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Our Story

The Investment Dialogue for Australia's Children is a commitment between Government and philanthropic partners to improve the wellbeing of children, young people, and their families, by working with communities to make long-term, intergenerational change. 

APRIL 2022

A group of Australia’s philanthropic leaders met to discuss how they could jointly do more for children, families and communities. 

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 the 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. 

November 2024

Second Roundtable held on the 15th of November 2024 on Kaurna Country in Adelaide. Leaders from philanthropy, government, and community came together to listen to community voices and identify ways to improve wellbeing and reduce intergenerational disadvantage for children, young people, and families across Australia.

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.  

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