Australia

Community Foundations Australia (CFAustralia) is the national network and support organisation for community foundations across the country. Established in 2007 and based in Melbourne, it connects and strengthens more than 40 local community foundations, each working to build place-based philanthropy that reflects the needs and aspirations of their communities. CFAustralia provides expert guidance, peer learning opportunities, and practical tools to help community foundations grow their impact, develop governance structures, and engage donors and local stakeholders effectively.

Beyond capacity building, CFAustralia plays a key advocacy role—championing policy reforms such as expanding Deductible Gift Recipient (DGR) status for community foundations, which now allows them to fund a broader range of local initiatives. It also leads national initiatives, supports the establishment of new community foundations, and fosters collaboration through sector-wide gatherings, research, and innovation funding. Through this work, CFAustralia enables community foundations to be powerful, locally rooted vehicles for equity, resilience, and long-term change across Australia.