived experience, considering and addressing the complex needs of participants. Fruit2Work employs individuals to deliver fruit, milk and pantry items to the workplace.
In addition to transitional employment, Chance Creators provides wrap-around services through the Transition2Change program. This enables employees to enhance their selfworth, reconnect with family and reintegrate into society. Transition2Change delivers comprehensive support, from initial contact through to job transition, on-the-job training, mental health support, coaching and participation each week in the ‘Build a Better You’ program.
The Ian Potter Foundation has supported Fruit2Work since 2018, awarding two grants totalling $205,500 (2018 and 2020) for expansion and support during the COVID pandemic.
THE FORMULA
Recycle4Change is creating chances, using the same successful formula as Fruit2Work and is widening the cohort of participants by focusing on the employment of females and young people impacted by the justice system.
By 2028, Recycle4Change aims to process 200 million drinking containers for recycling and facilitate over $20 million in payments to the local community. It will also enable schools and community groups to fundraise through container collection, creating opportunities for everyone.
MAKING A CHANGE
Formerly incarcerated people struggle to find appropriate employment when they leave prison due to the stigma associated with their criminal record, their lack of work experience and their need for a high level of flexibility to meet mandatory parole/court requirements. A lack of meaningful employment increases the likelihood of reoffending. Australia has a 49% recidivism rate within two years, rising to 60% within five years.
‘I’m a work in progress. I want to continue learning and improving myself. I never thought this life was possible. I used to just float around without a place to call home. I have dreams now – I no longer just exist, I’m living!’
— Recycle4Change staff member
In partnership with Tomra Cleanaway (West Zone Scheme Operators), Recycle4Change currently operates two automated depots in North Geelong and Point Cook and employs two full-time and ten part-time workers in each depot. Image: Recycle4Change
Recycle4Change acts as the transitional employer for people exiting the justice system, such as women (with carer responsibilities) and young people. A transitional employer who understands the needs and challenges of individuals exiting the justice system is essential for a successful transition.
Recycle4Change identified the Victorian CDS depot operation as an opportunity to provide meaningful employment within normal business hours and flexibility around carer responsibilities.
STEPPING INTO THE FUTURE
IMPACT
Recycle4Change has already seen great impact1.
Environmental Impact2:
• 5,197,534 million containers recycled
• 31 million litres of water saved (~ 12 Olympic swimming pools)
• 6,839 gigajoules of energy saved
• 311 tons of waste diverted from landfill
• 626 tons of carbon emissions avoided (~232 cars off the road for a year)
Community Impact:
• Over $480,000 in refunds paid to local community members
• Facilitated 32 community organisations with fundraising (schools, sporting clubs, charities)
Social Impact:
• 8,280 hours of meaningful social purpose employment
At Recycle4Change, the benefits of recycling extend beyond environmental impact. By participating in employment and the Transition2Change program, these individuals gain invaluable skills that aid their reintegration into society. This job can often be the steppingstone people need to reconnect with their families and lead productive, fulfilling lives. 1 November 2023 to June 2024. 2 Impact calculations are an estimate only and based on the
• 31 people employed
• 2 people have successfully transitioned to permanent external employment
Early Childhood Development
Nicole Bortone SENIOR PROGRAM MANAGER
GRANTS: 6
VALUE: $4,956,000
The Early Childhood Development program continues to support innovative programs and sector initiatives targeting early childhood (0–8 years old) learning and development. This year, three grants supported new initiatives, including UNICEF Australia’s Achieving Universal Birth Registration in Australia ($456,000), the delivery of the Inklings program (The Kids Research Institute Australia) and Thriving Kids, Active Brains (Queensland Brain Institute).
The Foundation also provided further support to organisations it had previously funded to undertake pilot programs. Due to their success, these programs are now being scaled up to a national level. Murdoch Children’s Research Institute is expanding the Mental Health in Primary Schools Initiative nationally. The University of Western Australia is rolling out the Australian Child and Youth Wellbeing Atlas based on the successful Western Australia Child and Youth Wellbeing Atlas model previously funded by the Foundation.
Australian Schools Plus Ltd
Capacity building
$1,500,000 OVER 5 YEARS
Australian Schools Plus (Schools Plus) invests in schools in disadvantaged communities, providing funding, coaching and knowledge to empower teachers and bring to life projects that create lasting change.
Over the last nine years, Schools Plus has raised over $60 million to support 1,500 school communities, established the Commonwealth Bank Teaching Awards, acknowledged over 72 school leaders, and launched the flagship Fair Education program. There is an increasing need and demand from schools for funding support, but Schools Plus can only fund approximately 20% of the applications received.
Schools Plus fulfils a unique role; this capacity-building funding will allow the organisation to increase its reach and impact over the next five years, supporting more disadvantaged schools and students.
