Current Grant Partners

Since its establishment to date, the Foundation has committed to donate more than $153 million of philanthropic grants to over 80 charitable organisations.

These grants have focused on a variety of areas of need as set out below:

Community wellbeing

Health & disability

Mental health

Youth disadvantage

Education & vocational training

Medical research & innovation

Arts & culture

Indigenous communities

Regional & Rural Australia

Healthy Ageing

Advancing and Applying Knowledge to Fight Disease

Supporting essential medical research to find solutions for the diagnosis, treatment and prevention of non-communicable diseases
Supporting initiatives that translate this research into clinical practice

Walter & Eliza Hall Research Institute

In pursuit of its objective to support medical research designed to find solutions to the disabilities of ageing, during 2019, Colonial Foundation committed to fund $15 million to Walter and Eliza Hall Research Institute over 5 years.

Hunter Medical Research Institute

It is estimated that one in twenty Australians have diabetes and those in disadvantaged areas are more likely to develop the disease. It is one of the health system’s biggest challenges, costing an estimated $14.6 billion each year – and its unmanaged progression also leads to higher rates of heart attack, stroke and other cardiovascular complications.

Orygen

In 2001, the Colonial Foundation provided seed funding to catalyse Professor Patrick McGorry’s team’s initial work in early interventions for young people with mental ill-health. This led to the establishment of Orygen in 2001-02.

Supporting initiatives that reverse the high level of teacher attrition
Supporting initiatives that deliver equitable access to education technology for all students

Melbourne Indigenous Transition School (MITS)

MITS offers an innovative education model to enable young Indigenous students from remote and regional communities in Australia, access to Australia’s best schools.

The Australian Ballet

Colonial Foundation seed-funded the “Out There in Schools” program when it was piloted in 2006. Since that time, the program has grown to become one of Australia’s leading dance education incursion (school-based) programs.

Ganbina

Ganbina provides a successful Indigenous school to work transition program, primarily focused on the Goulburn Valley in Victoria. They mentor young Indigenous people, from the ages of six to 25 years old, to make sure they gain the education, skills and life experiences they need to unlock their full potential.

Advancing Regional & Rural Australia

Supporting initiatives that advance Regional & Rural Australia by:

Reducing inequity in comparison with urban Australia
Ensuring environmental sustainability
Building community and social cohesion

Regional Australia Institute

The Regional Australia Institute (RAI) is Australia’s only independent think tank solely focused on regional Australia. It exists to ensure all levels of government, industry and community members have access to the information they need to make decisions impacting the future of regional Australia.

WaterTrust Australia Limited

There remains an urgent need to develop an effective and workable long-term water and catchment policy to safeguard Australia’s freshwater water security and ensure sustainable management of these critical resources.

Advancing and Applying Knowledge to Fight Disease

Advancing and Applying Knowledge to Overcome Inequity through Education

Advancing Regional & Rural Australia