Giving a platform to farmers on the frontline of climate change

Farmers for Climate Action (FCA) is a movement of farmers, agricultural leaders and rural Australians working to ensure farmers are a key part of the solution to climate change. As the only farmer-led organisation that specialises in climate action, FCA works across the agricultural and climate sectors to manage risks and find opportunities to adapt to, and mitigate, climate change.

Issue

Agriculture is a significant contributor to climate change, yet there has been little resourcing to support the agriculture industry in Australia to adapt. In the absence of a clear, coordinated approach to climate change, agricultural emissions are unlikely to be substantively reduced within a meaningful timeframe and opportunities for carbon capture are not likely to be realised. 

Response

FCA has been working with farmers to build awareness of the effect of climate change on farming families and shift the prevailing narrative to see farmers as part of the solution rather than an obstacle to climate action. This work has served as the foundation for FCA to build bipartisan support for a national strategy on climate change and agriculture.

Progress update

UPDATED MARCH 2022

• Growing support for net-zero by 2050: Backed by National Farmers’ Federation in August 2020 and the National Party in October 2021.
• National strategy on climate change and agriculture: In response to momentum built by FCA and other advocates, the Federal Government has developed the National Climate Resilience and Adaptation Strategy 2021-2025, published in October 2021.

What the Impact Fund’s support means

“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 … Impact Funders should take great pride in what we have achieved so far.” 

Read case study in Making Change Together: Five years of the Impact Fund

Grants

• 2018 Large Grants round: $125,000 for core funding (over three years)

Progressing the Uluru Statement and its ambitions for a better Australia for everyone

As the largest consensus of First Nations peoples on a proposal for substantive recognition in Australian history, the road to the Uluru Statement from the Heart is a long one even without mentioning the decades of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander activism that came before it.

Issue

Over a decade since the Council of Australian Governments agreed to a coordinated approach to addressing disadvantage in First Nations communities, there is a consensus among First Nations peoples that the gap in health, social and economic outcomes between Indigenous and non-Indigenous people in Australia cannot be addressed through more research and program funding alone – a different approach is needed. The problem is structural and the solution needs to be informed by First Nations through a process they identify as meaningful to them.

Response

The Uluru Statement from the Heart was issued to the Australian people in 2017 as a way forward. The Indigenous Law Centre (ILC) at UNSW is the backbone organisation for the Statement that coordinates the ongoing national dialogue process to ensure First Nations voices remain at the heart of delivering on Voice, Treaty, Truth—the three pathways to justice set out in the Statement.

Utilising a hub and spoke model, local communities have identified leaders to represent them at National Uluru Dialogues, taking place at least three times a year. Furthermore, the ILC has been undertaking extensive research to support First Nations communities to make evidence-based and informed decisions essential to successful constitutional reform negotiations, while also developing a longer-term intergenerational vision for self-determination by supporting emerging First Nations researchers, critical thinkers and leaders.

PROGRESS UPDATE

UPDATED MARCH 2022

• Increased awareness and support: The Uluru Statement was recognised by the Sydney Peace Prize, taking out the 2021 award for its ‘historic offering of peace’. 90% of submissions to the Government’s Voice co-design process in favour of a constitutionally protected Voice to Parliament.
• Ongoing leadership dialogues: The campaign has facilitated the Uluru Youth Summit In Cairns and Yarrabah, constitutional workshops with legal experts, and a workshop at UNSW Sydney that brought together the nation’s leading constitutional law scholars.
• Collaboration with fellow Impact Partner, the Public Interest Advocacy Centre: ILC has worked with PIAC to broaden the reach of the Statement by translating it into more than 60 languages. The two organisations are now collaborating on the Towards Truth project to gather and analyse laws and policies that have impacted Indigenous peoples since 1788.

GRANTS

• 2017 Large Grants round: $150,000 in campaign support

Shining a light on dark money in politics

Big Deal is a wake-up call about the frightening extent to which money has infiltrated politics. Christiaan van Vuuren is an everyday Aussie – a comedian with provocative instincts, but also a father with a keen sense of fairness and justice. Big Deal begins with Christiaan mocking the fact that the US democracy has been taken over by big money, but he soon realises that the situation in his home country is not all that different. A wake-up call about the frightening extent to which money has infiltrated politics, Christiaan’s unlikely journey shows us why we should care, and how we might work together to ensure our democracy is safeguarded from being sold to the highest bidder.