FEATURE GRANTS
Queensland Brain Institute (The University of Queensland)
Thriving kids, active brains: A collaborative to support early child development
$1,250,000 OVER 5 YEARS
Queensland Brain Institute (QBI) is developing a neuroscience-informed training program targeting Australia’s Early Childhood Development (ECD) workforce. The training program aims to build workforce capacity in understanding brain health and architecture so that ECD professionals can better understand when to intervene, how to best support children’s brain development, and help nurture children’s resilience. Brain development in the early years underpins lifetime learning, emotional regulation, wellbeing and social inclusion.
The Kids Research Institute Australia
Transforming early childhood education and care through the delivery of the Inklings program
$750,000 OVER 5 YEARS
Babies are born with remarkable communication abilities, yet their social and communication skills can sometimes develop differently than expected. The Kids Research Institute Australia’s (formerly Telethon Kids Institute) Inklings is a program for babies aged 6–18 months who show differences in early social interaction and communication development. Inklings supports parents and caregivers in recognising, interpreting and attuning to a baby’s unique communication behaviours, and responding in a way that shows understanding of the baby’s desires, intentions and needs.
QBI will co-lead this project with the Thriving Queensland Kids Partnership, bringing together research efforts, philanthropy, not-for-profits, government and the community to improve children’s outcomes. The partnership has reach across metropolitan, regional and remote communities and has strong links to communities experiencing developmental vulnerability.
The training program will build on the evidencebased Brain Story program developed by the Harvard Center on the Developing Child and the Alberta Family Wellness Initiative, adapting it for an Australian context based on the five indicators of development assessed in the Australian Early Development Census (AEDC).
Decades of developmental and clinical research support Inklings’ efficacy, showing that the intervention continues to have beneficial effects until age three, two years after its completion. Inklings provides enormous promise to transform support for approximately 22% of developmentally vulnerable children in Australia.
This grant supports The Kids Research Institute Australia in adapting and piloting the Inklings program, specifically in Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC) settings. The Kids Research Institute Australia’s ultimate vision is that children who require early developmental social and communication support can access it through either a clinical model of Inklings (delivered by allied health practitioners) or a community-embedded model (delivered by educators in ECEC settings).
The Inklings program supports caregivers to sensitively respond to their baby’s unique communication cues. Image: Hungry Minds Learning with The Kids Research Institute.
Image: Queensland Brain Institute
Putting Kids First
ORGANISATION NAME
Kids First (formerly Children’s Protection Society)
PROJECT TITLE
Early Years Education Program (EYEP)
PROGRAM AREA
Early Childhood Development
TEST PILOT
In 2019, the Australian Early Development Census revealed that 21.7% of children starting full-time school were developmentally vulnerable. Children who begin school behind their peers often struggle to catch up, leading to lower educational achievement, poor health, unemployment, low wages and social challenges.
MODEL APPROACH
PROJECT DATES 2010 and 2022
GRANT AMOUNT
$1.3 million
Kids First is a national not-for-profit child and family services organisation with 120 years of experience providing educational, family and support services.
Initially, its Early Years Education Program (EYEP) was designed specifically for vulnerable children and was not available in regular kindergarten settings. To align with Kids First’s vision of helping all children thrive, the program’s key elements were adapted into a kindergarten education model that supports all children’s development, learning and family engagement.
To address this, Kids First launched a groundbreaking pilot education and care program inspired by successful early intervention programs in the USA. Federal and State Government funding, along with philanthropic support, enabled 45 children to participate in this first-of-its-kind Australian initiative.
The Ian Potter Foundation initially contributed $600,000 to launch the trial in 2010, with an additional $750,000 awarded in 2022 to adapt and expand the program into a universal kindergarten model.
The Kids First EYEP improves education, health and wellbeing outcomes for children and their families. The model has six core principles that support a progressive curriculum based on the children’s needs and interests whilst providing holistic care and support to their families.
The EYEP aligns with the Australian Early Years Learning Framework and Victorian Early Years Learning and Development Framework, which sets out outcomes and practices to guide early childhood professionals in their work. The model meets or exceeds expectations from these frameworks.
The research for the Early Years Education Program (EYEP) began in 2010, focusing on 45 highly vulnerable young children in Heidelberg West aged six months to six years. These children received intensive care and education to compensate for their challenging home environments, while their parents were supported through services aimed at improving parenting, relationships and job skills. The goal was to prepare these children to start school ready to learn and keep up with their peers.
The EYEP trial demonstrated that high-quality education and care could significantly improve the educational outcomes and lives of vulnerable children. Kids First then looked at how this model could be adapted to provide high-quality education in universal kindergarten settings where children and their families were not specifically chosen for the program.
The Kids First Early Years Education Program—Kindergarten Model was implemented in three kindergartens in late 2020 in collaboration with the Murdoch Children’s Institute, and three more kindergartens adopted it in 2022.
In 2023, Kids First began developing the EYEP— Kindergarten Model into a program that external service providers could adopt to provide an easily accessible program that supports all children to thrive regardless of their backgrounds or circumstances.
