APRIL 2022
A group of Australia’s philanthropic leaders met to discuss how they could jointly do more for children, families and communities.
AUGUST 2022
Recognising the critical role of government and the importance of working across sectors to achieve systemic change, an initial group of 14 philanthropic partners approached the Australian Government with an invitation to consider a long-term, structured investment partnership between government and philanthropy.
SEPTEMBER 2022
With support from the Treasurer and Minister for Social Services, a commitment to co-develop the Investment Dialogue was included as an outcome of the Jobs and Skills Summit in September 2022.
MAY 2023
The Investment Dialogue formed part of a key 2023 Federal Budget announcement in a commitment to target entrenched disadvantage in communities across Australia, which Government identified as “the most meaningful and significant overhaul to the way Australia tackles entrenched disadvantage in our nation’s history”. Read the announcement here.
JULY 2023
ARACY - Australian Research Alliance for Children and Youth was appointed as Strategic Convener of the Investment Dialogue to help support government, philanthropic and community partners.
DECEMBER 2023
The first National Investment Dialogue Roundtable was held at Parliament House on 4 December 2023, bringing together the executive group and representatives of both philanthropic and government dialogue members. Representatives signed the Working Together Agreement outlining the Investment Dialogue’s shared 10-year vision, commitments, priorities and ways of working. Other outcomes of the roundtable included an agreement to establish a Community Leadership Council and First Nations Leadership Council, and initial working groups. Philanthropic dialogue members announced approximately $65 million dollars of investments aligned to the Investment Dialogue’s vision.
FEBRUARY 2024
Expressions of interest opened for community representatives to join two Leaderships Councils. These councils will play a vital role in embedding community voices and lived experience in the Investment Dialogue’s work.
OUR FOCUS
We will focus on ambitious, measurable objectives that could not be achieved by government or philanthropy working on their own.
The Investment Dialogue will bring together the wisdom of community, the agility, independence and innovation potential of philanthropic investment, and government’s ability to act at scale and bring policy and system-level reforms.
