PROTECTING PEOPLE FROM GAMBLING HARM

IMPACT PARTNER: ALLIANCE FOR GAMBLING REFORM

^{Former Mayor of the City of Whittlesea, Kris Pavlidis, joined the Alliance for Gambling Reform’s ‘Pokies Play You’ campaign in 2018. Credit: Julian Meehan.}

Did you know that 20% of the world’s poker machines are in Australia? 

The Alliance for Gambling Reform works nationally to show how gambling destroys lives. The Alliance is a coalition of over 60 groups and was first supported by the Impact Fund in 2017. They work with people with lived experience of losing their families and livelihoods to gambling addiction to show that the gambling industry is profiting from the pain and suffering of thousands of Australians. 

“We knew these stories were key to making this into a public health issue, not a matter of individual shame, and the Impact Fund community understood our vision from the beginning,” says Tony Mohr, Executive Director of the Alliance from 2016 to 2020. 

“Impact Funders are willing to back risky ideas and uncertain paths to advance social change”

Coles and Woolworths supermarkets and nine AFL clubs all made the decision to divest their family-friendly brands from pokies after the Alliance revealed that their investments were fuelling a public health crisis. 

Tony says the ongoing relationship with the Impact Fund and ACF has been invaluable. 

“ACF has not only connected us with supportive donors; the team’s work has helped us map the gambling landscape and refine our campaign. 

“What the relationship demonstrates is that Impact Funders are willing to back risky ideas and uncertain paths to advance social change,” says Tony. “That’s an important role I continue to see the Impact Fund play.” 

UNITING AUSTRALIANS TO SUPPORT THE LGBTIQ+ COMMUNITY 

IMPACT PARTNER: EQUALITY AUSTRALIA

^{Anna Brown and activists from Minus 18 delivering a petition to Parliament House in Canberra. Credit: Equality Australia.}

“The marriage equality win in 2017 was the most successful campaign in Australian political history,” says lawyer Anna Brown who was working at Impact Partner, the Human Rights Law Centre, at the time. 

“The campaign was won because across people in Australia stood up as allies for their LGBTIQ+ friends, relatives and colleagues.” 

Now, as Founding CEO of Equality Australia (EA), Anna aims to create broader legal and social change to ensure the LGBTIQ+ communities are treated with dignity and respect. 

“It is really wonderful to have funders like the Impact Fund community who understand that to protect equality we need the freedom to respond swiftly to the political landscape.” 

Following the marriage equality win, Equality Australia took on a broader remit of work, including campaigning to close loopholes that make religious schools exempt from laws that protect LGBTIQ+ people. Impact Funders supported EA’s other programs including the ‘All Schools, Same Rules’ campaign, high-profile activities with people like Olympian Ian Thorpe and Courtney Act, and work with multi-faith organisations, women’s and disability groups, and unions and businesses to build a broad base of consensus around their issues. Then in 2019, the Federal Government started to promote the now-infamous Religious Discrimination Bill. 

“It is really wonderful to have funders like the Impact Fund community who understand that to protect equality we need the freedom to respond swiftly to the political landscape.”

“The Bill was supposed to prohibit religious discrimination, but what was drafted would have wound back hard-fought protections for LGBTIQ+ people, women, minority faith communities and people with disabilities,” explains Anna. 

“The Impact Fund’s support enabled us to advocate against the Bill and, throughout that process, we built stronger connections with faith communities, multicultural communities, people with disabilities, women and other affected communities. We now have this incredible network through which we’re building consensus about the importance of laws that protect us all equally.”

RAISING THE RATE TO KEEP AUSTRALIANS OUT OF POVERTY 

IMPACT PARTNER: AUSTRALIAN COUNCIL OF SOCIAL SERVICE

^{ACOSS CEO, Cassandra Goldie, with Raise the Rate supporters. Credit: ACOSS.}

Dr Cassandra Goldie from the Australian Council of Social Service (ACOSS) is very clear: “Poverty is a lack of cash, it’s as simple as that. It’s not a personality fault.” 

