Welcome to the 2021 edition of the Australian Communities Foundation Giving Guide, designed to help you make your end-of-year granting and gifting decisions with ease.
As we approach the end of another challenging year, we invite you to support the causes you care about most. The past 12 months have been challenging times for community organisations across our country, many of which have faced higher demand for services alongside a reduction in financial support. Backing the organisations you are passionate about with untied funding will assist them to continue doing their vital work.
In addition to supporting the organisations you know and love, you may want to find something new aligned with your interest areas or make ethical choices with your gift-giving.
Choose from handpicked granting opportunities across ten focus areas in our 2021 Giving Guide below.
Jump to your interest area
How to support these projects
If you have a fund at Australian Communities Foundation, the easiest way to request a grant is to log in to your Fund Portal, click the Grant Requests tab and search for the organisation under the ‘Search for other grantees’ header. If you would prefer to speak with a member of our team about your grant request, call us on 03 9412 0412 or email grants@communityfoundation.org.au
To make a direct donation to any of these projects, please feel free to reach out to the organisation directly.
Arts & culture
Artists in the Black
Arts Law Centre of Australia
The Arts Law Centre of Australia (Arts Law) is Australia’s only national community legal centre for the arts. Artists in the Black enables First Nations peoples to determine legal, economic, and social autonomy in their creative and cultural lives. Read more
Fund the Arts
Auspiced by Backbone Youth Arts
The Fund the Arts campaign is promoting more Australian culture on our screens, speakers, walls, stages and pages. Read more
Civic engagement & leadership
Regen Melbourne
Small Giants
Regen Melbourne is an emerging network of individuals and organisations exploring a regenerative future for the city. Read more
Search for the Palace Letters
Documentary Australia Foundation
The Search for the Palace Letters is a documentary film that follows historian Professor Jenny Hocking as she fights a David and Goliath battle against the Australian Government and the British Royal Family in a landmark legal action. Read more
Education, training & employment
VU Student Scholarships
Victoria University
Victoria University is seeking support to provide scholarships to asylum seekers and financially disadvantaged students. All gifts donated before 20 December will be doubled up to $40,000. Read more
Post-Pandemic Literacy Recovery Project
Reading Out of Poverty
During the past 18 months, children from low-income homes have encountered several challenges during the pandemic. Research is showing that nearly 41% of children from low-income postcodes have stalled in their reading development. Reading Out of Poverty is seeking support to deliver 10,000 books and literacy packs to children, plus provide 4,000 hours of specialised literacy tutoring. Read more
She Can Build: Women-led bushfire recovery
Elands Community Health Centre
The remote village of Elands and the surrounding region in NSW was devastated by the 2019/20 bushfires. Having recently received a bushfire relief grant, the Elands Community Health Centre is seeking additional funding to upskill local volunteers and showcase the skills of women through the construction of an outdoor kitchen facility. Read more
Environment, conservation & climate change
Building Support For Renewable Energy in Townsville
Solar Citizens
Solar Citizens is working across Queensland to build support for renewable energy and secure commitments from government that will drive the energy transition. Solar Citizens is seeking funding for a local organiser to help build support for the North Queensland Renewable Energy Zone. Read more
Better Buses Victoria
Friends of the Earth Melbourne
Better Buses Victoria is working towards faster, more frequent and better-connected bus services, delivered by zero-emission buses, in Melbourne’s west – a building block for further changes to transport across the city. Read more
Changing Climate Politics in Australia
Climate Action Network Australia
Climate Action Network Australia supports members and allies to take action to protect people from climate change. Funding is needed to scale the work of the Solutions for Climate Australia campaign to ensure our political leaders acknowledge that net-zero by 2050 is not enough and to commit to meaningful climate policies this decade. Read more
Health, wellbeing & medical research
MDWA Empower Fund
Muscular Dystrophy WA
The MDWA Empower Fund supports people living with muscular dystrophy to access funding for specific items or experiences that are unmet by typical grant providers or the NDIS, such as sports wheelchairs, car modifications to fit wheelchairs, flights & accommodation to MD conferences, to name a few. Read more
Cardiac Monitor for Rosebud Hospital
Peninsula Health
Peninsula Health is seeking funding for the purchase of a Draeger Cardiac monitor for the Rosebud Hospital Emergency Department, which treats over 22,000 patients a year. Read more
Housing & homelessness
Post-covid Christmas cheer for the homeless
St Merkorious Charity
St Merkorious is seeking support to host a Christmas Dinner for homeless, rough sleeper, and at-risk of homelessness clients in Greater Sydney. The Dinner will give clients a chance to connect with new and familiar faces, sharing in their experience, and reignite their sense of belonging to the community. Read more
SmartMeals Appeal
StreetSmart
