The Canberra Foundations Collaborative has committed $1.6 million to 58 community projects across the ACT, expanding a collaborative funding model designed to simplify grantmaking and strengthen local organisations responding to community needs.
The funding supports initiatives that improve social connection, wellbeing and opportunities for people experiencing disadvantage, while also demonstrating how collaborative philanthropy can reduce duplication and make funding more accessible for community organisations.
Collaborative funding aims to simplify grantmaking
Community organisations are often the first to respond when people need support. They understand local challenges, identify service gaps and build trusted relationships within their communities. Yet many continue to face funding systems that are fragmented, highly competitive, and difficult to navigate.
As financial pressures increase across the not-for-profit sector, more philanthropic organisations are exploring collaborative funding models that reduce administrative burden, improve coordination and provide greater certainty for community organisations.
The Canberra Foundations Collaborative brings together the Snow Foundation, Hands Across Canberra and the John James Foundation, with additional support from the Aspen Medical Foundation and the Davencare Foundation.
Rather than requiring organisations to apply separately to multiple funders, the Collaborative uses a single application process, making it easier for charities to access funding while allowing funders to make more coordinated decisions.
More than 200 expressions of interest were received, highlighting both the level of community need and the strength of organisations delivering local solutions across Canberra and the surrounding region.
Supporting long-term community impact
The grants cover a broad range of priorities, including social connection, women and girls, First Nations communities, disability inclusion, health, and economic participation.
This funding round includes 24 multi-year grants and nine co-funded initiatives, giving organisations greater certainty to plan services, invest in their teams, and build long-term impact.
Since its establishment, the Canberra Foundations Collaborative has invested $8.5 million in more than 310 community initiatives. Beyond grantmaking, it also supports sector capacity building, shared learning, and stronger collaboration across the community sector.
Projects focus on connection, wellbeing and inclusion
Several funded initiatives focus on reducing loneliness and strengthening community connection, reflecting growing recognition that wellbeing is shaped not only by access to services but also by belonging and everyday opportunities to connect.
One example is the Third Spaces Network, a Canberra pilot supported by the Snow Foundation and Hands Across Canberra. The initiative links everyday places such as pubs, clubs, cafés, and libraries with community services to create stronger community connections.
“The opposite of loneliness isn’t more services: it’s more of each other,” said Third Spaces Network founder Melanie Wilde.
“This funding helps us build the community infrastructure to make that real in Canberra.”
First Steps Pregnancy Support also received funding through the Collaborative. The organisation provides medical care, practical assistance and community support for pregnant women and new mothers experiencing disadvantage.
Medical Director Dr Sarah Jensen said the funding would help strengthen the organisation’s work.
“We are deeply grateful for their partnership and commitment to ensuring no woman faces pregnancy and early motherhood alone,” she said.
Other supported initiatives include Jigsaw, which creates employment pathways for people with disabilities, and Delivering Comfort through Delta Therapy Dogs in the Community, which expands access to therapeutic support through trained therapy dogs.
Funders see collaboration as the future
Scarlett Gaffey, Executive Director of the Snow Foundation, said place-based giving remains central to the foundation’s approach.
“Through the Canberra Foundations Collaborative, we’re responding to community-led initiatives across a range of causes that strengthen dignity, stability and wellbeing in Canberra,” she said.
Hands Across Canberra CEO Genevieve Jacobs said the Collaborative has evolved into one of the region’s most significant philanthropic partnerships.
“The Canberra Foundations Collaborative has grown from a COVID response into one of the region’s most significant philanthropic partnerships, helping local organisations access funding, build capacity and strengthen community connections,” she said.
As demand for community services continues to grow, collaborative philanthropy is gaining momentum as a way to simplify funding, strengthen partnerships and provide community organisations with more sustainable support.
Models such as the Canberra Foundations Collaborative suggest that when funders align around shared local priorities, they can deliver more coordinated and lasting outcomes for the communities they serve.
Next read: Securing your NFP’s future: Building resilience beyond the funding cycle
Ritchelle is Content Team Manager at Akolade, producing stories for Australia's not-for-profit sector at Third Sector.
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