In this quarterly round-up, our Philanthropy Team provides granting recommendations across three key themes: International Aid & Development, Social Inclusion & Justice, and Arts & Culture.
When planning your giving, it can be helpful to first consider the scale and reach of the impact you want to support, and the type of work required to achieve it. As outlined in ACF’s Good Giving Toolkit, different philanthropic approaches sit along a continuum – from meeting immediate needs through service delivery, to addressing the underlying drivers of issues through advocacy, systems change, and cultural transformation. Each plays a distinct and important role, and many Fundholders choose to support a mix, recognising that effective philanthropy often draws on multiple approaches.
If you haven’t already, consider using the Giving Focus Tool from the Toolkit to clarify the kind of organisations and approaches you want to prioritise, making it easier to decide which opportunities best align with your giving goals.
Are you an ACF Fundholder? Contact us if you’d like to have a conversation about your giving or would like support navigating the Toolkit. To make a grant request, simply log in to your Fund Portal.
Gender Equity Granting Ideas
Australia is at a pivotal moment for advancing gender equity. Public attention is growing across issues including gender-based violence, economic inequality, reproductive rights and women’s leadership, creating renewed pressure to turn commitments into action.
This momentum is building as Australia prepares to host the global Women Deliver Conference in April 2026 – one of the world’s most significant global gatherings focused on gender equality, women’s and girls’ rights, and intersectional justice.
Our Philanthropy Team has compiled a list of six gender equity organisations working across policy reform, prevention, leadership, health, and community-led solutions.
Afghan Women’s Organisation Victoria: Supporting women to rebuild lives, confidence, and community in Australia
📍VIC
Afghan Women’s Organisation Victoria (AWOV) supports Afghan women – many newly arrived – to rebuild their lives and feel a sense of belonging in Australia. Based primarily in the City of Greater Dandenong, AWOV provides a trusted bridge between Afghan and Australian communities and cultures. Through community-led programs, women build confidence, skills, and social connections while accessing essential information and services. Activities include English language classes, practical skills training (such as self-defence, driving, swimming and volleyball), health information sessions, community excursions, and celebrations of Afghan cultural festivals.
Why we recommend: Afghan Women’s Organisation Victoria delivers culturally safe, community‑driven services that support Afghan women to navigate settlement and build connection in Australia. With deep local roots and strong community trust, the organisation creates impact at both an individual and community level – strengthening participation, social cohesion and belonging.
For funders seeking to back locally grounded, community-led initiatives that strengthen social cohesion and support women facing systemic barriers to inclusion.
Centre for Stories: Using storytelling to strengthen belonging, wellbeing, and social cohesion
📍WA
Centre for Stories is a not-for-profit, community-led literary and cultural organisation that uses storytelling to build skills, confidence, connection, and social inclusion – particularly for people whose voices are often marginalised. Delivering a wide range of programs including writing mentorships, workshops, public events and festivals, storytelling is used to strengthen wellbeing, connection, and social cohesion.
Why we recommend: Centre for Stories uses storytelling as a tool for social change with programming that builds wellbeing, confidence, and a sense of belonging. With a strong track record of measured social impact and sector leadership, the organisation fosters empathy and cross‑cultural understanding among participants and audiences alike, modelling best practice in culturally safe, inclusive creative work.
For funders seeking to contribute stability to an impactful grassroots initiative, strengthening social inclusion outcomes in a sector often shaped by short-term funding.
Refugee Advice & Casework Service: Protecting access to justice for refugees and people seeking asylum
📍National
Refugee Advice & Casework Service (RACS) is an independent, nonprofit community legal centre that has supported refugees and people seeking asylum in Australia for almost 40 years. RACS provides free, specialist, trauma‑informed legal assistance to people fleeing persecution, helping them navigate Australia’s complex protection system with fairness and dignity.
Why we recommend: RACS works to ensure equal access to justice for those most at risk of exclusion. They have directly supported more than 70,000 people from 130 countries with trauma-informed support and free, specialist legal assistance. RACS creates impact at both the individual and systemic levels – publicly advocating for refugee rights and for humane, effective policy and practice.
For funders seeking to support systems change and protect access to justice. Investment in RACS helps prevent wrongful refusals and deportation, supports family reunification, and ensures people fleeing persecution, conflict, or gender-based violence can access safety and dignity under the law.
So They Can: Breaking cycles of poverty through community‑led education in East Africa
📍Tanzania, Kenya, US, New Zealand & Australia
So They Can is an international not‑for‑profit organisation working to break the cycle of poverty in East Africa through access to quality education. The organisation partners with local communities and governments across Kenya and Tanzania, working directly with 55 government schools, training over 870 teachers, and reaching more than 56,000 children through education programs and school‑based support.
Why we recommend: So They Can delivers long-term change with a model that focuses on strengthening education systems through strategic partnerships and community-led programming. With evidence-based, measurable, and scalable outcomes for children and communities, the organisation is creating generational impact across East Africa.
