Australian Ethical Foundation powers community and climate solutions with a record $1.7 million in grants in 2024.

The Australian Ethical Foundation has announced its largest annual donation yet, allocating $1.7 million in 2024 to combat climate change, support vulnerable communities, and protect ecosystems. This record-breaking year brings the foundation’s total donations to over $11 million since its inception in 2000.

Australian Ethical’s unique approach, which dedicates 10% of its annual profits (after tax and before bonuses) to philanthropy, continues to drive significant impact. This innovative funding model channels resources into high-impact projects that create scalable solutions for pressing environmental and social challenges.

One of this year’s grant recipients, Original Power, has partnered with Wilya Janta, an Aboriginal housing consultancy, to develop Australia’s first climate-resilient, culturally appropriate housing in the Northern Territory. This groundbreaking project directly addresses critical issues such as overcrowding, poor thermal performance, and lack of cultural consideration in housing design, which contribute to energy insecurity for First Nations communities. Beyond reducing carbon emissions, the initiative is expected to significantly improve health outcomes by creating cooler, better-ventilated homes.

Another recipient, the Australian Climate and Biodiversity Foundation, is taking on deforestation at a systemic level by advocating for stronger policies and developing market-based solutions to protect critical biodiversity and carbon stores. By addressing the root causes of deforestation, this work aims to deliver long-term environmental and economic benefits.

“2024 has been a milestone year for the Australian Ethical Foundation,” said Kate Saunders, Head of Foundation at Australian Ethical. “We’re proud to fund projects that lay the groundwork for sustainable, systemic change. By targeting root causes and collaborating with innovative organisations, we’re supporting solutions that can be scaled and replicated across Australia.”

This year’s grant recipients also include ACBF, Accounting for Nature, ACOSS (Renew Australia for All), Beyond Zero Emissions, Boundless Earth, Climateworks, Environmental Justice Australia, Fletcher St Cottage, Food Frontier, Groundswell Major Giving Circle, Investor Group on Climate Change, Karrkad Kandiji Trust, Martuwarra Fitzroy River Council, and Original Power.

With less than 2% of global philanthropy directed towards addressing climate change, the Australian Ethical Foundation is committed to fighting climate change as effectively as possible and underpinning the systems needed to support a healthy life for people, animals, and the planet. Australian Ethical’s approach to philanthropy complements its ethical stewardship, engaging with companies to achieve systemic change at an economy-wide scale, focusing on climate change, biodiversity crisis, human rights abuse, and industrialised animal cruelty. The company’s investment portfolio boasts a significantly lower carbon intensity than industry benchmarks, and its investments in renewable energy continue to drive meaningful progress toward a sustainable economy.

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