Meet the grassroots advocacy campaigns we’ve supported so far.
Better Renting
Grants totalling $10,000 to support campaigns for better rental rights during the pandemic - including extending the eviction moratorium to prevent accumulation of debt due to hardship, engaging the media and working with tenant organisations to mobilise renters (online) for action.
First Peoples’ Disability Network
Grants totalling $4,500 supporting advocacy to ensure First Nations people living with a disability aren’t left behind during the pandemic, including campaigns for further funding to outreach services and the fast tracking of 100 new respiratory clinics across remote and regional communities.
Democracy in Colour
A $4,000 grant to support campaigns for the introduction of an information firewall between doctors, hospitals and the Department of Home Affairs and a guarantee of medical treatment irrespective of visa status, and putting an end to visa ‘enforcement’ and detention activities during the crisis.
Australian Unemployed Workers' Union
Grants totalling $7,000 to expand the capacity of their helpline for unemployed workers, induct and train new volunteers, and run a nationwide public campaigns to increase the Disability Support Pension and #RaiseTheRate.
National Refugee-led Advisory and Advocacy Group
A $1,500 grant to support the work of centring the voices of refugee communities in the public debate to ensure refugee communities can access vital government services during the pandemic, including migrant workers and people on Temporary Protection Visas.
National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Legal Service (NATSILS)
A $4,000 grant to support NATSILS to engage families with lived experience of the criminal justice system to co-design a campaign calling for decarceration of prisoners during the pandemic and stopping Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people from entering the justice system at this time.
Covid-19 Civil Liberties Watch (Australian Democracy Network)
A $4,000 grant to help bring together a broad network of organisations to map threats and opportunities around civil liberties during the pandemic, create campaign resources for the movement and lead advocacy activities to build political support for the protection of civil liberties.
Melbourne Activist Legal Service (MALS)
A $3,000 grant for a Human Rights monitoring project that tracks police trends during the Covid-19 lockdown period, including a website with reporting and uploading capabilities to receive incidents from the public, that are then analysed by trained Legal Observers for reporting and advocacy.
Steve Hodder and Gidgee Healing (Mornington Island)
A $4,000 grant for a campaign to shift government policy on support for remote First Nations communities during Covid-19. Specifically, clear and culturally appropriate public health information, guaranteed supply of essentials and guaranteed funding of remote health care workers.
YOUNG
Grants totalling $10,000 to mobilise thousands of young people experiencing unemployment and housing distress to pressure the Federal Government and State Premiers to extend support including wage subsidies and eviction moratoriums.
Digital Rights Watch
A $5,000 grant to run a campaign calling for strong policy and legal frameworks and guarantees from the Government to ensure any technologies and apps deployed to counter Covid-19 will not breach our privacy or human rights.
Alliance for Gambling Reform
Grants totalling $10,000 to campaign on ending gambling advertising during the Covid-19 crisis, stopping big gambling from exploiting Australians at a time when many are at their most vulnerable and financially stressed.
Road to Refuge
A $5,000 grant to identify, train and amplify the voices of refugee storytellers to be powerful spokes across a number of live campaigns responding to the impact of COVID-19 on people seeking asylum.
Deadly Connections Community & Justice Services
Grants totalling $9,500 grant for a campaign to reduce the risk of transmission of COVID-19 in the Australian criminal justice system, especially prisons and youth detention centres and to prevent First Nations deaths in custody during this pandemic.
Australian Association of Psychologists
A $5,000 grant to launch a campaign calling for the government to fully fund mental health services, including removing the need for GP referral & reviews to access a mental health plan during COVID-19.
Climate & Health Alliance
A $5,000 grant for a Health Leaders Forum for leading health professionals to launch a bold advocacy campaign for green recovery policies that transition us to a net-zero, healthy, equitable society in the post COVID-19 period and beyond.
The Parenthood
A $6,000 grant to scale an urgent campaign to extend the Federal provision of free childcare specifically through amplifying the demands of parents through earned media and social media.
Refugee Voices
A $5,000 grant to support training and mentoring refugee storytellers who are currently excluded from government pandemic support policies due to their visa status to be powerful spokespeople in the public debate.
350.org Australia
A $4,000 grant to support a communications campaign exposing the influence of vested interests driving this misuse of public money to fund gas projects post COVID-19.
Multicultural Youth Affairs Network
A $3,000 grant to support multicultural youth to meet with NSW MPs and advocate for an urgent set of pandemic policy responses.
Anti-Poverty Week
Grants totalling $10,000 to back advocacy activities in the lead up to Anti-Poverty Week with a particular focus on calls for affordable housing and the #RaiseTheRate campaign.
National Council of Single Mothers and their Children
A $6,000 grant to support the advocacy of single mothers during the Raise the Rate for Good campaign.
Contribute to the Fund
Can you help by making a weekly or monthly contribution?
The fund will primarily rely on larger gifts from the philanthropic sector, although any individual can contribute to the fund today using the form on this page (please note this form does not offer DGR).
To discuss making a tax deductible contribution through Australian Communities Foundation, please contact Kirsty Albion at kirsty@australianprogress.org.au
This project is reliant upon generous individuals and foundations contributing to a strategic pool of funds. Our goal is to raise $20,000 every week for 12 months, creating a donor pool that can rapidly fund grants for impactful advocacy projects in response to the pandemic in Australia.