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Connecting, Sharing and Learning – Philanthropy Australia Conference 2024
VFFF is proud to be an Impact Member of Philanthropy Australia, the national peak body that works to achieve a generous and inclusive Australia through more and better philanthropy. Every two years the philanthropic community gathers at the Philanthropy Australia conference, providing an opportunity to connect, share and learn from sector peers.
At the most recent conference held in Adelaide, on the lands of the Kaurna people, VFFF was well represented with family members, Directors, a Youth Advisory Group member and some of the team in attendance. At the conference some of VFFF’s work was showcased and VFFF representatives contributed to a number of sessions.
Investing in Rural Community Futures: thriving not-for-profits for thriving regional places
VFFF’s CEO Jenny Wheatley participated in a panel moderated by Natalie Egleton from the Foundations for Rural and Regional Renewal (FRRR) entitled “Investing in Rural Community Futures: thriving not-for-profits for thriving regional places.” Jenny spoke to how VFFF has walked alongside FRRR for the past five years in the delivery of “Investing in Rural Community Futures” in Leeton, Junee and Nambucca Valley. Through this program, VFFF has invested in the long-term viability of the local not-for-profit sector in these towns.
Learn more about VFFF’s support of the “Investing in Rural Community Futures” and the outcomes achieved here.
Better outcomes through better engagement
VFFF’s Youth Advisory Group (YAG) member, Charlotte Watson, participated in a panel moderated by Brigid Canny from YLab on “How the sector is engaging with younger people with lived experience”. Charlotte spoke to the importance of engaging young people with lived experience to ensure their voices are heard as partners in decisions that impact them.
It was clear from the packed room and lively Q and A at the end of the session that whilst this issue is being contemplated by many organisations, many in the audience were unclear as to how to best embed this kind of engagement into their practice. Fortunately for audience members, the panellists were eager to share tips from their own experiences.
Charlotte used the opportunity to speak to the importance of intentional engagement from the start, acknowledging how valuable it has been for both VFFF and YAG members to be clear on expectations upfront. Starting well has enabled the YAG’s role at VFFF to grow and evolve over time and ensure a positive experience for all involved.
What makes a successful collaboration?
Two events at the conference provided opportunities to share findings from the interim evaluation report of the WISE Grant Collaboration. In 2023, the WISE Grant Collaboration had brought together seven funding partners, including VFFF, to provide more than $4.7 million to fourteen social enterprises around Australia that exist to create jobs and employment pathways for Australians facing barriers to mainstream employment. In July of this year, the interim evaluation conducted by Day Four Projects, was completed.
The report explored the initial experiences of partner organisations, as well as grant applicants and recipients in working in this new model and applying to a collaboratively developed opportunity.
Across a dedicated breakfast event on day one and a broader panel session entitled “Funder Collaborations: effective practice and lessons learned”, some of the key findings from the report were shared. Amongst these were five principles for good collaboration - Transparency | Mutual Respect| Clarity of Roles | Having Hard Conversations | Leadership.
The offer to share the blueprints and materials developed through the co-design process for wider sector use, was well received by many attendees. As was the transparency in openly sharing the learnings that were uncovered in the evaluation process. The detailed report, case study and the guiding principles can be accessed here.
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