Australian National Community Foundation Forum: the ‘SMIRF’ capital of community foundations

Alliance magazine

Alliance is proud to have been part of the media coverage for this year’s Australian National Community Foundation Forum, in Melbourne, Australia. We provided coverage of the event from:

Ben Rodgers, Executive Officer at the Inner North Community Foundation, Australia.
Catherine Brown, CEO of the Lord Mayor’s Charitable Foundation, Australia
Hannah Fitch-Rabbitt, Social Impact Manager for the Fremantle Foundation in Australia.
Jane Jose, CEO of the Sydney Community Foundation, Australia
Natalie Egleton, CEO of the Foundation for Rural and Regional Renewal, Australia
Sarah Matthee, Philanthropic Services Manager for the Foundation for Rural and Regional Renewal, Australia.

Read their blogs here.

This year’s theme explored the SMIRF capital of Community Foundations; the premise that meaningful change is achieved when Community Foundations leverage all forms of their capital; Social, Moral, Intellectual, Reputational as well as Financial; building networks and connections to foster a sense of belonging, reflecting and protecting the community’s values, leveraging deep local knowledge, and using positions as trusted local leaders to lift-up, empower and enfranchise community organisations or citizen groups that are often over-looked and disadvantaged.

‘Anchor yourself in the journey for the long term’ – the 2017 Australian National Community Foundation Forum

A year ago, it seemed like a great idea to co-host the Annual National Community Foundation Forum in Melbourne. The thought was, what a fabulous way to celebrate the anniversaries of Australian Communities Foundation and Inner North Community Foundation. 12 months on, after adding a third co-host in the Lord Mayors Charitable Foundation, organizing three days of conferencing and an Anniversary Event at the Fitzroy Town Hall for 200 people, Ben Rodgers, Executive Officer at the Inner North Community Foundation, Australia considers and confirms that this was it still a good idea.

Ben Rodgers reports here.

#NCFF17 – From local to global


The ‘local self-help’ approach which community foundations embody is well understood within the community foundation movement around the world. Catherine Brown, CEO of the Lord Mayor’s Charitable Foundation, Australia writes that using a collective approach to tackle local challenges faced at any particular time has been proven to make a difference in many communities, from Melbourne to New Orleans.

Catherine Brown reports here.

#NCFF17 – What is the role for community foundations in a world full of charities?


Hannah Fitch-Rabbitt, Social Impact Manager for the Fremantle Foundation, Australia ponders in a country where there are 54,835 charities registered with the Australian Charities and Not-for-profits Commission (ACNC) and donors who, as Wendy Scaife, Associate Professor and Director of the Australian Centre for Philanthropy and Nonprofit Studies at QUT, pointed out, ‘care about the cause not the organisation’, some might question the value of using a community foundation.

Hannah Fitch-Rabbitt reports here.

#NCFF17 – Exploring the Soul of Community Foundations


In Australia, the community foundation movement is both old and young depending on where you live. Melbourne’s funds have maturity and yet are still reinventing their focus and giving to meet the needs of communities now. Jane Jose, the Chief Executive Officer of the Sydney Community Foundation, Australia, reflects on how Community Foundations can encourage people to give local, building local community knowledge and strength.

Jane Jose reports here.

Impressions from the 2017 National Community Foundations Forum


Natalie Egleton, CEO for the Foundation for Rural & Regional Renewal, Australia, contemplates the notion that community foundations exist through a social contract to collectively support the future of their communities through facilitating fairness, equity and sustainability and are fundamentally concerned with strengthening inclusion and belonging.

Natalie Egleton reports here.

#NCFF17 – Simple yet powerful lessons


‘I’m always interested in the ‘vibe’ of conferences – the feeling in the room. I feel that it reflects the undercurrent of purpose and values that brings people together, guides the narrative, and sets the mood ‘, comments Sarah Matthee, Philanthropic Services Manager for the Foundation for Rural and Regional Renewal, Australia.

Sarah Matthee reports here.

Article photo credits: Australian Community Philanthropy.


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