(L–R) Caroline Henwood, Research & Evaluation Manager; Nicole Bortone, Senior Program Manager – Early Childhood Development at The Ian Potter Foundation; Suzie Mansell, Senior Manager Children’s Services; Jodie Spratling, Acting Director Client Service –Early childhood and family services; Rowena Middlemiss, General Manager, Growth and Strategic Projects; Shelley Fallowfield, Early Years Model Lead at Kids First.
Below: Illustrations by children at Korin Korin Kindergarten, 2024. Image: Korin Korin.
SUCCESSES
Children in the targeted and intensive EYEP program outperformed their peers in relation to IQ, and their families’ ability to support their child’s resilience, social and cognitive skills also improved. Families also responded better to stress.
The Heidelberg West Centre was awarded the Excellent rating in 2014 by the Australian Children’s Education and Care Quality Authority (ACECQA), the highest rating a service can achieve under the National Quality Framework. The centre was recognised for its collaborative and inclusive partnerships with children and families, practices that enhance children’s learning and growth, and commitment to professional development and support for educators.
By 2023, Kids First expanded from six to eleven kindergartens in Victoria, opening new locations across the City of Casey, the City of Whittlesea and the City of Darebin. All 11 kindergartens use the EYEP – Kindergarten Model as its ‘way of working’.
AVAILABLE FOR ALL
Now available for all Australian children, the Kids First Early Years Education Model can be implemented in any kindergarten or early childhood education and care setting. The ultimate goal is to help early childhood centres nationwide adopt this model, providing all children, regardless of their background or circumstances, access to high-quality early years education and care.
The Kids First Early Years Education Program offers a unique blend of education and support to ensure all children can thrive in primary school and beyond. The program offers:
• high staff/child ratios
• diploma-qualified staff
• enriched caregiving
• high-quality curriculum-based education based on the new National Early Year Learning Frameworks
• connections to Family Support and Child Protection Services, and
• a strong focus on building partnerships with parents.
Public Health Research
Lauren Monaghan PROGRAM MANAGER
GRANTS: 4
VALUE: $2,390,000
The Public Health Research program supported four research projects this year. These projects target cohorts from early adolescence to seniors (65+ years).
Menzies School of Health Research was awarded $590,000 (over five years) to undertake a research project aimed at improving sexual health literacy among Aboriginal Health Workers in the Northern Territory. Researchers will co-design, develop, deliver and evaluate a culturally safe sexual health education course based on the Menzies School of Health Research’s successful Hep B PAST project.
The Foundation also funded two projects focused on supporting the mental health of older Australians in residential aged care (RAC), recognising that this cohort experiences much greater rates of psychological distress than older adults living in the community. The grant to Charles Sturt University (see page 21) focuses on preventing psychological distress during the transition into RAC through a codesigned intervention. The Swinburne Wellbeing Clinic for Older Adults (Swinburne University) was awarded $600,000 over five years to develop an implementation package aimed at improving the adoption of psychological treatments for older adults already residing in aged care, experiencing, or at risk of, psychological distress, anxiety or depression.
FEATURE GRANTS
Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology (RMIT)
Linking health, place and urban planning through the Australian Urban Observatory
$600,000 OVER 5 YEARS
This grant supports RMIT’s Centre for Urban Research to link multi-disciplinary research evidence on health and place to transform the development of urban planning that influences chronic ill health. The research team will evaluate existing infrastructure, cycling behaviour and area-based health outcomes to support healthy city design using the Australian Urban Observatory’s digital liveability platform.
Urban planners and governments are struggling to support physically active communities, address the health impacts of climate change, support zero emissions and translate research evidence
Charles Sturt University
ON-TRAC: Improving the Mental Health of Older Australians Navigating the Transition to Residential Aged Care
$600,000 OVER 5 YEARS
The Ageing Well in Rural and Regional Australia Research Group at Charles Sturt University is undertaking a research program to improve the mental health and wellbeing of older adults transitioning into permanent residential aged care (RAC).
Australia’s rapidly ageing population is increasing the demand for RAC. However, the transition to RAC facilities is often associated with psychological distress, manifesting as depression and anxiety, negatively impacting the quality of life and wellbeing of older Australians.
into healthy city planning. Cycling is an affordable, pollution-free, physically active transport mode that can prevent chronic ill health and has the potential to replace short to medium distance car trips that support local living.
Current levels of cycling are impeded by a lack of safe cycling infrastructure, built and natural environment factors, traffic speeds and volumes and socio-cultural factors. More knowledge is needed on the relationship between cycling behaviour and infrastructure that incentivises cycling for transport. Cycling is an undervalued transport mode critical for net-zero policy ambition with public health benefits.
The research team aim to address evidence and policy gaps by developing easy-to-use tools that connect the presence of cycling infrastructure to cycling behaviour and health outcomes.
With anxiety disorders often co-occurring, improving the mental health of older Australians during this critical transition phase may have a long-lasting positive impact, potentially reducing the overall incidence of depression and anxiety amongst older Australians in aged care facilities nationwide.