Australia’s main income support payment, JobSeeker, is just $45 a day, forcing people to make heartbreaking decisions between rent, food, or medicine. 

In 2018 Impact Funders supported the ACOSS-led Raise the Rate campaign. 

“Thanks to the campaign and support from Impact Funders, we were able to convince the Federal Government to introduce the Coronavirus Supplement, and almost double JobSeeker during the pandemic.” 

The campaign has since been working to change how the public views people on JobSeeker and to ultimately change policy. 

“Thanks to the campaign and support from Impact Funders, we were able to convince the Federal Government to introduce the Coronavirus Supplement, and almost double JobSeeker during the pandemic,” explains Cassandra. 

The Government stopped the Supplement in early 2021 but did respond to campaigning with a permanent $50 increase to fortnightly JobSeeker payments. 

“This is the Government’s most significant increase for vulnerable people in over 25 years, but it is still below the poverty line and should be increased,” Cassandra says. “Thanks to the donor community, we will continue to stand with people in poverty to work for what we know is right.” 

“The Impact Fund is a powerful demonstration of the value of philanthropy being involved in advocacy”

Now called Raise the Rate for Good, the campaign continues to help people on income support to share their stories and secure a real increase to JobSeeker so that everyone has enough to cover the basics while going through tough times. 

“The Impact Fund is a powerful demonstration of the value of philanthropy being involved in advocacy,” says Cassandra. “You can fund direct services, you can provide charitable responses, but if you back advocacy you can really change Australian society.” 

PROTECTING ASYLUM SEEKER HEALTH RIGHTS DURING COVID-19 

IMPACT PARTNER: PUBLIC INTEREST ADVOCACY CENTRE

^{Senior Solicitor Jane Leibowitz meets with a client. Credit: Public Interest Advocacy Centre.}

Australians are proud of our country’s healthcare system. However, if you are among the most vulnerable people in Australia, such as someone seeking asylum and living in detention, then adequate healthcare is not available to you. 

Solicitors Lucy Geddes and Jane Leibowitz are working to change this. They lead the Asylum Seeker Health Rights Project at the Public Interest Advocacy Centre (PIAC). One of their biggest successes came when they released damning reports on government inaction and ran strategic litigation to influence government policy. As a result, people living with Hep-C in detention can now access anti-virals that help prevent liver failure and cancer. 

When Covid-19 hit, Lucy and Jane focused on protecting the 1,500 people in overcrowded detention from the threat of potential outbreaks. 

“The people who the Government detains in our name are trapped in crowded, high-risk environments,” says Lucy. 

“They are unable to practise the physical distancing that is required to minimise the risks of infection,” adds Jane. “They are often sleeping in shared rooms with up to six people, eating in crowded food halls and sharing bathroom facilities.” 

PIAC moved quickly to file a complaint with the Commonwealth Ombudsman for 14 detained asylum seekers. 

“It was heartening to see how quickly Impact Funders supported our response to the impact of Covid-19 in Australian immigration detention centres.” 

An outbreak among asylum seekers inside Melbourne’s Park Hotel in October 2021 brought public attention to the issue and showed the importance of PIAC’s work in this space. 

“The Park Hotel Covid outbreak reflects what we already know from our case work,” says Lucy. “People in Australian immigration detention are not getting timely access to the medical care they desperately need, including Covid vaccination.” 

Four of the 14 clients from the complaint filed by PIAC have since been released from detention, and the Ombudsman has committed to meet regularly with PIAC. 

Lucy, Jane and the team are continuing to fight for the health rights of people in immigration detention.

PROTECTING AUSTRALIA’S GUN SAFETY LAWS 

IMPACT PARTNER: AUSTRALIAN GUN SAFETY ALLIANCE 

^{The Australian Gun Safety Alliance is working to help all Australian states and territories to follow the National Firearms Agreement established after the 1996 Port Arthur tragedy.}

Stephen Bendle stands between laws that keep us all safe and a gun lobby that wants to weaken those laws. 