For funders seeking high-impact, transparent, and scalable investment. Funding So They Can supports education outcomes, strengthens local capacity, and contributes to community empowerment across East Africa.
Médecins Sans Frontières: Delivering life‑saving medical care in the world’s most dangerous crises
📍 Global – Middle East & North Africa
Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) is one of the world’s leading independent medical humanitarian organisations, providing emergency healthcare in conflict zones, disaster‑affected areas, and regions with severely disrupted health systems. MSF teams operate across the Middle East and North Africa, adapting services as conditions change. Care includes trauma treatment, emergency surgery, primary healthcare, maternity care, mental health support, and assistance for displaced people living in highly unstable and dangerous environments.
Why we recommend: Médecins Sans Frontières operates where many aid organisations cannot – due to security, safety, or political constraints – delivering rapid, frontline, and impartial life-saving care that directly protects civilian lives amid some of the world’s most dangerous, complex crises.
For funders seeking to support impartial, life-saving medical care in complex and dangerous humanitarian contexts. Support for MSF enables fast, independent responses in crises where needs are acute and access to care is most constrained.
Hagar Australia: Supporting survivors and preventing human trafficking
📍 Global – Cambodia, Afghanistan, Vietnam, and Thailand
Hagar Australia is a not‑for‑profit organisation working to end human trafficking, modern slavery, and abuse by supporting survivors – primarily women and children – across countries including Afghanistan, Cambodia, and Vietnam. Hagar delivers prevention programs and provides wrap‑around support to survivors, including safe accommodation, counselling, legal assistance, education, vocational training, and support for community reintegration.
Why we recommend: Hagar Australia combines survivor recovery with strong prevention efforts. Through large-scale training programs, the organisation equips local service providers to identify exploitation and respond effectively, strengthening community resilience.
For funders seeking to support a mid-sized organisation undertaking high-impact system change work. Supplemental funding helps Hagar sustain long-term survivor support, strengthen prevention efforts, and advance structural changes to reduce trafficking and exploitation.
Writers Victoria: Safeguarding vital pathways for writers and Australia’s literary future
📍 Victoria
Writers Victoria is the state’s peak body for writers, delivering year‑round workshops, mentorships, manuscript assessments, networking opportunities, and paid employment for emerging and established authors. The organisation plays a foundational role in Australia’s literary ecosystem, supporting writers in developing their craft, connecting with publishers, and building sustainable careers.
Why we recommend: Writers Victoria is a cornerstone of literary development in Australia, but recent government funding cuts have put the organisation’s sustainability at risk. Support for the organisation safeguards vital programs, paid opportunities, and pathways for emerging voices.
For funders seeking a timely opportunity to help prevent the loss of essential literary infrastructure. Support protects generational pathways for writers and ensures Victoria and Melbourne – the latter a UNESCO City of Literature – retains a strong, inclusive writers’ sector.
Gondwana Choirs: Providing inclusive choral education for young Australians
📍 National
Gondwana Choirs is Australia’s national youth choral organisation, providing world‑class musical training and transformative opportunities to more than 1,500 young people each year. Gondwana Choirs combines artistic excellence with cultural integrity, with a strong focus on accessibility, ensuring no child is excluded due to cost.
Why we recommend: Gondwana Choirs delivers inclusive, high-quality arts education that addresses significant gaps in access to music across Australia. Through nationally recognised programs – particularly those supporting First Nations and regional young people – the organisation creates a lasting impact at both the individual and national levels, strengthening cultural connection, leadership, and Australia’s creative future.
For funders seeking to support an established organisation delivering programs with a national reach, ensuring equitable access to the arts and the long-term vitality of Australia’s musical legacy.
indelarts: Creating professional theatre led by disabled and neurodivergent artists
📍 QLD
indelarts (formerly indelabilityarts) is an inclusive theatre company powered by disability and neurodivergence. Through a professional ensemble creating original works grounded in lived experience, indelarts challenges dominant narratives and amplifies voices often excluded from the arts sector. Alongside professional productions, indelarts delivers workshop programs that support ongoing skills development, social connection, confidence, communication, and wellbeing.
Why we recommend: indelarts fills a critical gap in Australia’s arts and disability landscape by creating professional, artist‑led pathways for disabled and neurodivergent artists. The organisation delivers meaningful individual impact while also driving broader cultural and systems change by challenging barriers to participation and leadership in the arts.
For funders seeking to support a mid-sized organisation delivering inclusive arts practice. Funding helps keep workshops accessible or free, supports the creation of new work, and expands accessible arts opportunities across Queensland.
This is not an exhaustive list of organisations within these cause areas. Find a wide range of funding proposals on our Funding Platform. Filter by location, cause area and target population to find a project that aligns with your funding interests.