The research team will focus on the upstream prevention of depression and anxiety by targeting the transition phase before relocation into RAC. Working in partnership with residents, industry partners and research institutions, the team will co-design, implement and evaluate an evidence-informed psychological intervention tailored to improve mental health and optimise the wellbeing of Australians transitioning into RAC.
Cycling track to the city along a train line, Australia. Image: Stock image.
The incidence of depression in older adults in RAC facilities is alarmingly high (52%) when compared to older adults still living in the community (10–15%).
Growing Strong Together
ORGANISATION NAME
Ngangk Yira Institute (Murdoch University)
The Baby Coming You Ready? (BCYR) program is a digital platform that has ‘cracked the code’ to overcome communication barriers between Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women and their healthcare providers during pregnancy and after the baby arrives.
Designed by Aboriginal peoples and Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal professionals, BCYR provides ‘wrap-around’ solutions to the many barriers impacting trusting engagement, effective assessment, routine screens and effective woman-centred care.
The program centres around a web-based app. Sensitive touchscreen images and Aboriginal voiceovers guide users through a self-reflective, engaging, culturally safe ‘yarn’ that supports women in identifying their strengths and worries and then creating their own solutions.
BACKGROUND
Monitoring mental health is integral to maternal healthcare. Health professionals routinely use standard risk screens to assess alcohol, tobacco, family/domestic violence and depression/anxiety. Jayne Kotz, a nurse practitioner, midwife, child health nurse and senior researcher at Ngangk Yira Institute, talked to 107 Aboriginal women, finding that these screens were unanimously considered unhelpful and culturally unsuitable. Women said they felt judged and distrusted, and declined to disclose any real concerns owing to a genuine fear of child protection involvement or having their baby removed.
To address these inequities in current practice, Jayne Kotz worked closely with Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal healthcare providers and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities from 17 Clans and Nations across Western Australia to develop a technology-based solution.
PROJECT AIMS
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander mothers experience alarmingly high rates of mental health problems while remaining under-screened and poorly managed. Pregnancy is an ideal opportunity to enhance support and engagement with health services. However, evidence shows that Aboriginal Australians distrust mainstream health services, experiencing these as culturally unsafe. This results in current approaches
to their perinatal mental health screening and follow-up care being ineffective.
The objectives of the Baby Coming You Ready? project were to:
• demonstrate the impacts of culturally responsive care approaches on maternal/infant outcomes
• evaluate the acceptability and adaptability of these approaches in diverse jurisdictions, and
• future-proof technology for use in intermittent/poor internet connectivity areas and virtual use for pandemic conditions.
APPROACH
A comprehensive consultation was undertaken to explore the barriers and supportive influences for effective screening and strong parenting practices among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander parents. Over seven years, they jointly designed solutions using a ‘desire-based’ approach. The BCYR program emerged as a trauma-aware and healing-focused program to support Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander parents and their health professionals to be the best they can be.
BCYR centres around a digital web-based assessment used on iPads, providing an alternative to all current risk screens. Sensitive touch-screen images capture experiences and practices common to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander mothers at this time. Aboriginal voiceovers on each slide guide the users through a culturally safe, strengths-based self-reflective yarn between the mother and her health professional. Alongside her health professional, she selects images she relates to, capturing her personalised story. This allows her to reflect on her cultural, social, spiritual, and emotional wellbeing, strengths and worries. She then prioritises these and creates her solutions.
Voice-over recordings and over 500 culturally sensitive images were created and digitised. Selected images generate the text-based record and care plan, which are then uploaded to My Health Record. This ensures the women’s cultural story and care plans travel with them through services.
SUCCESSES
Over 300 women and 47 health professionals participated in the successful pilot across eight maternity health settings in metropolitan and rural Western Australia. The women and professionals all said that using the BCYR program built trusting, honest, open and therapeutic relationships.
CONCLUSION
The BCYR program enables women to own their story, tell it their way in safety, and regain control over their maternal assessment and care. The generated record ensures women don’t have to re-tell their story throughout their pregnancy journey, minimising culturally biased assumptions, misunderstandings and inappropriate care. Importantly, it allows parents to identify their strengths and what they need support for in a culturally relevant and sensitive way.
‘It’s the first time I realised how strong I was.’ — Pilot participant
Baby Coming You Ready? Professionals’ Training Workshop at the Ngangk Yira Institute for Change.
Novel blood test for cancer monitoring
ORGANISATION NAME
The Garvan Institute of Medical Research
Development of epigenetic PCR blood
BACKGROUND
Monitoring tumour progression using a blood test represents an important paradigm shift in precision medicine. In contrast to tissue biopsies, detecting circulating cell-free tumour DNA (ctDNA) in blood plasma provides a minimally invasive method for disease detection, posing little risk of side effects.