In 2017, the gun lobby was gaining influence in the debate over gun safety legislation. The Impact Fund community moved quickly to support the establishment of the Australian Gun Safety Alliance (AGSA), which is now a recognised voice for gun safety. 

“Before the Impact Fund supported AGSA, there was no one talking to government about firearm safety – the only consultation was dominated by the firearms industry,” explains Stephen, Convenor of AGSA. 

AGSA is on the front foot now, lobbying states and territories to fully implement the National Firearms Agreement, which was set up after the Port Arthur tragedy 25 years ago. AGSA is also advocating for the integration of state and territory firearms registers. 

In 2021, Stephen and the team worked with Australian governments to implement a permanent National Firearm Amnesty. 

“Finding unregistered or unwanted guns is a significant step in protecting the community from guns that could be used illegally,” says Stephen. 

“We bring those voices to the table when it comes to firearm safety, and we will forever be thankful to the Impact Fund community, who saw an opportunity to take this need off the page and into action.” 

“We’re the only organisation that represents the views of the vast majority of Australians – up to 90 per cent – who either support our current gun laws or would prefer them to be tighter,” says Stephen. 

“We bring those voices to the table when it comes to firearm safety, and we will forever be thankful to the Impact Fund community, who saw an opportunity to take this need off the page and into action.” 

ELEVATING THE VOICES OF COMMUNITIES FACING SOCIO-ECONOMIC DISADVANTAGE 

IMPACT PARTNER: ECONOMIC MEDIA CENTRE 

^{Economic Media Centre (EMC) Co-Director Jessica Kendall (second from right) with community leaders participating in EMC’s media training. Credit: EMC.}

When Covid-19 first hit, it exacerbated economic inequality. State and federal governments implemented economic policies, and billions of dollars were poured into the economy, but many of these policies reinforced existing economic inequalities. 

In 2020, a review of media coverage in six major daily newspapers found community voices were entirely missing from public discourse on economic policy. Recognising that public discourse is a key lever of policy change, Impact Funders moved to support the Economic Media Centre (EMC) – a partnership between Australian Progress and Australian Council of Social Service – working to ensure policymaking is informed by community voices. 

“The Impact Fund connected us with funders who understood the crucial role that people with lived experience can play in shifting debate for a more inclusive economy.” 

EMC Co-Director Jessica Kendall knew that any campaign for economic justice had to start with the voices of people with lived experience. 

“Community leaders have the solutions to address economic challenges, but so often they’re locked out of media debates,” says Jessica. “EMC builds the media capacity of small non-profit organisations to engage in policy debate by delivering high-impact media support at key moments, including media training, media strategy and messaging advice.” 

Jessica and Co-Director Aliya Ahmad have delivered media training to 330 media spokespeople, which has directly resulted in securing nearly 6,000 media stories. Together, with the behind-the-scenes lobbying and research led by ACOSS, EMC’s work to date has helped shift policy narratives on 10 key economic issues, and in some cases directly impacted policymaking, such as the Federal Government committing $3.4 billion for women’s health, safety and economic wellbeing in the May 2021 Budget. 

“Our theory of change is simple,” says Aliya. “By building the capacity of grassroots and community spokespeople to participate in policy debates in the media, we help secure more inclusive economic policies.” 

SHINING A LIGHT ON DARK MONEY IN POLITICS

IMPACT PARTNER: BIG DEAL DOCUMENTARY

^{Still from the Big Deal documentary featuring the film’s host, Christiaan Van Vuuren.}

Until a couple of years ago, no one was laughing about the fact that powerful people and corporations are buying the attention of our major parties. In fact, most people didn’t know about it. 

That was until director and comedian Craig Reucassel (The Chaser’s War on Everything; War on Waste), Jungle Entertainment and the Shark Island Institute decided to make Big Deal, a Madman feature film and two-part ABC documentary about dark money in politics. 

Comedian Christiaan Van Vuuren of Bondi Hipsters fame was the perfect choice as host, a political innocent stumbling through the murky corridors of power. 

Big Deal: Is our democracy for sale? was released September 2021. Since then, the film has had an audience reach of over 5.3 million in theatres, online, on the ABC and in media coverage. 

