Landmark collaboration takes next step

Leaders from government, philanthropy and community have taken a critical step towards building a better future for Australian’s children and young people, setting the stage for new investment in community-led initiatives to drive positive change.

Meeting at the second roundtable of the Investment Dialogue for Australia’s Children in Adelaide today, partners committed to collaborating with up to 50 communities by 2030 to better support community-led change that achieves tangible outcomes for children, young people and their families.

The Dialogue will coordinate philanthropic and government engagement with the communities, involve local leaders in decision-making and allocate funding according to community aspirations, helping to reduce the burden of seeking support and investment.

This collaboration will include partnering with three place-based community partners to co-design innovation zones. These zones will provide an opportunity for established place-based approaches to design the enabling reforms needed to break through major barriers for achieving intergenerational change.

Dialogue partners also collectively agreed and launched the Dialogue’s Strategic Framework, a set of priority outcomes which will guide collaboration and action across the partnership, with a clear focus on: place, early years and young people.

Government and philanthropy have agreed to work together on developing and embedding integrated early childhood development approaches, with a focus on First Nations led approaches, holistic early learning models, integrated services, workforce uplift, as well as full-service school models to support continuity of child development.

Dialogue partners have also agreed to establish the IDAC Social Impact Investment and Advisory Working Group to collaborate on projects under the Government’s $100 million Outcomes Fund.

Alongside the Roundtable outcomes, the Philanthropic Dialogue Members have announced more than $47 million in recent co-investments in organisations working within the Dialogue’s priority outcome areas.

Twenty-four philanthropic organisations from across Australia have now joined the Investment Dialogue. The Dialogue will continue to strengthen the partnership in 2025, with an invitation to State and Territory Governments to collaborate on priority initiatives and further expansion of philanthropic members.

Participants of the second Investment Dialogue for Australia's Children roundtable in Adelaide

Quotes attributable to Investment Dialogue Community Leadership Council Chair Catherine Liddle:

"The Investment Dialogue presents a real opportunity to improve the co-ordination and levels of funding for issues that impact the development of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children and young people.

"Reforms must be community-led and decisions made in partnership with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, as they know their communities best and they know best what works. Strengthening these models will lead to better targeted investments."

Quotes attributable to Bryan Foundation Executive Director Matthew Cox:

“This is an exciting moment for the Investment Dialogue with substantial commitments to dozens of local communities and an agreement to work together towards a robust early childhood development system for Australia.

“We’re focussing on joining-up investment and working carefully with local community members so we get it right on the ground. That will mean bringing services together so kids and families have the right supports provided from welcoming community locations where people can connect and feel they belong. We’ve got to sort out the funding arrangements and the local decision making so that those kinds of joined-up models can be delivered at scale. That’s the beauty of this Investment Dialogue process.”

Quotes attributable to Minderoo Foundation Executive Director Communities Penny Dakin:

“Breaking cycles of adversity means tackling issues at their root causes and the most effective way to do this is by communities leading the way with the resources and capability they need to create long-lasting change.

“This commitment by philanthropy and Government puts communities at the heart of efforts to build a better future for Australian children and families.”

Quotes attributable to Investment Dialogue Executive Convenor Simon Factor:

“Uniquely placed in bringing together philanthropy, government and community, the Investment Dialogue is creating the space for ambitious conversations which are often difficult to have or too quickly get sidelined.

“We have the opportunity to amplify each other’s strengths, partner on innovation and better coordinate investments. This is translating into significant commitments to work with community to create the conditions for intergenerational change and tangible outcomes for children and families.”

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To learn more visit www.investmentdialogue.org.au

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Investment Dialogue founding philanthropic partners include: