We are thrilled to announce a significant milestone for Community Foundations across Australia. Last week, the Hon Dr Andrew Leigh MP officially endorsed the Southern Highlands Community Foundation (SHCF), alongside 33 other Community Foundations as an Item 1 Deductible Gift Recipient (DGR1) under the newly established Community Charity category.
This landmark endorsement represents years of dedicated advocacy, reform, and collaboration within our sector. It creates a more flexible and effective framework for community giving and marks an important step forward for Community Foundations throughout Australia and the broader philanthropic landscape.
What DGR1 Status Means
Our new status means we can:
- Expand our base of philanthropic supporters, to include Public Ancillary Funds (PuAFs) and Private Ancillary Funds (PAFs)
- Distribute grants to a broader range of charitable organisations and causes, expanding the reach and impact of our community giving
- Respond rapidly to community needs, through prompt, strategic funding directly into the local community
- Enable bequests and legacy gifts with greater flexibility, supporting long-term community impact
Jenny Bott AO, SHCF Chair, welcomed the endorsement:
“DGR1 status means that we can now receive philanthropic support from a wider range of organisations, including Private Ancillary Funds (PAFs) and Public Ancillary Funds (PuAFs). It also means we can distribute grants to a wider array of charitable organisations and causes and receive bequests and legacies with greater flexibility.
Our new endorsement is a further step in acknowledging the great work that Community Foundations do in their local areas. This now affords us an opportunity to raise more philanthropic support and make even more impactful distributions to charitable causes in the Wingecarribee community.”
The new Community Charity category opens exciting new possibilities for giving in Australia. It strengthens the role of Community Foundations as trusted vehicles for local philanthropy and grassroots change – and empowers our donors and supporters to stand with us to create lasting, meaningful change.
We look forward to building on this momentum; we remain committed to deepening the impact of our ‘give where you live’ philosophy — growing a lasting culture of generosity that enriches our community now and into the future.