StreetSmart raises funds for smaller grassroots organisations doing vital work in our communities. With food security a major challenge for many people experiencing poverty and homelessness, including a new cohort of people unexpectedly made unemployed through COVID-19, StreetSmart is seeking support for its SmartMeals program. Support the program this Christmas to help plug the gaps in food relief systems. Go to website
Indigenous communities
Deadly Connected Communities
Deadly Connections
Deadly Connections is an Aboriginal Community Controlled Organisation seeking support to provide food hampers, snacks, and other daily necessities to Indigenous communities through contactless Covid-safe delivery. Read more
Support Bi-Cultural Education on Country
Karrkad Kanjdji Trust (KKT)
KKT works with Indigenous Ranger groups in West and Central Arnhem Land and is seeking support to promote bi-cultural education in the region through its Nawarddeken Academy. Read more
Aboriginal Elders Olympics
Baabayn Aboriginal Corporation
After two very successful years of running the Aboriginal Elders Olympics, Baabayn is seeking support to enable a group of Aboriginal women (50+) who are in ill health and who have endured many traumas in their lives to train and attend this year’s event. Read more
Indigenous Literacy Festive Appeal
Indigenous Literacy Foundation
Children in remote communities need access to quality books to inspire a love of reading. They need books that reflect their lives and culture, and books that are written in their first language. Help Indigenous Literacy Foundation continue to grow its programs to reach more remote communities by donating to the 2021 Festive Appeal. Go to website
Individual & family services & support
The Afghanistan Crisis
Refugee Legal
Refugee Legal is seeking support to assist people across Australia seeking help with evacuating families from Afghanistan to safety, and with remaining safely in Australia. Read more
Berry Street Christmas Appeal
Berry Street
Berry Street supports thousands of children and young people in out-of-home care with specialist services to help them recover from the effects of trauma. Each year, Berry Street gives Christmas hope to those in its care to make them feel special, loved and deserving. Donating through Berry Street’s 2021 gift catalogue allows dedicated staff and carers to buy the perfect Christmas present for the children in their care. Go to website
International aid & development
Cross Sector Development Partnerships Initiative (XSPI)
Business for Development
XSPI is a unique initiative for Australia to engage across the Asia Pacific region in a more innovative and comprehensive way and support the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) across 19 Asia Pacific countries. Read more
Agriculture Training in Cambodia
Human and Hope Association
The Home Food Garden Project will support 100 families experiencing food insecurity in Kaev Poar Commune in rural Siem Reap, Cambodia. The goal is to provide these families with hands-on training, mentoring, seeds, fertiliser and resources, enabling them to establish food production using their existing land. Read more
Social inclusion & justice
Creative Arts for Refugee & Asylum Seeker Women
River Nile Learning Centre
River Nile’s Creative Arts Program is designed to improve physical and mental health and build connections for refugee and asylum seeker women through visual art, dance and music therapy. Read more
Community of Practice for Disability Entrepreneurship
Enabled.VIP
Enabled.VIP is seeking support for research into the development of enterprise skills in people with disability. Read more
Gift ideas with social impact
Eco-friendly Christmas Guide
Clean Up Australia inspires and empowers communities to clean up, fix up and conserve our environment. Clean Up’s Eco-Friendly Christmas Guide includes tips and hints for getting the most out of the holidays while saving energy and avoiding waste.
Refugee-powered businesses
Welcome Merchant is a social enterprise acting as a directory for businesses led by refugees and asylum seekers in Australia, making it easy for conscious shoppers to find unique products and cultural events operated by underestimated entrepreneurs.
Gift boxes supporting women experiencing homelessness
Mettle is a national gift delivery service employing women who are experiencing homelessness due to domestic and family violence.
Ethical fashion
The Social Outfit is a fashion label with a difference, providing employment and training to people from refugee and new migrant communities in clothing production, retail, design and marketing.
Indigenous-owned non-alcoholic craft beer
Proudly Aboriginal owned and led, Sobah is Australia’s first non-alcoholic craft beer breaking down the stigma of socialising sober.
Gifts by women, for women
The Queen Victoria Women’s Centre Shop is a curated design store showcasing unique and one of a kind, locally sourced, ethically made gifts, fashion, art, homewares and more.
Gifts from Australian women-led microbusinesses
Global Sisters exists to make business possible for women, enabling them to be financially resilient and stand tall. Shop from over 3000 artisan, handmade & limited edition products.
Looking for other giving ideas?
Give to ACF
Impact Fund
Established as our flagship fund for collective giving, the Impact Fund seeks to shift the dial on issues of national concern. Join us in creating a fairer and more sustainable Australia.
Request a transfer from your fund using the instructions here
National Crisis Response Fund
Launched at the outset of the pandemic, the NCRF is a collective fund that focuses on filling gaps in existing crisis response. Join us in getting resources out to the communities who need them most.
Request a transfer from your fund using the instructions here
Have a question?
Contact us to discuss your end-of-year giving. Our team is here to help.