The Towards a Just Society Fund

Transcription

1 The Towards a Just Society Fund A sub-fund of the Australian Communities Foundation Annual Report for the Financial Year As remarked upon in the Annual Report, during that year we passed the tenth anniversary of the first grants made by TJSF. Reflection on those ten years noted the current emphases on being responsive to initiatives from the Aboriginal community; to strengthen support for capacity development in Aboriginal organisations; and to collaborate within the (now) Australian Community Foundation Indigenous Giving Circle, supporting capacity building and taking an active advocacy role in support of Aboriginal organisations. We have observed value in the Fund being able to take risks, and to move quickly and commit to small grants that encourage other funds to engage. These reflections were subsequently expanded in a presentation to the Australian Community Foundation, prompting further discussions about our approach and direction; particularly our flexibility to take risks to support early-stage development of activities by Aboriginal individuals and groups, and the possible linkages to the broader capacity for funding and support through the Indigenous Giving Circle. Our experience in supporting the Weenthunga Health Network seemed illustrative of these aspects. Weenthunga is an organisation, founded in 2010, of First Australians and Australians, in their terms, controlled by First Australians. Their bicultural intention is realised through mixed membership, a mixed Committee of Management of First Australians and Australians with a majority and President being First Australians, and specific attention to processes. They aim to contribute to strategies to improve the health and well-being of First Australians in Victoria by: improving the uptake of health careers by First Australian school leavers; and improving the knowledge, competencies and collaboration of the Victorian health workforce working with First Australians, better equipping them to provide culturally sensitive services. Our initial informal contacts with Weenthunga staff, at a forum organised through another project supported by TJSF in 2011, led to a 3-year funding agreement for $15,000 per annum being shaped in early 2012 to support operating costs. As the Giving Circle developed, we introduced the possibility of supporting Weenthunga which resulted in an initial grant in 2013, a further grant in 2014 which substantially covered their operating costs for , and support from ACF staff for a successful and highly competitive application by Weenthunga to the Lord Mayor s Fund for evaluation. Early in 2015 we conducted a reflection, after 3 years funding, with Weenthunga staff and our Management Committee. The Weenthunga view was they did not require extension of our funding at this point, which enabled us to think about redirecting these funds while maintaining our commitment to further funding from the Giving Circle. In passing they remarked about the financial difficulties some Aboriginal women have in maintaining their studies. This led to the initiation of a small bursary program with them. Consideration of this sequence of activities began to raise questions about: how can TJSF effectively take a knowingly risky approach to supporting early-stage development of capacity in Aboriginal activities and organisations?; and how can this early support be potentially translated to greater support through the ACF Indigenous Giving Circle and other channels? While there were few changes of note in our funding profile for the year on reflection, we seem to have been paused, waiting to be reached - we finished with some significant questions about future processes to generate greater activity. John Burke, Chair ACF: ASBF: ANU: Australian Communities Foundation TJSF s Aboriginal Students Bursary Fund Australian National University ARC: CAEPR: FVPLS: HICSA: Australian Research Council ANU s Centre for Aboriginal Economic Policy Research Aboriginal Family Violence Prevention and Legal Service Victoria Healesville Indigenous Community Services Association MBS: Melbourne Business School SNAICC: Secretariat of National Aboriginal and Islander Child Care 1