The film team partnered with fellow Impact Partner, the #OurDemocracy campaign, an alliance of over 50 civil society groups pushing for more transparency in politics. The promotion of the campaign via the Big Deal documentary led to 12,000 active members. Mainstream media coverage was secured in 21 print outlets, 34 online and five television appearances. 

Impact Funders were willing to invest in the development of the democracy campaign associated with the film well before filming had begun. “This made all the difference to the quality of the story we could tell – the constraints of visual satire meant we had to search high and low for the right case studies and that took time,” says Leeanne Torpey, the film’s Impact Producer. 

“The value of funding being made available before production cannot be underestimated. Impact Funders understood the power of this film. Because of their vision, we found a way to channel people’s frustration about the lack of political transparency into active support for democracy as we move into a crucial election year.” 

While the ABC brought its full impact department to bear behind the film, the team also secured coverage from outlets you wouldn’t expect to cover the issue of money and politics. 

For instance, the documentary received a glowing review in The Australian, and rated well when it featured on Gogglebox with an audience of almost one million tuning in. One Goggleboxer summed up this sentiment perfectly, saying “that was the most interesting political show I’ve watched in my life… and the first.” 

Big Deal and its work with the #OurDemocracy campaign is helping get people excited about the role they can play in standing up to the big money that influences Australian politics. 

PROGRESSING A FIRST NATIONS VOICE TO PARLIAMENT

IMPACT PARTNER: INDIGENOUS LAW CENTRE

^{Professor Megan Davis, Aunty Pat Anderson AO and Noel Pearson with members who participated in the Uluru Dialogues at the Sydney Peace Prize announcement. Credit: Indigenous Law Centre.}

First Nations communities in Australia agree on this: a structural approach is needed to improve health, social and economic outcomes for Indigenous peoples. 

The Uluru Statement from the Heart was issued to the Australian people in 2017 as a way forward, and Impact Funders stepped up to support the work in its crucial early days. 

“As we walk together as a nation towards a referendum, the work of the Uluru Dialogue is more important than ever,” says Professor Megan Davis, Pro Vice-Chancellor Indigenous UNSW. “The support from the Impact Fund community has had a tremendous impact on our ability to do that work.” 

The Uluru Dialogue is the collective of First Nations leaders from across Australia with the cultural authority and mandate of the Uluru Statement from the Heart. They work with constitutional lawyers at the Indigenous Law Centre (ILC), UNSW Sydney. They want to see a First Nations Voice to Parliament in the Australian Constitution. 

“As we walk together as a nation towards a referendum, the work of the Uluru Dialogue is more important than ever… support from the Impact Fund community has had a tremendous impact on our ability to do that work.” 

“The problem is structural. This means that the solution needs to be informed by First Nations peoples through a process that is meaningful to us,” says Megan. 

“Prior to COVID, our work was a complex operation of legal and political advocacy plus community education. Since then, we have had to switch from a highly mobile approach to online, but we are as busy as ever engaging thousands of Australians in the ongoing work towards a Voice to Parliament.” 

PUTTING AN END TO INDIGENOUS DEATHS IN CUSTODY

IMPACT PARTNER: DHADJOWA FOUNDATION

^{Aunty Tanya Day’s family march to raise awareness of Black deaths in custody. Credit: Charandev Singh.}

Apryl Day wishes she never had to start the Dhadjowa Foundation. 

“If our people weren’t dying in police custody, there would be no need for it,” says Apryl who played a key role in the Victorian Government’s 2021 move to decriminalise public drunkenness. Apryl’s mother might still be alive today if this had happened 30 years ago after the Royal Commission into Aboriginal Deaths in Custody. 

Aunty Tanya Day, Apryl’s mother, was arrested in December 2017, after falling asleep on a train in Victoria. While in police custody, she fell and hit her head and was left on the cell floor for three hours. She died 17 days later. 

“We are there for families from the moment of sorry business to coronial and court hearings… The Impact Fund has been there for us in the same way. It is that wraparound support that makes all the difference.” 

