Vincent Fairfax Family Foundation Annual Report 2021
Contributing to Society
Foundation for Young Australians
Overview of Year Five
"You do not need to be a big movement or a huge organisation to produce lasting beneficial effects on mankind.”
Sir Vincent Fairfax
Under the Contributing to Society focus area, VFFF seeks to support organisations increasing young people’s agency by building their capacity and creating opportunities to drive change on the issues that matter to them most.
Because young people care about a diverse range of issues and are engaged in creating change in the areas they are passionate about, we were able to partner with a broad range of organisations within this portfolio.
It is clear that approaches to increasing youth agency fundamentally must bring young people along as partners in effecting that change. We learnt that best practice youth participation is context dependent and an ongoing, ever-evolving journey.
This year we welcomed four new partnerships into the portfolio. We are pleased to be supporting Young Change Agent’s pilot program to embed entrepreneurial education into schools as an avenue to increased student agency, after previously supporting the organisation with core funding. The Shepherd Centre received support to co-design a peer mentoring initiative for deaf and hard of hearing young people, continuing a long-standing relationship with the Fairfax family first established in 1980.
We are pleased to have started a new partnership with Cairns South Together – a place-based initiative increasing young people’s opportunities to drive change within their community of Cairns South. We’re also partnering with Kids in Philanthropy to support the co-design and pilot of a program that builds young people's knowledge of social issues, their capacity to take action, and their connection to causes that matter to them.
Supporting young people to contribute to society can take many different forms and there are broad challenges and opportunities in this focus area. This environment created strong demand from the sector, as well as flexibility for VFFF to support a wide range of organisations, backing innovative initiatives, responsive to young people’s changing needs, and with strong momentum to effect change.
This learning informed the shift to a broader focus in the next iteration of the Backing Young People strategy.
Grants Snapshot
$2.5m
approved
5
grants
28%
of total funding
11%
for core funding
51%
to regional areas
Grants
2026
Young Change Agents(opens in new tab) – $720,000 over two years
To support the pilot of Entrepreneurial Schools: Creating a culture of agency and innovation, a program designed to embed youth agency and entrepreneurial learning in schools.
The Shepherd Centre(opens in new tab) – $1,015,000 over three years
To support the implementation of the program Sound Advice – Stuck in the middle with you, encompassing co-design and implementation of a lived experience peer mentoring program for deaf and hard-of-hearing young people.
Cairns South Coalition(opens in new tab) – $260,000 over three years
To support the Youth Voice Project, a place-based initiative empowering young people in Cairns South to shape the future of their community. VFFF is co-funding this initiative alongside Hand Heart Pocket.
Kids in Philanthropy(opens in new tab) – $450,000 over three years
To support the co-design and implementation of a pilot program – an affordable, school-embedded philanthropic learning journey – for Queensland public secondary schools in regional and disadvantaged areas, and the organisation’s sustainability plan.
Exploration Grant
Little Dreamers(opens in new tab) - $75,000 (opens in new tab
To fund an independent refinement process and outcomes evaluation of the Empowered Care Model
Ongoing
Alannah & Madeline Foundation(opens in new tab)
$500,000 distribution ($1,400,000 total)
To co-design, develop, and grow a new program – Youth Voices Shaping Our Digital Future – and roll it out across Australian schools with a dedicated focus on engaging rural and regional communities
Foyer Foundation
(opens in new tab)$425,000 distribution ($850,000 total)
To empower 80+ young people with experience of youth homelessness to become confident, capable leaders and influence decision makers on important issues such as homelessness, education, and employment.
Shopfront Arts Co-op
$140,000 distribution ($600,000 total)
Supporting the Amplify program that creates the space, place, systems, and support for young people to find their own voice.
Deadly Inspiring Youth Doing Good (DIYDG)
$250,000 distribution ($750,000 total)
Strengthening DIYDG's financial sustainability.
National Association for Prevention of Child Abuse and Neglect (NAPCAN)
$288,167 distribution ($845,000 total)
To embed youth voice in NAPCAN's work through their National Youth Speak Out (NYSO) Advisory Council.
Australian Youth Affairs Coalition (AYAC)(opens in new tab)
$100,000 distribution ($500,000 total)
Core operations funding for the Australian Youth Affairs Coalition.