Issue

Significant money is being provided to political parties in the form of donations that have the potential to bias political action. Together both major parties have taken over $100 million from corporate donors since 2012. Current laws limit what needs to be reported to the public. This makes it hard for Australians to get a clear line of sight to who is providing funding and what influence they might be having on political decisions.

Response

Supported in development by Shark Island Institute, the team at Jungle Entertainment began work on a documentary – what became Big Deal – to build public awareness of the scale and implications of unchecked political donations. ACF worked with the production team to link the documentary to civil society stakeholders, including members of the #OurDemocracy campaign – a campaign seeking to engage the broader public to push for reforms to make the Australian democratic system stronger, fairer and more representative.

Progress Update

UPDATED MARCH 2022

• The film has so far had an audience reach of over 5.3 million in theatres, online, on the ABC and in media coverage. 
• The promotion of the #OurDemocracy campaign via the Big Deal documentary has so far led to 12,000 active members.

What the Impact Fund’s support means

“Impact Funders came on really early and made all the difference to the quality of the story we could tell… they totally understood the power of this film.” – Leeanne Torpey, Big Deal Impact Producer

Read case study in Making Change Together: Five years of the Impact Fund

Grants

• 2019 Large Grants round: $172,000 for development of impact campaign

Raising the rate of income support to keep Australians out of poverty

The campaign to Raise the Rate for Good is key to reducing poverty and inequality in Australia. The goal of the Raise the Rate for Good campaign is to fix our social security safety net for good so that it keeps people out of poverty, with an income of at least $70 a day.

ISSUE

Australians relying on unemployment payments are at significant risk of living in poverty, living on a base rate of $40 per day before Covid-19. Prior to adjustments made in response to Covid-19, these payments had not increased in real terms in 25 years, making it difficult for people receiving them to afford the basics. The low rate of government allowances, even taking into account the recent Covid-19 adjustments, continues to contribute to inequality in Australia, causing people who rely on payments to fall further behind.

RESPONSE

The Raise the Rate for Good campaign seeks to change the prevailing public narrative about people who rely on income support. It works to do that by building a grassroots and online campaign and mobilising a diverse range of high-profile influencers to build parliamentary support for change. The campaign is informed by research generated through the ACOSS and UNSW Poverty and Inequality Partnership with UNSW (also supported by the Impact Fund).

PROGRESS UPDATE

UPDATED MARCH 2022

• Community voices amplified: Over 15,000 supporters have signed onto the campaign with an unprecedented number of people with lived experience engaging in the campaign.
• Permanent increase to income support achieved: In response to pressure built through the campaign, heightened by the impacts of Covid-19, the Federal Government announced a permanent $50 increase to fortnightly income support payments. While criticised as being insufficient and continuing to allow Australians to live below the poverty line, the increase is significant and represents an additional $3 billion a year in support for vulnerable Australians.

WHAT THE IMPACT FUND’S SUPPORT MEANS

“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.” – Dr Cassandra Goldie, CEO, ACOSS

Read case study in Making Change Together: Five years of the Impact Fund

GRANTS

• 2019 Large Grants round: $150,000 in campaign support
• 2020 ‘Supporting Our Partners’ Covid-19 Agile Grant: $55,000 in campaign support

Uniting Australians to support the LGBTIQ+ community

Equality Australia (EA) exists to improve the wellbeing and circumstances of LGBTIQ+ people in Australia and their families. More specifically, EA works to reduce the stigma and discrimination LGBTIQ+ people face, and to advance and promote equality and inclusion.

Marriage equality

ISSUE

In August 2017, the Federal Government announced the Australian Marriage Law Postal Survey – a national survey designed to gauge support for legalising same-sex marriage in Australia.

RESPONSE

The Equality Campaign quickly emerged as a broad coalition of Australians working to secure a Yes vote. The Human Rights Law Centre, where Equality Australia’s Founding CEO Anna Brown was working at the time, was central in ensuring the passage of legislation to deliver marriage equality. Equality Australia was born out of this work.

Religious Discrimination Bill

ISSUE

The proposed Religious Discrimination Bill was supposed to prohibit discrimination on the basis of religious belief or activity (including having no religious belief or refusing to engage in religious activity) in certain areas of public life, such as employment, education and the provision of goods and services.

