After 25+ years of experience in youth work, Bernie Shakeshaft founded BackTrack, a social enterprise that supports vulnerable youth in their journey to independence.

In 2022, the BackTrack crew began thinking bigger, wanting to expand their impact by helping as many kids as possible. To help secure their dreams of long-term sustainability, they connected with Australian Communities Foundation and opened the BackTrack Foundation Fund.

BackTrack provides the holistic and flexible support young people need to get their lives back on track, combining educational, training, and diversionary activities, transitional employment, residential accommodation, and youth work.

The impact of BackTrack’s work saw Bernie named 2020 Australian of the Year Local Hero, and the subject of the award-winning documentary ‘BackTrack Boys’.

We work where there are no other options, and we do whatever it takes for as long as it takes.

In this interview, Bernie recounts his journey with BackTrack, sharing his thoughts on the rewarding work being done, his hopes for the BackTrack Future Fund and its impact in the coming years.

What motivated you to start BackTrack?

I was working with some really difficult kids at TAFE in Armidale and I saw so many dropping out of school, getting into all kinds of trouble, sleeping rough, dealing with problem after problem and I could just see that the mainstream education system was never going to work for these kids.

So really it was frustration – from being in the youthwork game for a long time and seeing that so many programs don’t deliver. 

I’d worked as a stockman in the NT and in remote Indigenous communities in the Territory where I learnt the power of some really simple human and First Nations values: forgiveness, empathy, sharing, connection, and most of all – belonging.

The Circle of Courage principles of Belonging, Mastery, Independence, and Generosity became the cornerstone of what we set up in those early days and still live by. My frustration was that all the other programs were missing these integral pieces. The BackTrack approach is all about relationships and a very long-term approach that looks at the whole person. 

And I knew I was onto something when I started putting these kids together with dogs. Because you can see the power of connection right there in front of your eyes.

How does BackTrack’s unique approach to youth support differ from that of other organisations?

We work where there are no other options, and we do whatever it takes for as long as it takes.

We do have structure and very targeted program, like our education program which is aligned to the NSW curriculum so our teacher can work one-on-one with kids in all kinds of BackTrack settings and support them through to attaining their RoSA (Record of School Achievement) and loads of other accredited training that’s going to set them up for a different life.

But it’s not a prescribed 6-month or 12-month program. It’s holistic and flexible. And it’s a family – for as long as a young person needs it. Some of our original young people are still connected 10 or more years later – as mentors or working in our social enterprise or just visiting when they’re in town.

What’s the most rewarding aspect of your work at BackTrack?

It would have to be all the calls and texts I get from ex participants. They come out of the blue, letting me know what people are up to now, how they’re going: ‘I’ve got a family of my own now and am a qualified plumber’; ‘I’ve now got a property in such and such if BackTrack ever needs a camp’. Even if we change the life of one kid who would have spent their life in and out of jail, never getting through their trauma, it would all be worthwhile. So, every one of those texts is my payday. 

Lots of rewards though – knowing that we now have a 100-year dream to keep this ship on course for the long haul; getting national interest from so many other regional towns keen to get our support to start up similar things in their own communities. And just seeing that there are alternatives to incarceration – that work. Part of what makes BackTrack work is we have the support of a whole community; the magistrates, the police, the education department (they don’t fund us, but they work with us!) because everyone can see it actually works.

I want to know that BackTrack will be here, supporting as many kids as possible, and helping them get their lives back on track, long after I’m gone. That’s really the purpose of this Fund.

What led you to opening a Future Fund with Australian Communities Foundation?

When we received the incredible donation of a farm in late 2022, we started to think bigger and longer term. We started pulling together a dream to make sure BackTrack would be here to support kids having a hard time long past my expiry date. Our young people now have that long-term connection to a piece of country that they can belong to for generations to come and we wanted to establish a Foundation to help make that long-term thinking a reality.

What do you like most about being part of Australian Communities Foundation?

Well, I like that it’s a community. Again, it ties into the Circle of Courage and the Generosity and Belonging pieces that are at the heart of BackTrack. This seems like a community of givers and of dreamers. We thought we’d fit right in!

What are your hopes for the BackTrack Future Fund?

That down the track this Fund will offer a solution for the long-term sustainability and security of our work – to keep our 100-year dream alive. We’d eventually like to see it funding some of those key operational activities that just need to happen year in, year out, and hope that it will allow us to expand our impact into more and more communities that need help.

What do you see as BackTrack’s ultimate goal or vision for the future?