A ‘liquid biopsy’ approach allows for early and regular testing so patients can be closely monitored and cancer relapse readily detected in advance of CT imaging and PET scans.
AIMS AND OBJECTIVES
DNA methylation refers to the ‘marks’ on DNA. It is among the earliest molecular changes in tumour development, making DNA methylation biomarkers a compelling approach to detect ctDNA.
Put simply, the research aims to:
There is a compelling need to develop new technologies to detect cancer using a blood test. Researchers have identified novel breast and prostate cancer DNA methylation biomarkers that can detect cancer in a ‘liquid biopsy’ (blood) sample.
This research project aims to advance biomarker panels into clinically validated in-vitro diagnostic DNA tests using droplet-digital PCR (ddPCR), an accurate and extremely sensitive method for detecting DNA methylation biomarkers.
• design and optimise ddPCR epigenetic tests specific for prostate and breast cancer, and
• evaluate the developed ddPCR tests using known control DNA to assess the tests’ accuracy, sensitivity and specificity, to detect methylated control DNA using the Biorad-QX600 ddPCR machine.
Based on the results, the research team aims to fast-track biomarkers into clinical tests.
APPROACH
To undertake this research, the Garvan Institute needed to acquire a state-of-the-art Biorad-QX600 ddPCR machine, released in September 2022. Biorad is a world leader in this technology, and the Biorad-QX600 enables the development of methylation biomarker panels into clinical tests.
Development of this state-of-the-art technology for diagnostic utility will be shared within facilities at the Garvan Institute and The Kinghorn Cancer Centre and within the respective institutes of the research team’s collaborators through in-house scientific talks and seminars.
PROGRESS
Since the delivery and installation of the Biorad-QX600, the research team has undertaken training and performed validation with four fluorophores and three genes, which has been very successful, down to 1% detection.
CONCLUSION
Developing epigenetic biomarkers is an innovative approach to detecting breast and prostate cancer in a simple blood test, a significant advancement for cancer surveillance. Currently, there is a lack of sensitive and reliable tests to monitor patients’ long-term relapse before overt clinical recurrence. Earlier detection will inform earlier intervention and treatment strategies and will ultimately translate into superior outcomes for patients
‘The opportunity to acquire the state-of-the-art Biorad QX600 machine is a game-changer to advance DNA methylation biomarkers into clinically validated PCR tests.’
— A/Prof Clare Stirzaker
Environment
Louise Arkles SENIOR PROGRAM MANAGER
GRANTS: 1
VALUE: $2 million
The Foundation recognises that a thriving environmental sector, underpinned by a well-resourced scientific research community, is essential for a healthy natural environment. Through its Environment program, the Foundation is committed to investing in efforts to better manage our natural resources and preserve threatened biodiversity and ecosystems in the face of challenges such as land degradation, limited water resources, invasive species and climate change.
From 2025, the Environment program is refining its objectives to ensure the projects supported are forward-looking, adaptive and focused on resilience. We will prioritise work at a landscape/ecosystem scale that strongly engages with communities and ensures First Peoples’ engagement and knowledge are incorporated. We will continue to look to support projects with strong scientific evidence involving expert partners that can be scaled, replicated or adapted for wider application.
Only one Environment grant was awarded in fiscal 2024 as this program area was on hold from September 2022 to October 2023 while our Environment Program Manager was on study leave to undertake a Master of Conservation Leadership at Cambridge University.
ALCA’s annual conference is a critical forum for discussions and insights into scaling nature investment, reversing environmental decline, and meeting global and national biodiversity commitments. Image: ALCA.
Australian Land Conservation Alliance Limited
ALCA capacity building initiative
$2 MILLION OVER 4 YEARS
Nature and biodiversity conservation is now a national priority. Australia’s international obligations under the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework include achieving 30% of land and 30% of waters protected by 2030. Meeting this commitment requires protecting at least a further 60 million hectares of land. This could be in the form of National or State parks or on private land. Increasing private lands under protection is critical to achieving this target.
Formed in 2009 as an informal coalition of a dozen environmental non-government organisations, the Australian Land Conservation Alliance (ALCA) has become
Australia’s only peak body representing environmental organisations that work to conserve, manage and restore nature on privately managed land. ALCA’s mission is to halt and reverse nature loss by growing a diverse, highly capable and resourced private land conservation sector that protects, stewards and restores land and water for a healthy and resilient Australia.
ALCA released its ambitious 2030 Strategy: Protecting and Stewarding for Nature in March 2022 but had insufficient staff to deliver it. At the same time, it was experiencing an increased demand for its services and advice (particularly from governments), and interest in membership is growing rapidly.
Over four years, this $2 million major grant will support organisational capacity building at ALCA, enabling it to achieve its 2030 Strategy, which will support the environment sector and Australian governments to achieve their nature conservation targets.