2 Activities in During , TJSF continued to focus on the four priority areas identified by the Management Committee in , namely: Development of TJSF s bursary approach Support for initiatives in retention/pathways area Support for ACF strategic priority Strategic focus. Development of TJSF s bursary approach After our strategy of attempting to engage new educational institutions with a view to establishing a bursary arrangement proved unsuccessful, we seem to have evolved into a practice of: a) waiting for requests from new organisations to establish a bursary arrangement (for example Disability Resource Centre and Chisholm TAFE) b) inviting relevant organisations, with which we have an existing relationship, to establish a bursary arrangement (for example Weenthunga) c) extending existing arrangements beyond three years. In , grants supporting bursaries totalled $30,000 and formed 29% of TJSF s total annual distribution. This is a slight increase on the previous year in both total dollars and percentage of total grants. Bursary funding arrangements currently exist with: Chisholm TAFE (through the Caroline Chisholm Education Foundation) Disability Resource Centre (offering national access to Aboriginal people with a disability) Weenthunga Health Network. A study grant arrangement, recognising excellence, continues with Melbourne Polytechnic (formerly NMIT). Support for initiatives in retention/pathways area During , TJSF continued its strategy of being available and waiting for approaches from the Aboriginal community. Relationships exist with Aboriginal individuals and organisations. Aboriginal organisations include Songlines Aboriginal Music, the Koorie Services Unit at Melbourne Polytechnic, Bubup Wilam for Early Learning, Weenthunga Health Network, Healesville Indigenous Community Services Association and Woor-Dungin. A grant to support Aboriginal student retention at Thornbury High School was instigated by one of our community contacts in the northern region. TJSF continued to fund arrangements supporting pathways through relationships with Weenthunga Health Network and Monash University s School for Indigenous Health. Support for ACF strategic priority In 2009, the Australian Communities Foundation Board agreed to make Indigenous Education and Capacity Building a new strategic priority area for the organisation. During , TJSF continued to cooperate with ACF towards this end. Activities included participating in the ACF Indigenous Giving Circle involving several ACF sub-funds focusing on Indigenous education and development. Strategic focus TJSF continues to support the establishment of a base for reflection and strategic advice through research. Although there has been little apparent progress since late in 2013, TJSF supports and is represented on the Project Advisory Committee of CAEPR s ARC Linkage Project exploring the question How can philanthropic bodies more successfully engage with Indigenous people and develop effective partnerships so to most strategically invest their resources to improve Indigenous education outcomes? TJSF continues to periodically review and develop its own strategic perspective. 2

3 TJSF distributions in Nine grants were distributed in totalling $104,200 as outlined below. Recipient Value Purpose Caroline Chisholm Education Foundation: $10,000 Our second grant to provide bursaries to support Aboriginal students at Chisholm TAFE, administered by Caroline Chisholm Education Foundation based on advice from the Koorie Liaison Unit. Disability Resource Centre: Melbourne Polytechnic Monash University: Reconciliation Victoria: $15,000 $4,000 $25,000 A 4th grant to be used by the Disability Resource Centre, based on advice from the Advisory Committee of the Australian Disability and Indigenous Peoples Education Fund to provide small education grants to Indigenous people with disabilities over two funding rounds in An annual grant to provide four Study Grants to Aboriginal students. (Melbourne Polytechnic was previously NMIT) Our second grant to support Koori Students Health Academies coordinated by the Faculty of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences $5,000 A grant to support identifying possible frameworks for treaties in Victoria. Thornbury High School: Weenthunga Health Network: Weenthunga Health Network: Woor-Dungin: $20,000 $15,000 $5,000 $5,200 A one-off grant to support employment of a Program Coordinator for Indigenous Programs at Thornbury High School in 2014 TJSF contribution to a total of $80,000 from ACF sub-funds to support core funding for the Weenthunga Health Network in A grant for bursaries to support students involved in Weenthunga's Bendigo and Geelong activities. A grant, via Brotherhood of St Laurence, to support Woor-Dungin's Young Aboriginal Women s Work Experience and Leadership Program. Total $104,200 Funding strategies The distribution of grants has been guided by TJSF s agreed funding strategy. Agreed funding strategy Primarily focus on Aboriginal education Primarily focus on projects in Victoria Support projects developed in partnerships, with vision and direction from the funded organisations, supported by TJSF Support innovation, with intended continuity (generally up to 3 years) to enable the funded organisation to establish the worth of the project, collect evidence, and seek ongoing sources of support. Cap grants at a level which it is anticipated can be sustained from existing funds and anticipated activities 95% of the total value of grants focused on support for Aboriginal education. The other 5% supported Reconciliation Victoria activities. All grants funds focused on Victoria. However the grant to Disability Resource Centre had a Victorian and national focus. Again, 95% of grants funding went to Aboriginal organisations or Aboriginal units within larger organisations. In keeping with the intent of this strategy, we have committed to at least three-year support for: Chisholm TAFE Bubup Wilam Songlines Aboriginal Music Disability Resource Centre Weenthunga Health Network Monash University Melbourne Polytechnic (formerly NMIT). Total grant distributions were within this cap. 3