I want to know that BackTrack will be here, supporting as many kids having a hard time as possible, helping them get their lives back on track, long after I’m gone.

And I’d love to see our impact and reach grow over time – that’s really the purpose of this Fund.

Support BackTrack

If you would like to help BackTrack support vulnerable youth, you can donate to the BackTrack Foundation Fund here.

To watch the award-winning documentary, BackTrack Boys, head to their website.

There are few leaders in community services as experienced as Elizabeth Drozd OAM.

Having worked in the space for over 30 years, Elizabeth was recognised in the 2023 Australia Day Honours for her “significant service to the Polish and multicultural communities of Victoria”.

Since 2000, Elizabeth has headed up Australian Multicultural Community Services (AMCS) as CEO.

Celebrating its 40th anniversary this year, AMCS was founded by a group of community leaders who shared a vision of providing non-English speaking migrants with the same access to services and opportunities as other Australians.

“What drew us to Australian Communities Foundation was its mission to create a fairer Australia and its alignment with what we do at AMCS,” says Elizabeth.

With a focus on supporting immigrant communities, AMCS exists to improve the lives of people in these communities through “care, support and empowerment,” Elizabeth explains.

With more than 240 employees and 185 volunteers, AMCS services include supporting seniors to live safely at home for as long as possible through to assisting with employment pathways and adult community education.

Over the last decade, the organisation has used a Future Fund at Australian Communities Foundation to build its long-term sustainability.

“What drew us to Australian Communities Foundation was its mission to create a fairer Australia and its alignment with what we do at AMCS,” says Elizabeth.

In this recent conversation, Elizabeth shares how a Future Fund is supporting AMCS to continue its mission into the future.

Why did you decide to open a Future Fund at Australian Communities Foundation?

When you work in a not-for-profit, this whole idea of giving and of connecting with philanthropies and trusts is part of what we do.

I came across Australian Communities Foundation when a colleague did some research about the various options [for building an endowment], and we decided to establish a Future Fund rather than a separate legal entity to avoid the reporting and administrative requirements of a charitable fund or trust. And there’s the low fees as well.

Another criteria was that we wanted our sub-fund not to be in perpetuity. We knew that we had at least one large community project coming up, and we wanted to make sure we were able to get some of the funds granted back to us to invest in this initiative for community benefit.

What do you like most about being part of Australian Communities Foundation?

I remember the process to get set up was easy – that was particularly beneficial because community organisations like ours are busy focusing on their own mission, so anything that’s easy and saves time is helpful.

We’ve been very pleased since then. We like the donor events, talking to other donors, and just generally being part of the giving community.

There’s also the fact we can ring up any time and get support from the team. We always feel welcome.

As any not-for-profit team knows, funding can be uncertain, especially during transitions. For us, the Future Fund gives us peace of mind because we know that we can access the money in our Fund to help us through a transition period, whatever it may be.

What are your hopes for the AMCS Future Fund?

Firstly, we hope to continue using the Fund to provide grants to multicultural communities, including refugees and asylum seekers.

Additionally, as the fund grows, we will continue granting back to our organisation. We are working on the upgrade of a community centre that was donated to us. The cost of the upgrade will be just over $6 million, but it’s an investment that the community will benefit from for decades, so it’s great to have that option to grant back.

As any not-for-profit team knows, funding can be uncertain, especially during transitions. For us, the Future Fund gives us peace of mind because we know that at least once a year we can access the money in our Fund to help us through a transition period, whatever it may be.

Support AMCS

If you are interested in helping AMCS support culturally and linguistically diverse communities, you can donate to the AMCS Future Fund here.

If you are interested in learning more or partnering with AMCS, head to the website and get in touch: amcservices.org.au

To learn more about opening a Future Fund, click here.

“Facts give us the timeline, but stories give us depth, richness and the chance to connect,” says Jeff Hughes, CEO and co-founder of This Story Australia.

This Story is a not-for-profit that educates, engages and connects communities by producing powerful personal digital stories of Australia’s military veterans.

Though the history of war has been documented extensively, the personal experiences of the men and women involved have been less prominent.

For Jeff, it was this realisation that sparked the establishment of This Story.

“If these stories are not being captured, they’re disappearing,” he explains.

“When we started doing the research we contacted the War Memorial, the Shrine of Remembrance, RSL QLD and Legacy and there was not a single organisation in all of Australia that is capturing the complete human story.

“There might be some interviews about the extent of their military service and what they remember of a battle or what it was like in deployment, but no one was getting into the human story of these veterans.