FEATURE GRANT
For Country, culture and community
ORGANISATION NAME
Karrkad Kanjdji Trust
PROJECT TITLE
Warddeken Indigenous Rangers:
Protecting Country and Cultural Heritage
PROGRAM AREA
Environment
LOCATION
NT
PROJECT DATES
June 2019 – June 2024
GRANT AMOUNT
$1,770,000
The Warddeken Indigenous Protected Area (IPA) spans 14,000 km2 of Stone Country in West Arnhem Land. Through Warddeken Land Management Ltd (Warddeken) – a First Nations-owned non-profit organisation – over 200 Indigenous rangers manage the landscape, protecting vital environmental and cultural values.
Among Warddeken’s key programs is the Kunwarddebim (Rock Art) Project: a year-round operation that engages the Warddeken Rangers, Traditional Owners and Elders in the protection and sustained visitation of what is one of the largest undocumented collections of rock art in the world (current estimates sit at around 40,000 sites).
KUNWARDDEBIM
For Bininj (First Nations people of West Arnhem Land), kunwarddebim encapsulates their deep, sustained connection to the land, and they are determined to protect these sacred sites. However, feral animals, unmanaged wildfires and vegetation overgrowth threaten the future survival of kunwarddebim, along with more intangible threats such as the loss of local, customary knowledge of the kunwarddebim sites.
With the support of Bininj leaders, Warddeken created the Kunwarddebim Project to enable Traditional Owners and Elders to determine the priority sites for documentation and conservation.
Recognising the need for greater financial support to deliver community-led conservation, leaders from Warddeken and a neighbouring IPA established the Karrkad Kanjdji Trust (KKT) to act as their philanthropic arm. The Ian Potter Foundation has supported this innovative partnership for the last five years, enabling significant protection of cultural heritage through the Kunwarddebim Project.
WARDDEKEN OBJECTIVES
Warddeken aimed to build its organisational capacity to undertake extensive documentation of kunwarddebim, record traditional knowledge, and take on-ground actions to protect and safeguard particular sites.
The specific project goals were to:
• survey and document rock art sites across the Warddeken IPA
• implement a management regime to mitigate physical threats and maintain cultural connections to sites
• employ, train and empower First Nations rangers
• ensure that the management of cultural heritage is always Indigenous-controlled, and
• collaborate with other stakeholders to share project learnings.
COMMUNITY-LED APPROACH
After two years of community consultation with Traditional Owners and a successful pilot that surveyed, documented and protected preliminary sites, Warddeken significantly scaled the project.
The core Kunwarddebim Project team now includes two Bininj project officers and two non-Indigenous project leads (a linguist and an archaeologist). Under the guidance of Traditional Owners, they have developed cultural heritage management plans with respective clan estates, conducted conservation assessments and built the capacity of Wardekken Rangers to determine and implement conservation actions.
PROGRESS TO DATE
In 2024, the Kunwarddebim Project completed its first five years. Over this period, the team designed and built a sophisticated bilingual database and an app for in-situ document capture. Crucially, Warddeken retains all data as its intellectual property but, they are open to sharing it and its experience with the national and international rock art sector and have already presented at several conferences.
Other key milestones and achievements have included:
• developing a survey methodology that captures visual and audio material alongside metadata such as GPS, condition, threats and remedial actions, and cultural aspects
‘These
paintings are the stories of Nawarddeken told over thousands of years. Some were painted by people like us, and others were placed there by spirits. Rock art is our cultural heritage and we are the ones with a responsibility to care for these places.’
— Donna Nadjamerrek, Nawarddeken Elder
• surveying 456 sites (10–100 paintings at each site) across 21 of the 36 separate clan estates within the IPA, and
• supporting over 80 Traditional Owners and more than 100 rangers to visit orphaned Country (land without its people) and reestablish their custodianship.
Like all of Warddeken’s work, the Kunwarddebim Project is entirely community-owned and led. On average, it directly impacts the livelihoods and wellbeing of 125 rangers and their families, supporting them to engage in meaningful on-Country work.
WHAT’S NEXT?
The Kunwarddebim Project plans to extend surveys to cover all IPA clans (currently 58 per cent of clan areas have been surveyed), increase the number of Bininj officers in leadership positions and develop an accredited training package.
KKT and Warddeken have committed to continuing the project, which is deeply embedded in the ranger program and communities. Funding is an ongoing challenge. To date, this work has been 100% funded through donations and KKT continues to seek philanthropic support.
Kunwarddebim Project team surveying site within Warddeken IPA. Image: David Hancock.
GRANTS: 8
Arts
VALUE: $4,450,000
This year’s Arts program grants support artist skills development across various practice areas, including Immersive Arts, Performing Artists, Contemporary Dance, Design and Music.
These included a grant to Flinders Quartet ($150,000) to provide structured opportunities for Australian composers to work with the Flinders Quartet musicians to workshop and develop new compositions. Koorie Heritage Trust was awarded $200,000 to continue its successful Blak Design program, and Dancenorth was awarded $300,000 for its Regional Gravitation program, which provides mentoring to independent contemporary dancers from across Australia.
