A major hand up for Canberra charities in need
Posted on
As more Canberrans turn to community services for support, a local philanthropic collective has joined forces for the fourth year to deliver nearly $2 million to 72 vital community projects across the region.
The 2025 Canberra Foundations Collaborative grant round, led by Snow Foundation, Hands Across Canberra, and John James Foundation will support 67 grassroots and systems-focused organisations working in areas such as community belonging, disability inclusion, healthcare, family and domestic violence prevention, and support for people experiencing disadvantage.
Since its launch in 2022, the Collaborative has committed $6.8 million to more than 310 community projects demonstrating the power of collaborative philanthropy in strengthening Canberra’s social fabric.
This round responds to a record 213 Expressions of Interest – highlighting the rising demand on local services. In response, the Collaborative increased its funding and sharpened its focus on long-term commitments, co-funding models, and building the capacity of Canberra’s social support sector.
This year’s funding is focused on supporting people with disabilities, young people facing complex challenges, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities, families experiencing hardship, and others at risk of exclusion.
“We’re thrilled to support 26 programs this round – but the Collaborative is more than just funding programs. It’s about strengthening the people and organisations behind them, working together and constantly learning how best to respond to our local community,” said Georgina Byron, CEO of the Snow Foundation.
“We’ve introduced a multi-year funding model for Canberra’s community centres that serve a diverse range of communities, providing greater certainty for long-term, locally led change and immediate crisis response. We’re also backing larger requests, like Right to Work – which empowers young people with disabilities to experience employment success and genuine inclusion.
“We’ve also deepened our engagement with First Nations organisations in the ACT, supporting four local partners and building on our national partnerships.”
Seventeen of the 72 grants are multi-year commitments, giving organisations the stability and confidence to plan ahead and deepen their impact.
Hands Across Canberra was proud to be co-funding Canberra’s first Youth Parliament—a powerful civics and leadership program giving 25 young people the opportunity to be heard in the Legislative Assembly.
Among the projects funded this year include:
- Sisters in Spirit: An Aboriginal-led organisation creating culturally safe healing and legal support spaces for Aboriginal women and girls (joint funding from Snow Foundation and Hands Across Canberra)
- The Y Canberra Youth Assembly: A civics and leadership program giving 25 young people the opportunity to participate in Canberra’s first Youth Parliament (joint funding from Snow Foundation and Hands Across Canberra)
- Sanctuary Aus: A partnership with ACT DVCS to deliver specialist domestic violence training for families living with disability (funding from John James Foundation and Aspen)
- ACT Regional Community Service Alliance: A collaboration between five ACT community organisations (Woden Community Service, Communities@Work, Capital Region Community Services, Northside Community Service, and Community Services #1,) to explore shared services, advocacy and data, to improve sector coordination and strengthen long-term impact (joint funding from Snow Foundation and Hands Across Canberra)
Kirsty Dixon, CEO of YMCA ACT said, “We’re excited to have Canberra’s first youth Chief Territory Member and 25 youth Legislative Assembly MLAs gather on the floor of the ACT Assembly to discuss bills and motions that matter to young people.
“This has only been made possible through the vision of Snow Foundation, Hands Across Canberra and the Office of the Legislative Assembly, who truly care about the youth voice. This will be a life changing program for the 25 young people in this diverse Youth Parliament, to express their passion and opinions about civics and the future of our region.”
Simon Bennett, chair of the ACT Regional Service Alliance said “Our thanks to Snow Foundation and Hands Across Canberra for their belief in us and our drive for true collaboration and cohesion”.
“The grant will support the collaborative work of our five organisations and enable us to consolidate our data, highlighting key trends, needs, and service gaps across the region. By uniting our data and voices, we can amplify our impact, better represent the communities we serve and strengthen our ability to advocate effectively with both local and Federal Government.”
