Laura Mannix

Philanthropy Lead

Laura Mannix
Laura Mannix

Laura oversees all strategic and donor advised grant making and collective giving activities at the Foundation, including the Impact Fund and National Crisis Response Fund. Laura is also responsible for continuing to build a strong and vibrant donor community by engaging donors and partners in helping to create a fairer and more sustainable Australia.

I’M PASSIONATE ABOUT…

I’m passionate about dismantling colonised structures and the redistribution of power. I was drawn to the community foundation space in part to channel my experience hustling for money to do justice-based work – I’m excited by the ongoing efforts to reimagine giving to be led by those on the frontlines of transformative change.

As a bi-racial person who has benefited from migration, migrant and racial justice is close to my heart. And as I reflect upon my family’s journey and the privileges I hold as a settler on Wurundjeri Country, I cannot separate this work from that of First Nations sovereignty and self-determination – I stand in solidarity and am committed to supporting these critical efforts.

As a bi-racial person who has benefited from migration, migrant and racial justice is close to my heart

MY EXPERIENCE

I have 15 years of experience contributing to social justice movements, and intentionally building and fostering communities rooted in equity and relationship. My work has been both local and global, spanning refugee and immigrant rights advocacy, justice-based program design and not-for-profit management.

My time as the Director of Community Development at DIVERSEcity Community Resources Society has been particularly impactful in my journey so far, as it provided space for me to explore ways of decolonizing the refugee and immigration settlement system through the development of collective impact projects and serve as an advisor to government, for-profit and philanthropic bodies on embedding equity and accessibility across their funding streams.

I’ve also been proud to contribute to the efforts of Megaphone, Rainbow Refugee and the RADIUS Refugee Livelihood Lab in Vancouver, and the Asylum Seeker Resource Centre here in Naarm. I hold a BA in International Studies, and a Graduate Diploma in Social Innovation.

Contact Us
Level 6, 126 Wellington Parade, East Melbourne VIC 3002

We acknowledge Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples as the first inhabitants and Traditional Custodians of the lands on which we live, learn and work. We pay our respects to Elders past and present.

Australian Communities Foundation is a proudly inclusive organisation and an ally of LGBTQIA+ communities and the movement toward equality.