Philanthropy, government and community take the next steps for Australia’s children

Leaders from government, philanthropy and community have taken a critical step towards building a better future for Australian’s children and young people, setting the stage for new investment in community-led initiatives to drive positive change.

Meeting at the second roundtable of the Investment Dialogue for Australia’s Children in Adelaide on 15 November, partners committed to collaborating with up to 50 communities by 2030 to better support community-led change that achieves tangible outcomes for children, young people and their families.

The Dialogue will coordinate philanthropic and government engagement with the communities, involve local leaders in decision-making and allocate funding according to community aspirations, helping to reduce the burden of seeking support and investment.

This collaboration will include partnering with three place-based community partners to co-design innovation zones. These zones will provide an opportunity for established place-based approaches to design the enabling reforms needed to break through major barriers for achieving intergenerational change.

Dialogue partners also collectively agreed and launched the Dialogue’s Strategic Framework, a set of priority outcomes which will guide collaboration and action across the partnership, with a clear focus on place, early years and young people.

Government and philanthropy have agreed to work together on developing and embedding integrated early childhood development approaches, with a focus on First Nations led approaches, holistic early learning models, integrated services, workforce uplift, as well as full-service school models to support continuity of child development.

Dialogue partners have also agreed to establish the IDAC Social Impact Investment and Advisory Working Group to collaborate on projects under the Government’s $100 million Outcomes Fund.

Alongside the Roundtable outcomes, the philanthropic Dialogue members have announced more than $47 million in recent co-investments in organisations working within the Dialogue’s priority outcome areas.

Twenty-four philanthropic organisations from across Australia have now joined the Investment Dialogue. The Dialogue will continue to strengthen the partnership in 2025, with an invitation to State and Territory Governments to collaborate on priority initiatives and further expansion of philanthropic members.

Investment Dialogue Community Leadership Council Chair Catherine Liddle said: “The Investment Dialogue presents a real opportunity to improve the co-ordination and levels of funding for issues that impact the development of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children and young people.

“Reforms must be community-led and decisions made in partnership with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, as they know their communities best and they know best what works. Strengthening these models will lead to better targeted investments,” Catherine said.

Minderoo Foundation Executive Director Communities Penny Dakin commented:“Breaking cycles of adversity means tackling issues at their root causes and the most effective way to do this is by communities leading the way with the resources and capability they need to create long-lasting change.

“This commitment by philanthropy and Government puts communities at the heart of efforts to build a better future for Australian children and families,” Penny said.

www.investmentdialogue.org.au

Investment Dialogue founding philanthropic partners include:

• Besen Family Foundation
• BHP Foundation
• Brian M Davis Charitable Foundation
• CAGES Foundation
• Dusseldorp Forum
• Eureka Benevolent Foundation
• RM Ansett Trust (as managed by Equity Trustees)
• Fogarty Foundation
• Gold Coast Hospital Foundation
• Hand Heart Pocket
• Helen Macpherson Smith Trust
• Minderoo Foundation
• Paul Ramsay Foundation
• Perpetual Trustees
• Philanthropy Australia
• Stan Perron Charitable Foundation
• Sydney Children’s Hospitals Foundation
• The Berg Family Foundation
• The Bryan Foundation
• The Ian Potter Foundation
• The John Villiers Trust
• The Phillips Foundation
• Tim Fairfax Family Foundation