Sydney Community Foundation has grown its reach
and impact with two key cause areas:
- Sydney Women’s Fund empowers Women and Families
- Be Kind Sydney empowers Local Communities
About Sydney Community Foundation
Sydney Community Foundation, established in 2004, has over a decades experience connecting philanthropy with Sydney communities in most need. As small grant specialists, SCF has overseen the distribution of almost $3 million to innovative, grassroots charities who design and run projects that support people at greatest risk in the Greater Sydney area. Grants ranging between $5,000 to $100,000 have supported projects that create belonging; education and employment pathways; build safety and independence; and transform place. As Sydney’s only independent community foundation with a local geographic focus, SCF has the granting expertise to guide giving from Private Ancillary Funds; Corporates; and Individuals; to local high-impact projects that are community led, sustainable social investments.
SCF projects recognise the barriers faced by those struggling in our city, alleviating poverty and suffering by encouraging the strengths of the individual in their journey to independence. Supporting people one-by-one, we build stronger communities. SCF is growing its funds under management, so that $1million can be granted each year in perpetuity to create stronger Sydney communities for today and future generations.
About Sydney Women’s Fund
Established in 2006 as a sub-fund of Sydney Community Foundation, Sydney Women’s Fund (SWF) is changing lives for women and girls, growing financial independence and opportunity to determine their own future. SWF has a 10 year history of applying a gender lens to grantmaking in the Greater Sydney area. It’s ‘Portrait’ research forms an evidence base to inform Government; Private Ancillary Funds; Corporates; and Individuals; on resource gaps in social investment in women and girls and guide their granting to greater equality and impact.
With Sydney Women’s Fund support, one social enterprise has become five, providing employment to people in need; a business skills class a retail shop; at-risk youth the first in three generations to finish school; young girls saved from prostitution and empowered to make better life choices; long-term unemployed re-skilled and job ready; domestic violence survivors counselled and supported; refugee women, tortured and traumatised, are gently supported to recovery and a new life with their families in Sydney.
Led and supported by a community of Sydney’s leading professional and business women in philanthropy, SWF invests, inspires and supports opportunities for local women and girls to thrive.

About Be Kind Sydney
Working with local Sydney charities and grassroots champions, Be Kind Sydney co-designs programs to help those struggling in our city. Together, we innovate to give people experiencing poverty and suffering the chance to create their own futures.
A Public Benevolent Institution, this DGR1 structure enables us to accept donations from Private Ancillary Funds (PAFs) for the first time.
Using our local knowledge, we can now better support the trustees of established charitable trusts and foundations to grant for impact to Sydney’s many grassroots charities, helping them make a difference to Sydneysiders most in need.
Be Kind Sydney exists to leave no-one behind.