“This is important to me because I feel that as a society, a lot of us have lost the connection with others. Many people wouldn’t know what to say to a veteran, but if they were to watch the videos of their stories they’d quickly realise they’re just the same people as us.

“They’ve got the same emotions and many of the same life experiences. It just happened that part of their story has been formed through different circumstances.”

If these stories are not being captured, they’re disappearing

This Story is pursuing a growth agenda that will bolster its ability to capture stories from veterans all across Australia. One of its current projects is travelling to the Torres Strait Islands to record the stories of Indigenous war veterans and another is interviewing Australian Peacekeepers who served in countries such as Bougainville, Rwanda and Bosnia.

As a Future Fund holder at Australian Communities Foundation, This Story is building its capacity to extend its long-term sustainability.

In this recent Q&A Jeff Hughes shares his thoughts on the importance of personal stories in shaping the national narrative, his ambitions for This Story Australia and the many ways supporters can get behind the cause.

What’s the story behind This Story Australia? How and why did you establish it?

JH: Back in 2013 a friend of mine asked if I could interview her dad, David, who was a WW2 veteran and we put him on camera. The family wanted to make sure his story was captured on film for the grandkids because he had dementia.

So we went to his house and filmed him over a day going through this big book he’s made with all these memories he’s written down. He spoke of everything from his early life to his service during the war

David passed away in 2016 but I was able to cut together a 2-hour documentary interview of him with photos from childhood and family. The family used a little 10-minute video from the documentary at David’s memorial.

A few weeks after his passing, the family was contacted by a woman who, it turns out, was a daughter David had never known. Unbeknownst to the family, David had been in Sydney before he left for Japan and had a relationship with a woman who fell pregnant. To be clear – this all happened before he returned home, got married and started his family.

Anyway, the mother of the child didn’t expect she’d ever see David again because he was being deployed, and she never told him about their daughter. It was only after David’s death that the daughter reached out to the family.

It was amazing for her to have something of her father, a man she never ever got the chance to meet – and now she’s got this treasured keepsake of two hours of his laughter and his voice and his stories from a man she would have otherwise never known.

It is my hope that This Story Australia acts as a conduit to pull the community closer together. By listening and hearing the stories of others we can develop empathy as we realise that we aren’t alone or unique in our struggles and problems.

I would also like to see This Story Australia as commemorating veterans and their service in a 21st century way – by using media we can preserve not only a veteran’s story in their own words, but the fabric of who they are – smiles, jokes, tears – all of the emotions often come to the forefront in an interview.

And finally, I see This Story Australia as preserving history. We had the technology to interview our WWI veterans, our ANZACs, but no one took the responsibility to do that.

Image: Arthur Leggett – WWII veteran of the Battle of Crete (Army) 104 years old, and Jeff Hughes.

Are there common threads between the stories?

The one thing that surprised me, but perhaps isn’t a surprise at all, is this notion of ordinary people doing extraordinary things in the face of adversity because of the situation they’ve found themselves in.

The common thread I have found is that you can talk to somebody who served for four years or one year or 40 years but in nearly all cases, they maintain some level of service when they leave the military.

And it’s almost a cliché, but no one is a hero and signs up and goes to war. You know, they’re just regular people on a journey who are put into these circumstances where they have served the country. They’re selflessly sacrificing time with family, careers, and in many cases their own health, to serve Australia.

And that’s the thing. Our country is made up of these wonderful people. The people who served come from a cross-section of the community and the common thread I have found is that you can talk to somebody who served for four years or one year or 40 years but in nearly all cases, they maintain some level of service when they leave the military.

They’ll join Legacy, they’ll be doing chook raffles at the local bowls club, they’ll be working in care for elders, they’ll be doing something that is still service related. And often that’s a lifeline.

How can people support or get involved with the work of This Story?

Well, all donations are welcome! Our operational costs are around $300,000 per year and that allows us to do at least 25 veteran videos. We’d like to be able to do many more because the long-term goal of This Story is to offer our services to all veterans across the country, regardless of postcode, age or cultural background.

We also have opportunities for businesses to come on board and support us monthly. For instance, we have a local company near our offices that sponsors our work with a $500 donation each month.

We also host a Charity Golf Day each year which is always a lot of fun. In 2023 we had more veterans, ex-service organisation teams and veteran-owned businesses support us than we ever had before.

To support This Story Australia, please email grants@communityfoundation.org.au or call us on 03 9412 0412.

Visit This Story Australia’s website here.

