Overview
Collaborative funding is emerging as a powerful model that enables funders to pool resources, share risks, and build the ecosystems of organisations working together to shift entrenched systems. This session will explore what this looks like in practice.
Join us for a timely conversation with leaders from Mannifera, Groundswell Giving, and the Nature Impact Collective, who will share their experience in building and sustaining collaborative funds.
Together, we will:
- Demystify collaborative funding - what are some of the different structures, what it is (and isn’t), and how it differs from collective giving
- Discover the benefits for funders and partner communities and orgnisations - from the strategic advantage of ecosystem-level collaboration to the joy of working alongside like-minded peers.
- Learn from those who’ve done it - hear candid insights on challenges, lessons learned, and what’s needed for success.
Whether you're new to collaborative funding or looking to refine your approach, this is an opportunity to learn from funders doing the work.
Date and time
Tuesday 16 September 2025
1:00pm - 2:30pm AEST (ACT, NSW, QLD, VIC)
12:30pm - 2:00pm ACST (NT, SA)
11:00am - 12:30pm AWST (WA)
Online event
Details will be provided after the registration is submitted. This session will not be recorded.
Audience
This event is for funders and grantmakers only.
If you are not yet a member of Philanthropy Australia or want to find out more about the philanthropic work in this area, please reach out to membership@philanthropy.org.au. Learn more about Philanthropy Australia membership.
Speakers
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Esther Abram - CEO, Nature Impact Collective
Esther Abram is a respected leader in environmental philanthropy, dedicated to building the resources and collaborations needed for impactful nature conservation. She is CEO of the Nature Impact Collective, where she works with philanthropic funders to channel resources into high-impact nature organisations through a collaborative giving model.
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Previously, Esther spent seven years as Giving Green Manager at the Australian Environmental Grantmakers Network (AEGN), where she established and supported funder groups, coordinated member advocacy, and fostered sector-wide collaboration. In 2020, she founded Estuary Consulting, helping environmental organisations strengthen capacity and playing a pivotal role in launching the State and Territory Environment Forum (STEF), uniting conservation councils nationwide.
Esther’s first philanthropic role was Executive Officer of Changemakers Australia, championing social change philanthropy and leading the advocacy which led to the passing of the Charities Act 2013.
Earlier in her career, Esther was CEO of Environment Victoria in the 1990s and the inaugural CEO of the Moreland Energy Foundation, establishing it as a pioneering community-based energy organisation. She currently serves as founding Chair of Mycelia Renewables, a social enterprise enabling rural, regional, and First Nations communities to benefit from the energy transition, and is a trustee of the Reichstein Foundation.
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Harriet McCallum - Executive Officer, Mannifera
Harriet McCallum has served as Mannifera's Executive Officer since 2020. With over two decades of experience, she has led multi-disciplinary teams, fostered cross-sector collaborations, and driven forward advocacy projects across the public health, local government, philanthropy and NGO sectors in Australia and South East Asia. Harriet transitioned into the philanthropic sector out of recognition for the pivotal role philanthropy plays in supporting civil society and convening diverse collaborators for systemic change.
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Prior to joining Mannifera, Harriet led community resilience initiatives at the Lord Mayor's Charitable Foundation, pioneering long-term, multi-sector efforts addressing health disparities worsened by climate change. Earlier in her career, Harriet worked as a social worker and advocate with refugee and asylum seeker communities and victim/survivors of sexual assault and family violence, leading teams in Melbourne and Cambodia. She also managed local government youth, family and early years teams in Melbourne's West. Harriet holds degrees in Arts and Social Work from the University of Melbourne.
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Stephen Pfeiffer - Grants Manager, Groundswell Giving
Stephen is the Grants Manager at Groundswell Giving, where he leads the Major Giving Circle, a collective for both new and experienced funders supporting high-impact, strategic climate advocacy. He is a climate donor and impact investor himself, and is passionate about expanding climate philanthropy in Australia to help ensure a safe, just, and healthy planet for all. He is a founding member of the Climate Capital Forum and a board member of Solar Citizens.
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Stephen is also helping to establish an Australian version of Resource Generation, which seeks to redress traditional power imbalances in philanthropy and support greater community-led social justice. Before shifting careers to respond to the climate crisis, Stephen worked in education for 12 years, first as a high school history and English teacher, and later in university student recruitment and enrichment.
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Moderator
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Dr Liz Branigan – Director, Knowledge & Practice, Philanthropy Australia
Liz leads Philanthropy Australia’s Knowledge & Practice portfolio. She has primary responsibility for the design and implementation of a purposeful, evidence-based, whole of organisation approach to Philanthropy Australia’s members’ professional development and learning.
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Hosts
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Philanthropy Australia
Philanthropy Australia is the national peak body for philanthropy. Our members include trusts, foundations, families, individual donors, professional advisors, companies, intermediaries and not-for-profit organisations. Learn more here: philanthropy.org.au
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Mannifera
With thanks to Mannifera for partnering with Philanthropy Australia for this event.
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Learn more about Philanthropy Australia membership.
