By Vanessa Gillen, Office Manager & Community Liaison, Southern Highlands Community Foundation.
The plenary program explored some of the most pressing questions facing the sector, including how global issues are shaping local communities, what effective community philanthropy looks like in practice, and the kind of leadership required in uncertain times. Discussions also highlighted the continued growth of the community foundation model and emerging insights into collective giving, which is becoming an increasingly important approach to enabling community-led solutions.
Federal Member of Parliament Andrew Leigh spoke at the Conference and followed up on the same theme a few weeks later in his National Press Club Address, Rebuilding trust: the future of Australia’s charities and community life. In reflecting on the role of community foundations and the broader charity sector, his remarks provided a useful national framing for many of the themes that had emerged during the conference discussions.
In particular, he captured the unique role of community foundations in civic life:
“A community foundation can create a table around which others gather. It can keep memory when personnel change. It can hold a long horizon when institutions are tempted by the next quarter, the next grant round or the next headline.”
This articulation strongly echoed one of the central insights from the conference – that community foundations operate as long-term civic anchors within their regions, holding relationships, knowledge, and purpose across cycles of change.
Leigh also reflected on the evolving policy environment supporting the sector:
“For years, Australian community foundations operated with a structural handicap. They were trusted locally, but the national tax framework did too little to recognise their model. That has begun to change.”
He went on to highlight recent reforms, including the introduction of the new tax-deductible community charity category and improvements to endorsement pathways that allow community foundations to more easily access tax deductibility. Importantly, he emphasised that these changes are intended to strengthen (not burden) the sector’s role, noting that community foundations should be able to move through regulatory systems “quickly and simply,” while maintaining strong governance and public accountability.
His broader vision also reinforced the direction of travel for the sector:
“My goal is for community foundations to become part of the ordinary architecture of Australian life. Over the coming decade, I want many more Australians to have a trusted local foundation where they can give, bequeath, volunteer or help decide what their community needs.”
Seen in this light, the conference discussions take on an added resonance. What was described in Melbourne as emerging practice and sector aspiration is increasingly being recognised at a national policy level: community foundations as essential civic infrastructure that strengthens trust, participation, and long-term community resilience.
Breakout sessions provided a more practical focus, including discussions on the future of rural and regional community foundations, community-led responses to renewable energy transitions, and operational models that support long-term sustainability. A site visit to Collingwood Yards also showcased the transformation of underutilised space into a vibrant not-for-profit arts and community precinct.
One of the most valuable aspects of the conference was the opportunity to connect with other community foundations and sector leaders, including Hands Across Canberra, the Mumbulla Community Foundation, the Illawarra Community Foundation, Stand Like Stone Community Foundation, and Regen Labs. These conversations reinforced both the diversity and strength of the national network.
It is clear that as community foundations in Australia continue to grow (with more than 70 foundations now operating nationally) and are supported by strengthened charitable structures and DGR1 status, Community Foundations Australia plays a critical role in fostering shared learning, collaboration, and resource-sharing – ensuring that local foundations are better equipped to respond to community needs.
A recurring theme throughout the conference was the challenge of securing investment in capacity-building. While short-term funding is often difficult to secure, there was strong recognition that it is this foundational support that enables long-term sustainability, stronger partnerships, and greater community impact. As a sector, we must continue to clearly demonstrate that investing in capacity is essential to building resilient, effective community systems.
Overall, the conference was an important opportunity to reflect, connect, and learn. It reinforced the value of staying engaged with the broader sector while remaining grounded in local purpose – ensuring we continue to meet the moment here in the Southern Highlands.