Content warning: This story contains descriptions of domestic and family violence. If this brings up any concerns for you, please contact the national domestic violence helpline on 1800RESPECT.

Since its inception, Safe Steps Family Violence Response Centre has provided victim-survivors of family and domestic violence with a safe refuge and specialist support services.

In 1979, a small group of women, operating out of a suburban house in Melbourne, started a domestic violence phone referral service, marking the organisation’s beginning.

40 years later, the not-for-profit has established itself as a crucial crisis response service for Victorian families.

It’s a service that provides “expert, culturally safe, trauma-informed care”, according to Safe Steps CEO, Dr Chelsea Tobin.

“Safe Steps operates 24/7 365 days a year to provide a specialist response to all victim-survivors of family violence,” says Dr Tobin.

“We are the crisis entry point to the wider family violence service system across Victoria, and often, our advice, assessment and action is needed to ensure there is not a devastating outcome and loss of life.”

According to data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics’ Personal Safety Survey, one in four women and one in eight men have experienced violence by an intimate partner or family member.

Meanwhile, a reported 8 million Australians (41 per cent) have experienced physical or sexual violence since the age of 15.

Safe Steps’ emergency accommodation

In 2021–22, Safe Steps found emergency accommodation for over 3,000 victims-survivors, and, despite 72 per cent being classed as ‘serious risk’ or ‘serious risk requiring immediate protection’, more than 90 per cent of cases were housed in motels rather than specialist crisis accommodation. It’s something, Dr Tobin says, Safe Steps needs the support of the community to change.

“No one wants to send women and children in crisis to sit alone in a motel room. We all want a better option. At the moment, however, there are almost no other options.”

One of the biggest challenges Safe Steps faces is meeting the demand for services and finding enough suitable emergency accommodation for the women and children who seek its support.

We believe there is a great opportunity to provide better refuge accommodation to families, outside motels, but we need the support of the community

“We believe there is a great opportunity to provide better refuge accommodation to families, outside motels, but we need the support of the community and investment to make this a reality,” explains Dr Tobin.

Safe Steps has plans to develop a series of supported accommodations where it will be able to provide 24/7 care and support to domestic violence survivors.

Building funds with Australian Communities Foundation

The lack of appropriate accommodation was a contributing factor in Safe Steps’ decision to open a Future Fund with Australian Communities Foundation (ACF), Dr Tobin says, with the not-for-profit looking to build an endowment to increase accommodation capacity further down the line.

“We saw the great work ACF was doing and felt comfortable placing our funds with the Foundation.

“Our relationship with the Foundation over recent times has been to support our organisation build funds.

“However, we’re also very excited to work closely with ACF to reach organisations that are interested in supporting us to help even more families dealing with violence, and, in particular, refugees.”

The work we do at Safe Steps ensures more people can leave behind violence, be respected, and live safely

While building an endowment will assist in securing more accommodation, funds will also be used to support women and children as they rebuild and recover after leaving a violent home.

“Being subjected to violence and abuse has long-term consequences,” explains Dr Tobin.

“Once we get women and children out of their violent situations, we then continue working with them in a case management capacity to assist them with services and connections to remain safe.

“This is the role of crisis response – not temporary respite, but a managed plan for recovery. The ongoing social and economic costs of this are immeasurable.”

Making a positive impact

Dr Tobin admits that while some days at Safe Steps are challenging, she chooses to focus on the positive difference the organisation is making and the wonderful people she’s met along the way.

“I am incredibly fortunate to witness the remarkably courageous and brave women who have experienced and managed family violence, in some cases for years, and are seeking a way out of this life.

“The work we do at Safe Steps ensures more people can leave behind violence, be respected, and live safely – and to me, there is no more important work than this.”

Safe Steps has a Future Fund with Australian Communities Foundation. To support Safe Steps, click here.

“What’s incredible is realising that wherever you land in this country, there’s an amazing breadth of cultural practice and experience and an incredible creative ecosystem embedded in the fabric of regional communities,” explains Regional Arts Australia (RAA) Executive Director, Ros Abercrombie.

“Our role is to ensure there are multiple generations of creative practitioners across regional centres because we believe the arts should be accessible for anyone to participate in and enjoy, regardless of where they choose to live, work or study.”

As the not-for-profit peak body for regional arts in Australia, RAA works across all states and territories and all art forms. Its work includes a series of short and long-term capacity building programs and research-based advocacy that, Ros explains is, “designed to unlock the cultural ambition and the potential we know exists in regional Australia”.