Dhadjowa Foundation supports Indigenous families that have lost loved ones in custody. 

“We are there for families from the moment of sorry business to coronial and court hearings,” explains Apryl. “The Impact Fund has been there for us in the same way. It is that wraparound support that makes all the difference.” 

So far Apryl has supported 18 families seeking justice for loved ones. This is emotionally draining work, but the practical support from Impact Funders means a huge amount. 

“Knowing I can pay for families to travel long distances and sometimes stay away from home for weeks so they can be sure that people in power are accountable to their loved one – the Impact Fund community has made all the difference.” 

PROTECTING COUNTRY AND CULTURE THROUGH INDIGENOUS LAND MANAGEMENT

IMPACT PARTNER: COUNTRY NEEDS PEOPLE

^{Chair of Yintjingga Aboriginal Corporation, Gavin Bassani (right), Lama Lama Trust Chairperson, Karen Liddy (middle) and Ranger Lisa Peter (left). Credit: Annette Ruzicka.}

“Country needs people, and people need Country,” says Patrick O’Leary, Executive Director at Country Needs People (CNP). “The two keep one another healthy.” 

Over 40 Indigenous land and sea management groups work together with CNP to protect nature and benefit communities. 

“To manage land well and to protect biodiversity and nature, we need to support the people who have managed this continent for over 60,000 years,” says Patrick. 

While Indigenous Protected Areas (IPAs) were first initiated over 20 years ago, communities have struggled to get enough adequate long-term funding to support the scale of land and sea management required across Australia. But Impact Funders are fuelling CNP’s work to change this story. 

“Our work reinforces communities’ ongoing connection to land and culture. We work with partners to support jobs on country and in turn people are supporting their own wellbeing,” says Patrick. 

“Impact Funders have helped us grow from a campaign to an independent organisation, delivering significant dividends for our environment and Indigenous wellbeing.” 

By working across party lines, CNP has secured a Federal Government commitment of seven years of meaningful funding for over 80 Indigenous ranger groups. This combines with funding wins in Western Australia, Queensland and the Northern Territory. 

“Impact Funders have helped us grow from a campaign to an independent organisation, delivering significant dividends for our environment and Indigenous wellbeing,” says Patrick. “The CNP model is now being adapted internationally with the Land Needs Guardians movement in Canada pursuing the same recognition of the benefits of traditional land management for both Country and people.” 

GIVING A PLATFORM TO FARMERS ON THE FRONTLINE OF CLIMATE CHANGE

IMPACT PARTNER: FARMERS FOR CLIMATE ACTION

^{Central West NSW farmer, Rob Lee, is a Farmer for Climate Action. Credit: Claire Boyle.}

Not many people know that Farmers for Climate Action (FCA) is one of the biggest farmer representative groups in Australia. In a few short years, FCA has started a movement of 7,000 farmers leading the way on climate solutions and calling for strong climate policy. 

In 2018, Impact Funders were early supporters, paying for staff to do the work of building a national campaign. “What was great was that Impact Funders knew we needed to pay staff to build a movement,” says Fiona Davis, CEO, FCA. 

“Farmers are on the frontlines of climate change and, as some of the most trusted spokespeople on the issue, they are changing the conversation on climate change in rural Australia.” 

Fiona and her staff support farmers to speak confidently on climate solutions within their communities and the agricultural sector and with their MPs, which is even more important in an election year. 

“Farmers are changing the conversation on climate change in rural Australia … Impact Funders should take great pride in what we have achieved so far.” 

“Impact Funders should take great pride in what we have achieved so far,” Fiona says. “I love working with our donors and hearing what is interesting to them, what we’ve missed and what we can add. This is a critical role the Impact Fund community has played. The support has shaped how we think about our work and really set us up to succeed.” 

FCA’s biggest policy win so far is bringing the National Farmers’ Federation on board with a commitment to net-zero by 2050. That win is followed closely by FCA’s work in bringing all the state and federal agriculture ministers in Australia together on a national work plan to tackle climate change within the sector.