Andrew and Nicola Forrest have a vision to create a society that values all people and natural ecosystems.
Andrew and Nicola Forrest have a vision to create a society that values all people and natural ecosystems.
How we at Minderoo Foundation are bringing this vision to life can be discovered on the pages of our 2023 annual report – released today – through our three Focus Areas: Uplifting Communities, Advancing Equality and Protecting the Ocean.
2023 was a year that saw our founders make an historic $5 billion donation to the Minderoo Foundation, increasing our overall endowment to more than $9 billion.
The team at Minderoo Foundation all feel a personal sense of responsibility to meet the ambition and generosity of our Founders and match it with meaningful change both in Australia and around the world.
In a 12-month period marked by new and ongoing conflicts across the globe, exasperated by the deepening effects of climate change, the annual report details how Minderoo stepped up to deliver on its commitment to fight for a fairer future, particularly in the Forrests’ home nation of Australia.
Illustrating this commitment just last month was former CEO of Australian Research Alliance for Children and Youth Penny Dakin beginning her tenure as our Executive Director of Communities.
Penny’s passion for community, ability to build strong connections, and deep experience with systems thinking, makes her an exciting addition to our Communities Focus Area.
Penny’s appointment came soon after Jacqueline Joudo Larsen was announced as our first Executive Director of Gender and Equality. For the past decade, Jacqui has been instrumental in Walk Free’s global leadership in the fight against modern slavery. She will now bring her significant knowledge and skills to tackle the scourge of gender inequality more widely.
Our approach is not just about funding but bringing together and backing our partners to drive real change.
Minderoo’s 10-year Early Years Partnership with the WA State Government and the Telethon Kids Institute puts children and families at the centre of decisions about how community services are delivered.
The partnership employs community-led, innovative approaches to early childhood development to improve the school readiness of children in four WA communities, with the intention of scaling successful programs to create lasting change.
Separately, our $1 million contribution to the construction of Boodja Mia, WA’s first hospice for children with life-limiting conditions and their families, underscores our Founders’ desire to make a meaningful difference for the most vulnerable members of our community.
I recently had the chance to watch this successful formula up close when our Thrive by Five project launched the Dads' Alliance Action Plan. The plan calls for more accessible early childhood education and improved parental leave policies for fathers, fronted by Australian role models like Red Wiggle Simon Pryce, Bluey voice actor Dave McCormack, and Fremantle Football Club legend David Mundy. As a father of three beautiful children myself, this is the sort of work with the potential for long-lasting impact that energises me.
In another project, our Minderoo scientists joined a significant international effort to protect our beaches and oceans for future generations by supporting calls for a global plastics treaty to put an end to the harm caused by plastic pollution and toxic chemicals on our marine environments and human health.
While our Focus Areas guide us, Minderoo Foundation remains agile and able to tackle emerging challenges. Our support for the war-affected communities in Ukraine is a testament to this, where we’ve supported activities such as the construction of homes for large foster families who lost their houses in the invasion, providing them with a secure place to live and raise their children.
As I reflect on 2023 and look to the future, I am filled with optimism.
The Minderoo Foundation is more than just a philanthropic organisation, it’s the catalyst for a better, fairer world. We have the passion, ability, drive and resources to make a real difference.
We know there is a lot of work to do, but I am confident that with the dedication and unwavering support of our scientists, staff, partners and Founders, the future is bright.
John Hartman is Chief Executive Officer of Minderoo Foundation