^{Image: Regional Arts Australia.}

Much of this work is aimed at overcoming the geographic divide and concentration of the arts in Australia’s biggest cities.

“We’re working really hard on access for all educational and life stages,” Ros explains. “Often, if you want to study a particular area of practice or develop your creative education, more often than not you have to move or travel to one of the cities.

“RAA is advocating for whole-of-life education where people can access those pathways in regional centres too.

“Our job is to facilitate connections, connect the dots and open the doors.”

Wherever you land in this country, there’s an amazing breadth of cultural practice and experience and an incredible creative ecosystem

Many parts of regional Australia are still reeling from the impacts of drought, fire, flood and the pandemic. The additional interdependency with tourism and hospitality has levelled multiple layers of impact upon the arts in the regions.

“Many communities are still in the cycle of recovery from multiple crises on top of each other,” Ros says.

“While we’re seeing a level of recovery as people become more comfortable with returning to festivals and exhibitions, we still have access issues and the digital connectivity divide was further amplified by Covid.”

80 years of impact

Celebrating its 80th year in 2023, Ros says the organisation’s longevity comes down to its ability to listen closely and respond effectively to the ever-changing arts landscape.

“Over those 80 years RAA has changed and adjusted in order to respond to what’s needed at the time,” Ros explains. “It’s ability to hold onto its nimbleness and responsiveness through the decades and be an organisation that is trusted and respected have been key to its success.”

Since 2001, RAA has managed the Regional Arts Fund on behalf of the Australian Government’s Office of the Arts. The Fund provides more than $3 million per year to support artists and communities in regional and remote areas.

^{Image: Regional Arts Australia.}

A recent five-year impact analysis (2016-2021) of the Fund has shown that an investment of $14.57 million has supported 1,760 projects with 96,309 participants across more than 700 locations, reaching an audience of 8.3 million. Importantly, the funding leveraged a further $43.3 million, effectively trebling the initial investment.

Similarly, the Fund’s Cultural Tourism Accelerator program has supported 572 projects, with almost one third of all attendees visiting the region or local area for the first time.

This level of impact, Ros suggests, is something RAA’s founder, singer Dorothy Helmrich OBE, would have been immensely proud of.

“Dorothy was an extraordinary woman,” Ros says. “One of her most famous quotes was, ‘I can’t separate the arts from life … they are the same.’ She was a visionary founder of the Arts Council movement in Australia and a staunch fighter for the arts.”

This initiative will help RAA continue to support those artists and communities that want to tell Australian stories

It’s in Dorothy’s honour that RAA has launched the Pledge a Dot initiative to help imagine the next 80 years or regional arts in Australia.

Using its Regional Arts Australia Fund, a Future Fund at Australian Communities Foundation, RAA is looking to raise $1 million to increase core capacity in the delivery of support for arts in regional Australia.

“This initiative will help RAA continue to support those artists and communities that want to tell Australian stories across all art forms and landscapes,” Ros says.

“Regional Australia is changing and so too is the role of the arts in the regions. It’s an exciting place to be.”

Read more

Support the Pledge a Dot initiative or make a grant request

Watch 2-min video: Celebrating 80 years of regional practice

Learn more about Regional Arts Australia

At Australian Communities Foundation, we’re all about resourcing the important work of not-for-profit (NFP) organisations. 

Over the past 25 years, we have distributed over $100 million on behalf of our giving community. While our role as a significant funder in the NFP sector is well known, our Future Fund offering for NFPs remains one of the sector’s best-kept secrets. 

Read on to find out how a Future Fund can support your not-for-profit organisation’s long-term sustainability.

What is a Future Fund?

Establishing a Future Fund is an easy, tax-effective and strategic way for not-for-profit organisations to develop their long-term sustainability. With a low-cost fee structure, a Future Fund enables you to build an endowment for your not-for-profit organisation.

How it works

1. Establish your Fund

With a minimum initial contribution of $20,000, start building your organisation’s long-term sustainability with a Future Fund. Donations into the Fund can be tax-deductible.

2. Build your endowment

You can make additional contributions at any time and invite tax-deductible donations from the public. All donations are responsibly invested and returns from investments are tax-exempt.

3. Access your money

Access your Future Fund assets for any purpose, including operational costs. You can continue to build your endowment in perpetuity or choose to draw down the funds over time.

Fundraising and donation infrastructure

When you open a Future Fund, you can accept tax-deductible donations via a form integrated with your website or a custom donation page on our online portal, where you can have your own custom donation page. You can also use our fundraising licences in every state and territory.

