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A proud legacy: Trudy Wyse on 19 years at ACF

Profile of Bec Bridges
Written by Bec BridgesPosted on 2/11/2020
A proud legacy: Trudy Wyse on 19 years at ACF

After 19 years in the engine room at Australian Communities Foundation (ACF), Trudy Wyse’s legacy has been woven into the very fabric of our giving community and our work.

Amongst a long list of achievements,  three things stand out about Trudy’s time at ACF; firstly, her commitment to collaboration, whether across organisations, community groups or entire sectors; secondly, her long-term vision for structural reform through philanthropy, which lives on today not just within ACF but across the philanthropic sector; and finally, her brazen and unshakeable dedication to truth-telling on our path towards justice for First Nations communities.

“What seems truly remarkable to me is that as we’ve grown – and over the past few years that growth has been huge – we have remained true to the twin goals that I remember so well as the driving force and our mantra right from the beginning.”

Gradually over the past few years, Trudy has scaled back her time with us, contributing to a range of ongoing projects and continuing to lift up the people around her.

“What I overwhelmingly feel is just how proud I am to have been part of the ACF journey that has got us to where the organisation is today,” says Trudy.

“What seems truly remarkable to me is that as we’ve grown – and over the past few years that growth has been huge – we have remained true to the twin goals that I remember so well as the driving force and our mantra right from the beginning.”

The first goal was the democratisation of giving, “so that everybody who wanted could be involved in structured giving, not just the very wealthy”. The second was “to contribute to social, economic and environmental justice in Australia, or what we called in the early days positive social change and a vibrant, inclusive community.”

Following a formative board retreat in 2004 that set the organisation on an exciting new strategic path, Trudy headed up the MacroMelbourne initiative.

“While not the first of our strategic programs, MacroMelbourne was the most ambitious to date, and which I now see as a precursor of the much bigger and more far reaching Impact Fund,” Trudy says.

“We had always talked about building up a discretionary sub-fund to support this more strategic focus, but for a long time it seemed a bit ‘pie in the sky’ – so I’m really pleased that this is now so embedded in ACF’s work.”

“I think the MacroMelbourne initiative raised our profile and gave us more credibility. It was instrumental in us then getting the very big consulting piece of work we did with the Office for the Community Sector.”

L-R: Julie, Leonie Mugavin, Andrea Heffernan, Trudy Wyse, Sarah Davies and Karen Mahlab. This photograph was taken at the launch of the MacroMelbourne initiative.

This project invigorated the growth of community foundations across Victoria and enabled close collaboration between government and the social sector.

Witnessing the benefits of working cooperatively with other sectors, Trudy and then-board director Karen Mahlab knew they were on to a good thing.

“We both knew that we wanted to bring together people from the corporate, educational, not-for-profit and philanthropic sectors, as well as government. In fact, for the first phase of the initiative, to undertake the research that would underpin the work, we got a grant from the State Government, and went on to work with Deakin University.”

“It was pretty new, that notion of bringing together the people in the field and from across different sectors, to talk about the issues, and find agreement on key priorities in that area to move it forward. But that was the thing, we knew we had to break the mould to make progress.”

Trudy’s a firm believer in truth-telling in philanthropy. “There should be greater bravery and courage in philanthropy, to look at how the wealth was made and at what cost, particularly to First Nations people. What does this mean for our responsibility to give back to Indigenous communities on their terms,” she says.

“One of the most valuable lessons I’ve learned is the way that philanthropy can change and develop, so that it becomes more of a force for long-term structural reform.”

“The growth of Indigenous philanthropy, and support by philanthropy for Aboriginal self-determination is a particular highlight for me,” she continues.  

“There has been an enormous shift in this over the past 20 years and again, ACF is playing a lead role in it – the establishment of Koondee Woonga-gat Toor-rong, and the gobsmacking fact that 25% of last year’s grants went to Aboriginal communities.”

“One of the most valuable lessons I’ve learned is the way that philanthropy can change and develop, so that it becomes more of a force for long-term structural reform.”

Despite Trudy stepping away from the day-to-day at ACF, we are consoled by the fact that she will always be a part of the giving community and a special part of our history.

“I’m still here,” she says, “with my sub-fund, and to help out with any small projects if I can, but it feels great to be able to walk away knowing there is such a great team at ACF and that you definitely do not need me anymore!”

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