But the Bill that was drafted threatened to undermine inclusive workplaces, schools and access to services like healthcare without judgement. Laws which should protect religious people from discrimination would have been used to hand a licence to discriminate against LGBTIQ+ people, women, people with disability, and others.

RESPONSE

In 2019, Equality Australia began working in close partnership with businesses, community organisations, and individual advocates to make sure that laws in the name of religion protect people of faith without winding back protections from discrimination for LGBTIQ+ people,  women, and people with disability.

Progress update

UPDATED MARCH 2022

• Marriage equality achieved
• Religious Discrimination Bill shelved indefinitely

What the Impact Fund’s support means

“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.” – Anna Brown, CEO, Equality Australia

Read case study in Making Change Together: Five years of the Impact Fund

Grants

• 2017 Agile Grant: $25,000 for YES campaign
• 2018 Agile Grant: $15,000 for All Schools, Same Rules campaign
• 2021 Agile Grant: $37,000 for Freedom for Discrimination campaign (Religious Discrimination Bill)

Protecting people from gambling harm

The Alliance for Gambling Reform (AGR) is a national advocacy organisation which works to prevent and minimise the harm from gambling. AGR’s aim is to remove the shame that surrounds gambling addiction, have the problem treated as a public health issue, and achieve the legislative changes needed to protect communities.

Issue

The harm caused by gambling impacts people and communities in many different ways. There are around 500,000 people in Australia who are experiencing high or severe levels of harm from gambling. On average, these people lose $21,000 a year.

Poker machine gambling continues to be the largest contributor to gambling harm, resulting in losses of more than $12 billion every year.

Response

In late 2016, AGR secured a powerful win in their campaign to reduce harm from poker machine gambling. After sustained campaigning, Coles announced that they would implement a trial to limit the maximum bet to $1 on its poker machines in South Australia and Queensland. Shortly after, the Impact Fund came on as an early supporter to help AGR leverage the momentum that was building at the time.

Through the Pokies Play You campaign, AGR is reframing gambling as a public health issue and supporting brands and AFL clubs to divest from the poker machine industry.

Progress update

UPDATED MARCH 2022

• Coles and Woolworths supermarkets and nine AFL clubs have divested from the poker machine industry.

What the Impact Fund’s support means

“Impact Funders are willing to back risky ideas and uncertain paths to advance social change… the Impact Fund community understood our vision from the beginning.” – Tony Mohr, Executive Director (2016–20), AGR

Read case study in Making Change Together: Five years of the Impact Fund

Grants

• 2017 Large Grants round: $60,000 for Pokies Play You campaign
• 2020 ‘Supporting Our Partners’ Covid-19 Agile Grant: $25,000 in core funding

Protecting country and culture through Indigenous land management

The Country Needs People (CNP) campaign is a growing group of Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians calling on decision-makers to:

1. Double the number of Indigenous rangers.
2. Create a fund for ranger training, capacity building, networking and capital costs.
3. Double the funding for the Indigenous Protected Area (IPA) program. 
4. Ensure equal employment opportunities for women rangers by 2030. 

CNIP is a growing alliance of over 41 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander land and sea management organisations, Country Needs People Ltd and over 100,000 Australians.

Issue

Traditional land management practices on Country reinforce communities’ connection to land and culture, contribute to individual and community wellbeing, provide a source of employment, and promote landscape health and sustainability. While Indigenous Protected Areas (IPAs) were introduced nearly 25 years ago, the lack of a coherent policy or funding framework meant communities long struggled to secure enough long-term funding to support land and sea management. 

Response

CNP has worked to build cross-partisan support to maintain and increase funding for Indigenous land and sea management. Furthermore, CNP has undertaken research to demonstrate the environmental and community benefit associated with traditional land management, and supported communities to apply for the protection of traditional lands under IPAs.

Progress update

UPDATED MARCH 2022

• Over $800 million in government funding secured to support 80 Indigenous ranger groups, including a commitment from the Federal Government of $102 million indexed annually between 2021 and 2028, and commitments from state governments in Queensland, Western Australia and the Northern Territory.
• Model being adapted internationally: The Land Needs Guardians movement in Canada is pursuing the same recognition of the benefits of traditional land management for both Country and people.