A Future Fund can also help expand your organisation’s supporter base by offering an independent and secure option for donor gifts, including bequests.

Ethical investing

All money in your Future Fund is ethically invested, which means your endowment is doing good while it is sitting there waiting to be granted back to your organisation. This is a unique value proposition for your donors too – their donations are doing good while sitting in the Fund.

Staying up to date with our investments means you can communicate with supporters about the good your endowment is doing. As part of our ethical approach to investing, we’re now actively seeking positive social and environmental outcomes through the Foundation’s first impact investments. 

Community programs and organisations working with families with children in the prenatal to two-year-old age range are set to grow their impact after being awarded funding in the new Strengthening Early Years program.

The Paul Ramsay Foundation (PRF) and the Australian Communities Foundation (ACF) today announced the first recipients of grants in PRF’s Strengthening Early Years, a program which aims to support families and children to ensure that every child has the opportunity to thrive upon school entry.

Strengthening Early Years focuses on the critical importance of the developmental period between conception and age two. Equally, it aims to ensure that parents are well supported to flourish during the early years of their child’s life.

Drawn from across the country, 18 promising projects targeting young children and families will share in $8.6 million in funding. The group includes culturally appropriate antenatal programs, support for mothers and children escaping domestic and family violence, First Nations focused playgroups, as well as programs focused on building resources, workforce knowledge and capability.

PRF’s Head of Early Childhood and program lead Hannah Barber said the successful organisations were all dedicated to supporting parents, caregivers and children experiencing disadvantage in the first one-thousand days of a child’s life.

“Ensuring that parents and caregivers have what they need to feel supported in the challenging early days of a child’s life is critical to establishing future pathways for the child’s health and development,” she said.

“We were impressed by the range of innovative approaches within these programs designed to strengthen relationships between parents or caregivers and children, which we know is extremely important.

“We look forward to partnering with these organisations to help grow their impact. As PRF works to help break cycles of disadvantage in Australia, we hope to establish a community of learning and sharing within the Strengthening Early Years program, but also with the broader early childhood sector.”

ACF’s Grants Manager, Gabby Lam said that the calibre of the organisations applying for funding was incredibly high, and thanked applicants for taking the time to compile such quality applications.

“We’re happy to once again partner with PRF to distribute funds where they’re most needed. We were struck by the potential and innovation that exists in this sector. We look forward to working with the partners as they undertake the work we’ve supported.”

Grant recipients

• Birth for Humankind
• Broome Regional Aboriginal Medical Services
• Children’s Ground
• Junction
• Karitane
• Karrkad Kanjdji Trust
• Kyabra Community Association Inc.
• Launch Housing
• Mater Misericordiae
• McAuley Community Services for Women
• Migrant Resource Centre (Southern Tas) Inc.
• Nunkuwarrin Yunti of South Australia Inc.
• South Australian West Coast ACCHO Network (SAWCAN)
• Open Support
• Puntukurnu Aboriginal Medical Service
• Tomorrow Today Education Foundation Ltd.
• Yiliyapinya Indigenous Corporation

This partnership with Paul Ramsay Foundation was made possible through our Foundation Support Services. Building on our connections to communities and our infrastructure, we can support both new and established trusts and foundations with grant rounds and other grantmaking services, plus all administration and compliance.

^{Feature image: Children’s Ground}

Early in the morning, Pearl Lee ventures down to Sydney’s inner harbour to don pink clothes and paddle a dragon boat.

She finds a spot in the 12-metre vessel, sits beside people of all ages and backgrounds, and begins to row. 

The group paddle, talk, laugh, take quizzes, and return to the dock for coffee.

The topics of conversation differ on each visit, but it’s always about supporting one another on their shared journey.

The journey? Adjusting to life after breast cancer. 

Pearl and her fellow paddlers are part of Dragons Abreast, a not-for-profit breast cancer charity focused on empowering survivors and educating them on the benefits of an active lifestyle.

Pearl, who joined just weeks after her year-long breast cancer treatment finished, is now Chair of the organisation.

Dragons Abreast support breast cancer recoverees through the physical activity of dragon boating, a Chinese watersport dating back 2000 years. There are member clubs all over Australia.

“Dragons Abreast Australia began at the National Breast Cancer Conference for Consumers in Canberra in 1998,” Pearl notes.

“There was a Canadian dragon boating crew there called ‘Chemo Savvy’. It made people think not just about cancer research, but about how more people are surviving breast cancer treatment – what happens after?”

