About Us
We are a collective of Australian philanthropic funders
Our mission
To invest in civil society partners advocating for the systems change we need to strengthen our democracy and build an 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 strategy
Explore our 2023 -2026 Strategic Plan, and what we’ve learned through our first few years of collective practice, in our Strengthening Democracy Together Report.
How we work is who we are
Committed to First Peoples
We are committed to listening to and learning from First Nations perspectives and allocating a minimum of 20% of funding to First Nations-led work in our focus areas.
Non-partisan
A commitment to equality and the core principles of our democracy are not party-political positions. We include and encourage a diversity of values-aligned funders and civil society organisations in our work.
A partner to civil society
We are committed to strong, long-lasting partnerships with civil society that leverage our collective capabilities and resources.
Collaborative
We collaborate with civil society organisations and each other to strengthen our networks and build advocacy coalitions.
Humble and self-aware
We prioritise our collective learning through practice and education opportunities, and focus on enhancing the impact of our civil society partners.
Focus areas
Fairness in political participation
We support work that builds a strong civic culture of political participation, increasing fairness in political representation, greater transparency in political donations and setting campaign expenditure limits.
Fairness and quality in public debate
We support work that advances political education, exposes where vested interests capture public policy, supports the right of civil society to advocate, and increases the quality and diversity of media.
Fair, accountable and open government
We support work that advocates for strong integrity systems that protect whistleblowers and hold Ministers and public decision-makers to account and well-resourced accountability institutions.
A fair and equitable tax system and economic safety net
We support work that influences rational and reasoned policy debates and actions to achieve greater fairness in our tax system, equity in the public provision of services and an economic safety net.
Our approach to philanthropy
Mannifera is committed to developing a different kind of philanthropy. In line with our values, we cultivate power-sharing partnerships with civil society organisations. We believe this approach enables us to most effectively contribute to the systems change we want to see.
Characteristics of our partnerships
Civil society-led
Mannifera members are informed by civil society leaders with intelligence and analysis of the political context and the most effective interventions to advance change.
Informed by people and communities
Mannifera engages expertise that exists outside the mainstream, including the people and communities most impacted by the change we seek, to inform our learning, praxis and decision-making.
Responsive
Mannifera considers the urgency of requests, especially when there is opportunity to take advantage of political and social moments.
Innovative and risk-tolerant
Mannifera is willing to take calculated risks and support ideas and people with promising, new approaches and courageous, change-making campaigns.
The name Mannifera derives from the Eucalyptus Mannifera, also known as the brittle gum.
It is native to the Kangaroo Valley region, where the idea for this initiative took root.
Mannifera are resilient, surviving in poor conditions, much like the democratic movements we support. The trunk turns beautiful colours after rain, thriving when given resources.