What the Impact Fund’s support means

“Impact Funders have helped us grow from a campaign to an independent organisation, delivering significant dividends for our environment and Indigenous wellbeing.” – Patrick O’Leary, Executive Director, CNP

Read case study in Making Change Together: Five years of the Impact Fund

Grants

• 2017 Large Grants round: $170,000 for core funding (over three years)

Protecting public interest journalism

Established in 2018, the Public Interest Journalism Initiative (PIJI) is investigating a sustainable future for public interest journalism. PIJI envisages a sustainable and diverse public interest journalism landscape in Australia. Through research, the organisation helps move Australia towards achieving this vision.

Issue

The news media landscape in Australia is experiencing an unprecedented industry disruption, resulting in news media closures and industry consolidation. Those shifts have raised concerns about media diversity and access to public interest journalism, particularly in regional and rural Australia.

Response

PIJI was established to build awareness of the role of public interest journalism and the threat to it; research options to address that threat; and lobby government to support the industry to transition to a new, sustainable model of operation. In collaboration with the Susan McKinnon Foundation, the Impact Fund provided funding to support PIJI’s initial setup, launch and ongoing operation.

^{Disclosure: Eric Beecher, Chair of Australian Communities Foundation, is also on the Board of Public Interest Journalism Initiative.}

Protecting Australian species from extinction

The Invasive Species Council (ISC) campaigns for better laws and protections for our native plants and animals from weeds, pests and feral invaders. ISC was formed in 2002 to seek stronger laws, policies and programs to keep Australian biodiversity safe from weeds, feral animals and other invaders.

Issue

Australia is currently facing an extinction crisis with more than 1,770 species now threatened or endangered, and invasive species are the number one cause. Cats and foxes have driven 22 native mammals to extinction across central Australia and a new wave of decline, largely from cats, is taking place across northern Australia. Species will continue to decline and become extinct without a strong national system for abating the threats of invasive species as well as those posed by habitat destruction. Australia’s current system for identifying key threatening processes and coordinating national threat abatement efforts fails to recognise and address many major threats (under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation (EPBC) Act 1999). Moreover, less than half of the threats that are recognised have resulted in adequate abatement progress.

Response

The Threats to Nature project works with environmental NGOs, policy experts and scientists to develop a package of institutional, legal and policy reforms that would engender a more concerted focus on abating major threats. With the EPBC Act under independent review across 2019-20, the ISC has advocated for a reformed EPBC Act that facilitates policy changes to strengthen the system that prepares abatement plans, rather than trying to save threatened species one by one.

Protecting refugee rights to make use of Medevac

The Medical Evacuation Response Group (MERG) is a group of specialist refugee and asylum seeker support organisations who work in partnership to facilitate the medical evacuation of critically ill refugees and asylum seekers held in offshore detention. Also referred to as the Medevac Group, MERG was formed to streamline applications for medical transfer after the passing of the much anticipated Medevac bill in early 2019. 

Issue

After advocacy efforts by refugee advocates led to the narrow passage of Medevac Legislation in early 2019, there was a need to assist sick refugees in offshore detention to work through the procedural steps needed to obtain access to medical care in Australia. The Medevac Legislation provided a mechanism for critically sick refugees and people seeking asylum held in offshore detention to be transferred to Australia for urgent medical treatment. The legislation required that two independent Australian doctors must recommend the temporary transfer of sick refugees to Australia and agree that appropriate treatment could not be provided while they were in offshore detention in Papua New Guinea (PNG) and Nauru. Without support to navigate this requirement, critically sick refugees and people seeking asylum would not have been able to benefit from the Legislation.

Response

A group of cross-sector specialist refugee organisations formed the Medical Evacuation Response Group (MERG) to prepare for the operationalisation of the Medevac Bill. With the MERG in place, ASRC was able to move quickly after the Bill was passed. The MERG employed a Triage Manager to coordinate the medical triage of those requiring urgent medical care and arrange legal assistance to obtain transfers under the new law. MERG effectively addressed operational gaps in government funding to support refugees to navigate the Medevac requirements and access health services. The Impact Fund provided funding for the Triage Manager. After the repeal of the legislation a further $10,000 was provided in response to urgent requests to help refugees who had been transferred to Australia to access housing.