In her speech, Canadian conference speaker Sharon Batt explained that some survivors dragon boat paddle in Canada during their recovery, inspired by the research of exercise physiologist Dr Don McKenzie, who had gathered evidence that exercising post-chemo was beneficial for survivors. 

Shortly after, conference attendee and former Breast Cancer Network Project Officer, Michelle Hanton OAM, founded Dragons Abreast in Australia.

“Joining Dragons Abreast was like a phoenix coming out of the fire,” says Pearl.

“I found the local group through my GP, and went down and watched what they were doing. I pretty much started straight after I had finished my radiation,” Pearl laughs.

There are so many women who never did a sport of this kind or magnitude, and when they do… you become a warrior

Dragons Abreast currently have 27 member groups and continue to welcome and support survivors and their loved ones on their recovery journey.

“We start off very gently. There are so many women who never did a sport of this kind or magnitude, and when they do check out dragon boating… you become a warrior, and that’s really good for your psyche.

“You feel like you were on a rubbish heap after all the medical treatment, and then suddenly you’ve been lifted by others that know the journey. We know that sometimes you might not be well, but we are in this together and we support you together.”

Dragon’s Abreast’s future

With the group supporting a growing number of survivors and their families, Pearl and the Board began to explore ways to ensure the longevity of the organisation.

“We worked out ‘this is what we need every year for funding’ and the rest of it can actually be invested, rather than sitting down not earning anything. The aim is to carry the organisation so it will always run. We’ve got big plans.”

The group decided to invest their funds through a Future Fund at Australian Communities Foundation (ACF).

Pearl notes a few things that attracted Dragons Abreast to ACF: “the number of existing Funds, historical investment performance (and the responsible approach to investing), and the flexibility to access our funds when we need to”. 

“It was also important that the organisation understood the not-for-profit model and our needs,” Pearl adds. “Our finance advisory panel grilled ACF and felt this was the best fit!”

Looking ahead, Dragons Abreast is making plans to raise funds through their Future Fund.

You feel like you were on a rubbish heap after all the medical treatment, and then suddenly you’ve been lifted by others that know the journey

“Fundraising is something we could bring on in the next year. Our aim is to grow, then we’d love to be able to return grants to the dragon boating group. That will be amazing, just to have the extra resources.”

Dragons Abreast need funds to pay for boats, overheads, oars, life jackets, and staff. They also use donations to plan public events that raise awareness of their organisation to reach more breast cancer survivors.

The group’s next event, Pink Paddle Power Regatta, will be held on 3 December in Melbourne’s Docklands, followed by an evening gala, the Pink Paddle Power Ball.

“The majority of the people who come are proudly either breast cancer survivors or supporters, such as their family members. It’s just nice to come down and see the fun and energy that comes out.

“It really is amazing. I like to tell people, ‘The doctor saved my life, and dragon boating saved my soul’.”

To make a donation, head to Dragons Abreast’s Future Fund here.

For tickets to the gala dinner, click here.

To learn more about how we support organisations through our tax-effective Future Funds, click here.

At Australian Communities Foundation, we’re all about resourcing the important work of not-for-profit (NFP) organisations. 

Over the past 25 years, we have distributed over $100 million on behalf of our giving community. And while our role as a significant funder in the NFP sector is well known, our Future Fund offering for NFPs remains one of the sector’s best-kept secrets. 

Read on to find out how to get the most out of a Future Fund at Australian Communities Foundation. 

Quick refresher: What is a Future Fund? 

Establishing a Future Fund is an easy, tax-effective and strategic way for not-for-profit organisations to develop their long-term sustainability. With a low-cost fee structure, a Future Fund enables you to build an endowment for your not-for-profit organisation. You gain access to our fundraising and donation infrastructure, and can enjoy investment returns through our pooled ethical investments.

1. Connect with our giving community 

As a Future Fund holder, you have access to all the benefits our giving community enjoys, including exclusive invitations to thought leadership events and Learning Circles. These events bring together donors and community partners, and can be great networking opportunities for your organisation. 

Future Fund holders are also given the opportunity to be featured in a community story and promoted in our donor newsletters. If you have an idea for a story, get in touch with us here.

And if you haven’t already, we recommend sharing your latest funding needs with our community via our Granting Opportunities platform. You can submit a funding proposal here. 

2. Access your Fund online 

This one is pretty straightforward but if you’re not already accessing your Future Fund online, head to our Fund Portal to get set up. Simply click ‘Forgot password’ and enter the email address associated with your Fund to receive a link to log in (if you don’t receive the email or have any issues accessing your account, contact us). 