Culture is Life
(opens in new tab)$200,000 distribution ($600,000 total)
Strengthening internal measurement and evaluation capability.
Sonder Youth
$220,000 distribution ($550,000 total)
To build Sonder's capacity to empower regional young people to create positive change in their local communities.
Foundation for Rural & Regional Renewal(opens in new tab) – $2,900,000 over three years
To design and pilot a place-based program building the next generation of community ‘doers’ in rural and regional NSW and QLD whilst fostering a stronger and sustainable social sector.
Ethni Inc(opens in new tab)
$540,000 total
Building Ethni’s organisational capacity and long-term sustainability
The Foundation for Young Australians(opens in new tab)
$2,000,000 total
Supporting the Civic and Cultural Engagement Pillar and its two flagship programs - the Young Mayors Program and Student Representative Council
Youth Insearch(opens in new tab)
$682,000 total
Core operations funding to measure impact, strengthen diversity and amplify youth voices
National Association for Prevention of Child Abuse and Neglect (NAPCAN)(opens in new tab)
$845,000 total
To embed youth voice in NAPCAN's work through their National Youth Speak Out (NYSO) Advisory Council
Little Dreamers Australia(opens in new tab)
$900,000 total
Building Little Dreamers’ organisational capacity to respond to increased demand
Meet Ben
Foundation for Rural & Regional Renewal | NextGen Blueprint
The Foundation for Rural & Regional Renewal (FRRR) supports remote, rural, and regional communities across Australia to be more vibrant, resilient, empowered, and sustainable.
After consulting with communities and young people to identify the barriers and enablers of youth leadership and participation in community organisations, they’re focused on increasing intergenerational leadership through their NextGen Blueprint project.
“The future of remote, rural and regional Australia will not be secured by one generation carrying more and more on its own. It will be secured by generations learning how to lead together.”
With Hay (NSW) and Charleville (QLD) selected as anchor communities for the project, initiatives are focusing on meaningful leadership, participation opportunities, and a stronger sense of connection, care, and mutual support.
VFFF is supporting the Foundation for Rural Regional Renewal (FRRR) with $2,900,000 over three years to pilot the NextGen Blueprint.
Hay local, Ben Caughey, knows the power of youth participation from his own experiences in his community and beyond.
“Growing up, I was involved in numerous community organisations and would volunteer most of my time alongside my family in service of others. This connected me with different people, taught me the purpose of giving back to my community and its importance in an isolated town,” he reflects. "I excelled in school, but I say my true education came from everything I learned outside of the classroom – practical lessons from Scouts, team sports, travel, stories, failures, curiosity, and passion.”
Through the Hay Roadmap process, Ben shared insights into possible barriers to youth participation and proposed practical ideas to make involvement more accessible and appealing. His contributions, and consequential initiatives, led to increased interest and participation from local young people.
Ben also worked with the Hay Show Society to shape their youth engagement strategy, identifying opportunities for local young people to engage in a successful youth leadership program. The next phase of the initiative, funded through the NextGen Blueprint, moves beyond participation to youth-led decision making, supporting young people to design and deliver their own initiatives that contribute directly to Intergenerational Leadership in Hay.
Ben’s work is expanding. Recognising a shared desire among local young adults to create positive change, he founded SHAGGERS.
“I started SHAGGERS after seeing how easily young adults can lose their connection to their community after leaving school. We’re building a space where young adults can connect, learn, contribute and take ownership of the community they want to live in.”
From contributor and advisor, to connector, co-designer and youth leader, Ben has been instrumental in supporting the Hay Roadmap process as the community develops pathways for youth participation while also catalysing a broader youth leadership movement.
“I’ve repeatedly seen what happens when young people are trusted with responsibility and given opportunities to try something for themselves. I’ve also seen how much potential can be overlooked when someone’s circumstances, behaviour, or reputation become the thing we see instead of the person underneath. That’s what drives me.
“I want to help create environments where young people can discover what they’re capable of – where curiosity is encouraged, failure is safe, passions are taken seriously, and people are given enough responsibility to become capable themselves.
“SHAGGERS is one experiment in a much bigger question I’m interested in: what could happen if we gave young people more opportunities to shape their own lives and the world around them? I’m still figuring that out. And that’s probably the part I’m most excited about.”