The grants featured in this report are focused on innovative programs designed to increase audience and community engagement and access to a range of art forms, traditional to contemporary, including music and theatrical performance and visual art exhibitions.
In fiscal 2024, the Foundation also provided $1,275,000 to The Ian Potter Cultural Trust to continue its program of artist grants. These grants enable emerging practitioners to travel internationally to gain experience and learn from the best in their respective fields.
The Australian Ballet was awarded $1 million over the next four years to assist them with relocation costs during the Melbourne Arts Precinct Transformation.
Geelong Performing Arts Centre Trust
Creative Engine: Where Artist Meets Audience
$700,000 OVER 4 YEARS
Creative Engine is Geelong Arts Centre’s (GAC) development program designed to nurture the professional careers of emerging artists. After a two-year $140 million build and redevelopment period, GAC is expanding its Creative Engine program to develop the skills of Geelong and Bellarine artists and connect them with GAC staff and facilities.
This grant will support GAC to expand its successful three-year pilot of Creative Engine to offer:
Artist Residencies – artists from up to 15 projects from the local region will be selected to participate.
Associate Artist Program – employing two Associate Artists annually, with the equivalent of four months of full-time work per year, spread over 12 months.
Launchpad + Audience Development – allowing emerging artists to take their creative ideas from the development stage through to audience presentation at GAC.
Louise Joel PROGRAM MANAGER
FEATURE GRANTS
Musica Viva Australia
Musica Viva Australia Skill Development for Creative Concerts – Evolving Chamber Music
$525,000 OVER 4 YEARS
Over 2024–28, Musica Viva seeks to deliver a program that will strengthen the organisation’s leadership in the sector as a presenter of excellent chamber music and evolve as a producing house. The focus of this program is to provide mentorship and training to ‘creative artisans’ or ‘classical music technicians and professionals’, equipping them with a distinctive array of skills that will lead to new concert experiences for audiences and increase the emotional impact of live classical music.
The Musica Viva Australia Skill Development for Creative Concerts initiative responds directly to the need to train or upskill technical and production roles for the classical music industry.
Perth Institute of Contemporary Arts Ltd
PICA Extend: An Immersive Arts platform for artists and audiences across WA and beyond
$300,000 OVER 3 YEARS
Over 2024–27, Perth Institute of Contemporary Arts (PICA) will deliver an Immersive Arts program that will provide training and education programs for artists, create and tour new works, and publish an Immersive Arts White Paper to share learnings and resources with the Australian visual arts sector.
Cabaret of Calm performed at the Geelong Arts Centre. Image: Helen Duncan and Cameron Grant, Parenthesy.
Anna Dowsley and Michael Curtain perform William Bolcom’s Cabaret Songs with lyrics by Arnold Weinstein as conceptualised by Ian Dickson and Paul Kildea. Written and directed by Constantine Costi, lighting design by Matthew Marshall. Image: Charlie Hardy.
XR Hackathon, 2022, Perth Institute of Contemporary Arts. Image: Olivia Senior.
Darwin Aboriginal Art Fair Goes Global
ORGANISATION NAME
Darwin Aboriginal Art Fair Foundation
PROJECT TITLE
Darwin Aboriginal Art Fair (DAAF) Foundation’s Digital Pivot Initiative
PROGRAM AREA Arts LOCATION
Darwin, NT and National
PROJECT DATES
January 2021 – July 2024
GRANT AMOUNT
$950,000
The DAAF Foundation is a not-for-profit Indigenous organisation owned and governed by the 80+ Art Centres and peak bodies it represents.
The Foundation’s cornerstone event is the Darwin Aboriginal Art Fair (DAAF), which brings together art collectors, public institutions and the general public to buy art directly from 80+ Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Art Centres nationwide.
When COVID struck in 2020, the DAAF Foundation’s mostly remote Art Centre members needed DAAF to help support sales generation. Within three months, the DAAF Foundation transformed its physical event into a vibrant online sales platform with an accompanying digital public program.
BACKGROUND
The inaugural Darwin Aboriginal Art Fair (DAAF) was held in 2007 after the board of the Museum and Art Gallery of the Northern Territory recognised the need to provide an opportunity for collectors, commercial galleries, public institutions and the public to buy directly from remote community Art Centres.
Building on the success of this digital pivot, the DAAF Foundation sought funding to consolidate and grow its digital platform and footprint, invest in digital capability for the Indigenous Arts Centre workforce, and investigate potential international markets for its digital offering.
The Ian Potter Foundation awarded the DAAF Foundation a four-year capacity-building grant to support it in achieving its vision.
THE PIVOT
The Digital Pivot Initiative aimed to further develop the DAAF Foundation’s digital platform and footprint for Indigenous art, culture and design by:
Uplifting Capability: Providing an opportunity for DAAF Foundation Art Centre members to build digital marketing, business and artistic skills via a Community of Practice.