The Fund Portal gives you real-time access to your Fund’s balance, donation and distribution activity, as well as monthly statements. 

3. Stay up to date with our ethical investments 

All money in your Future Fund is ethically invested, which means your endowment is doing good while it is sitting there waiting to be granted back to your organisation. This is a unique value proposition for your donors too – their donations are doing good while sitting in the Fund. Staying up to date with our investments means you can communicate with supporters about the good your endowment is doing.  

As part of our ethical approach to investing, we’re now actively seeking positive social and environmental outcomes through the Foundation’s first impact investments. 

4. Promote the Fund to your donor base 

Anyone from around the world can donate to your Fund at any time via our website, so we encourage you to invite your donor base to contribute. Each fund has its own unique donation URL that you can share with your supporters. We take care of all administration and issue tax-deductible receipts for Australian donors. 

Be sure to promote the Fund as a way for supporters to help build your organisation’s long-term sustainability, and explain that all donations are ethically invested. 

We can also help you set up a custom donation page with your own branding and integrate it with your own website, which can support your organisation’s online fundraising campaigns. If you’d like to discuss setting up a custom donation page, or would like general advice on promoting your Fund, contact us. 

5. Use our fundraising licences across Australia 

We’re licensed to fundraise in every state and territory. Use our licences for your fundraising activities across Australia and easily deposit funds raised into your Future Fund. 

6. Access your capital or continue to build your endowment

Access your Future Fund assets for any purpose, including operational costs (think of your Future Fund as an untied funding vehicle). You can continue to build your endowment in perpetuity or choose to draw down the funds over time.

7. Use our office space in East Melbourne 

The Community of Giving in East Melbourne is a space for funders, non-profits and the philanthropic sector to meet, collaborate, network, and co-design solutions to Australia’s most pressing issues. 

As a Future Fund holder, you can access the Community of Giving’s shared facilities, including meeting rooms, videoconferencing facilities and a function space. Contact us to make a booking. 

The Paul Ramsay Foundation (PRF) and Australian Communities Foundation (ACF) today announced a national open grant round for programs and organisations working with families with children in the prenatal to two-year-old age range.

The grant round is part of PRF’s Strengthening Early Years, a program which aims to support families and children to ensure that every child has the opportunity to thrive upon school entry. In particular, the program focuses on the critical importance of the developmental period between conception and age two. Equally, it aims to ensure that parents are well supported to flourish during the early years of their child’s life.

Program lead and senior associate at the Paul Ramsay Foundation, Hannah Barber explained that to achieve its goals, PRF was seeking to source, seed, and support ‘promising programs’ that are working with families with children aged prenatal-two years old.

“We are thrilled to launch this open grant round to help us make inroads into strengthening the early years of children’s lives by supporting those who do fantastic work with children and families all around Australia,” said Barber.

“One of the primary objectives of this nationwide open grant round is to extend PRF’s reach into communities with which the Foundation does not have a long history of partnering.

“We’re seeking to support innovative practices which lead towards success in ensuring parents and caregivers are supported, and building strong positive relationships in children’s lives that support physical and mental health and wellbeing.”

Barber explained that the role of ACF was critical in helping reach the right programs and organisations.

“By partnering with ACF, we are able to expand our reach into those communities that are often underserved by funding opportunities. ACF brings a long history of high quality, community-based partnership and we are thrilled to be working alongside their team.”

There will be two grant types available:

• Large Grants: Between $250,000 and $750,000 (total) for a period of up to five years are available and amounts will be determined on a case-by-case basis.
• Small/medium Grants: Between $50,000 and $250,000 (total) for a period of up to five years are available and amounts will be determined on a case-by-case basis.

ACF Director of Philanthropic Services, Georgia Mathews expressed ACF’s enthusiasm for the work.

“We’re pleased to be able to work with PRF to identify organisations showing leadership in this important space and look forward to seeing the positive outcomes of some carefully placed funding for parents, their young children, and the community more broadly,” she said.

“It’s wonderful to see a foundation like PRF working with us to leverage our deep networks across the country and using them to achieve a positive result.”

Application Process

Large grants

Interested applicants must complete an Expression of Interest (EOI). Full applications are by invitation only, based on the outcome of the EOI process.

EOIs open: 16 August 2022
EOI close: 6 September 2022

Full Applications open: 13 September 2022
Full Applications close: 7 October 2022

Small/medium grants

Applications open: 16 August 2022
Applications close: 21 September 2022

APPLY ONLINE: communityfoundation.org.au/support/sey