4 regular donations. Agreed funding strategy Support existing partnerships with some additional funding available for new initiatives, to be largely derived from TJSF s strategic considerations. Seek co-funding opportunities with other philanthropic trusts to support larger projects and to extend the period of some existing projects activities Partnership arrangements with Songlines and Weenthunga have led to further grants. TJSF continued its work in co-funding arrangements with ACF s Indigenous Giving Circle. Strategic Review directions A Strategic Review in August 2012 agreed that TJSF should: a) continue to shift its focus towards responding to initiatives originating in the Aboriginal community b) maintain an approximate funding ratio of 50% for organisational capacity building, 30% for bursary and study grant models and 20% for other areas c) if appropriate, extend its support for a grant recipient organisation beyond three years. In discussions during a members meeting held in June 2014, it was agreed that: 1. TJSF s current guidelines ratio of spending on bursaries, capacity and other projects (30:50:20) is still appropriate, however the fund should remain flexible. 2. Guidelines for our organisational capacity building support are: a) Capacity building grants need not be specifically tied to outcomes, but rather based on the strategic directions determined by the grant recipient organisation. b) Rather than emphasising evaluation, we will encourage a loosely structured process of joint reflection on capacity building outcomes within the grant recipients strategic directions. c) Support the gaining of funding from other sources by encouraging the development of strategic and evaluation approaches. d) Support for longer than 3 years may be considered, but only after a review of the outcomes of the first three years. e) Additional indirect support may be considered (For example support with strategic and financial planning, representation to government and advocating with other funding bodies). In the financial year, six of the nine grants were initiated by the Aboriginal community. The six grants covered 57% of the total value of grants. The chart below compares the actual focus of grants in against the targeted focus. 4

5 TJSF Financial Summary for The amounts in the table below cover the TJSF, TJSF Extension Fund and ASBF sub-funds. Opening balances 1 July 2014 $ TJSF 265, TJSF EF 191, ASBF 13, Total opening balance: 470, Income Donations received - TJSF 105, Donations received TJSF EF 0.00 Donations received ASBF 0.00 Total income: 105, Expenditure Distributions as grants TJSF 84, Distributions as grants TJSF EF 20, Distributions as grants - ASBF 0.00 Executive Officer - TJSF 4, ACF Admin & management fees - TJSF 5, ACF admin & management fees TJSF EF ACF admin & management fees - ASBF 3, Total expenditure: 118, Other changes in capital value Change in capital value - TJSF 28, Change in capital value TJSF EF 12, Change in capital value - ASBF 4, Total change in capital value: 45, Closing balances 30 July 2015 TJSF 304, TJSF EF 184, ASBF 14, Total closing balance: 503,

6 Attachment A: TJSF membership January 2015 TJSF Members Surname Given name Surname Given name Burke John McPhate Maureen Dorevitch Abe Raysmith Hayden Dorevitch Vera Spindler Christopher Friday Mary Lou Spindler Julia Friday Robin Spindler Karen Holmes Roberta Spindler Linden Ives Rosslyn Spindler Rebecca McPhate Alan Strnad Halina Management/Development Committee Members John Burke (Chair) Julia Spindler Halina Strnad Kerry Spindler Alan McPhate Maureen McPhate Robin Friday Mary Lou Friday Hayden Raysmith Liz Gillies (Asia Pacific Social Impact Leadership Centre, co-opted) Sarah Thompson (Australian Communities Foundation, co-opted) John Clarke (Executive Officer, co-opted) 6