Connecting People to Art: Launching the first national digital platform for DAAF Foundation Art Centres, the Indigenous Arts Hub, which showcases artwork and exhibitions and provides a space for knowledge sharing, original content, news and research.
Exploring International Opportunities: Building international relationships by researching and developing a strategy to enable international connections for Indigenous Art Centres.
CONSULTATION AND CONNECTION
Initially, the DAAF Foundation conducted an in-depth review of the landscape, consulting with its Art Centre Members to understand the essential requirements and outcomes. This consultation highlighted the need for a Community of Practice for Art Centres.
In 2021–22, the DAAF Foundation conducted further consultations with Art Centres to ascertain the digital platform’s purpose and features. It also built relationships and networks with international First Nations curators, connecting them to Art Centres and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander curators.
Throughout 2023, the DAAF Foundation worked with systems development specialists to build the digital platform.
SUCCESS BY NUMBERS
In August 2020, DAAF launched its entirely virtual art fair across nine days. DAAF welcomed 69 Art Centres and 45,000 virtual visitors (72% of whom stated that this was their first time visiting the Fair) generating over $2.6 million— with all sales being returned to the Indigenous Art Centres.
In 2023, DAAF welcomed 75 Art Centres, over 17,000 event visitors and a further 13,157 unique online visitors, generating
‘The Digital Pivot Initiative has been an ambitious and innovative project, which has focused on providing Indigenous Art Centres with access to national and international art markets via digital sales platforms, whilst focusing on building business skills that remain in community, for community. As the project’s development phase comes to a close, we are incredibly excited to officially launch the Indigenous Arts Hub and our new Community of Practice.’
— Claire Summers, Executive Director, DAAF Foundation
a record $4.4 million in sales. Over 200 Indigenous Arts Workers participated in managing their Art Centre’s booths, with 92 also managing the online DAAF portal.
Since then, the platform has become a mechanism for the DAAF Foundation to generate its own income by being leased to support other First Nations art fairs across Australia.
The DAAF Foundation’s International Development Plan began in mid-2023 and has led to working with the Festival of Pacific Arts and Culture in Hawaii (June 2024) and Expo 2025 Osaka. Other international relationships in New York, Paris, Canada and London with major public institutions such as the Musee du Quai Branley and the Smithsonian –National Museum of the American Indian are being steadily built and strengthened.
AND COUNTING
Celebrating its fifteenth iteration in 2024, the Indigenous Arts Hub has continued to allow Art Centres to log in through a dedicated portal to upload their artwork for sale, which is a significant achievement considering Art Centres can have limited access to the internet, technology and staff resourcing.
In 2023, 11% of online visitors were international, which shows a slow but steady growth of global interest. The DAAF Foundation will keep refining and improving the platform, informed by feedback from Art Centres and customers. By the end of 2024, the digital art fair will have generated more than $12.5 million in sales for Indigenous artists since 2020.
Ngaanyatjarra Land, Artists (L–R) Nyungawarra Ward, Dorcas Tinamayi Bennett, Cynthia Burke, Delilah Shepherd, Nancy Nyanyarna Jackson. Image: Jason Thomas, courtesy of Warakurna Artists.
Grants List
Community Wellbeing
Recipient
Wilya Ajjul Janta Aboriginal Corporation Wilya Janta – Tennant Creek Housing Pilot
NT Remote
WISE Employment Ltd WISE IDEA-Toolkit: Equipping social-enterprises and forpurpose businesses with bestpractice support for employees with mental illness $450,000 National Metropolitan
The YMCA of the Northern Territory Youth & Community Services Ltd Remote Pools Project
Early Childhood Development
Australian Schools Plus Ltd Capacity building
The Kids Research Institute Australia Transforming early childhood education and care through the delivery of the Inklings program
Murdoch Children’s Research Institute National expansion and sustainability of the Mental Health in Primary Schools Initiative
UNICEF Australia Achieving Universal Birth Registration in Australia
NT Remote
National Across all areas
QLD Inner regional; Metropolitan
$600,000 National Across all areas
Australian Land Conservation Alliance Limited ALCA capacity building initiative
Public Health Research
Charles Sturt University ON-TRAC: Improving the Mental Health of Older Australians Navigating the Transition to Residential Aged Care
Menzies School of Health Research Reducing the incidence of important public health conditions using novel models of education and care
Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology Linking health, place and urban planning through the Australian Urban Observatory
$600,000 NSW, TAS, VIC Metropolitan; Inner regional; Outer regional
$456,000 National Remote; Inner regional; Outer regional; Across all areas
The University of Queensland Thriving kids, active brains: A collaborative to support early child development $1,250,000 QLD Across all
QLD, VIC Metropolitan; Inner regional
Swinburne University of Technology Improving adoption of evidencebased psychological treatments in residential aged-care settings: A system-wide approach $600,000 National Across all areas
Sector Support
International Specialised Skills Institute 2024 International Fellowship Skills Forum