Our Approach

How we work is who we are. Our vision, values and approach to philanthropy guide everything we do.

Our Purpose

To invest in civil society partners advocating for the systems change we need to build a democracy and economy that works for everyone.

Our Vision

A more complete democracy and an economy with fairness at its heart, protected by a robust and vibrant civil society sector.

Our Values

Collaborative

Working together is central to everything we do.

Humble

We continuously learn and improve on our practice.

Non-partisan

As a collective we are not aligned with any political party and we seek a diversity of perspectives.

Committed to First Peoples

We listen to and learn from First Nations perspectives.

Partnership

We believe in building lasting and trust-based relationships.

Self-aware

We acknowledge our power and role in changing unjust systems.

Our Theory of change

Securing systemic change is not a linear process. Our theory of change embodies the complexity involved in creating social change by portraying each area of our work as step in an evolving cycle.

Build collective power

We build power by uniting funders across Australia around our shared vision of a thriving democracy and fair economy.

Listen & respect

To inform our practice we listen to and respect the ideas and expertise of civil society and First Nartions-led organisations.

Shift power

We shift our power through trust-based partnerships and funding to civil society and First Nations-led initiatives.

Connect & amplify

We amplify our grant partner's work and foster collaboration within civil society and between advocates and funders.

Push for systems change

Our grant partners leverage the resources and connections we provide to push for system-level change.

Learn & adapt

We learn from our work and the evolving needs of civil society, using these insights to adapt our approach.

Influence philanthropy

We use what we are learning to influence the practice of other funders and encourage them to join us.

Our Approach to Philanthropy

We are committed to developing a different and more effective kind of philanthropy. To achieve this, we are:

Led by civil society and First Nations expertise.
Supporting advocacy that tackles systems change.
Committed to collaboration and collective action.
Building trust-based relationships and partnerships.
Responsive to evolving needs and contexts.
Innovative and willing to take risks.
Continuously learning.

“I feel like we are truly partners, that we can problem solve together and that there is greater opportunity for genuine relationships.”

– Dr Millie Rooney, Co-Director, Australia reMADE

Governance

We’re governed by a Board made up of rotating Mannifera members, alongside our Executive Officer. As a collective our members have equal opportunity to engage in and influence our strategy, grantmaking decisions and approach, and our shared vision is realised through their active participation.