New strategy, new approach.
Lord Mayor’s Charitable Foundation’s new strategic direction defines our purpose as working together with communities so they can address their needs and remove the barriers to a just and equitable society.
In addition to meeting immediate needs, we are seeking to address the persistent causes of inequity by supporting long-term solutions. Strategy 2030 also sees the Foundation commit to a 10-year place-based initiative in Melbourne’s West.
We recognise that achieving this will require a different approach to philanthropy.
Why a shift towards place-based work?
Place-based approaches respond to the complexity of real life—where challenges are interconnected, not isolated, and communities are experts in their own experiences. Place-based work recognises that each community has a unique history and context. It harnesses the insights of local knowledge and leadership to shape responses that are tailored, relevant to that community - and are sustainable.
Rather than narrowly targeting individual issues, a place-based approach addresses systemic issues. It widens the lens through which problems are viewed by considering the historical and structural factors that contribute to them. It also ensures people aren't treated as passive recipients of services, but recognises their voice, choice and agency as active citizens. It does this by co-designing solutions with those most affected. By strengthening community engagement, aligning efforts across sectors, and remaining adaptive to changing needs, place-based approaches across Australia and around the world increasingly offer a more equitable and effective pathway to long-term positive change.
We believe philanthropy has a critical role to play in facilitating and supporting community to do this work.
What needs to change?
Philanthropy often struggles to support place-based work because traditional funding models aren’t designed for it. Grants are often short-term, tied to specific isolated projects, and focused more on activities and outputs rather than longer term outcomes. But place-based work is long-term, adaptive, and centred on relationships – it evolves over time and requires deep trust and local leadership.
To better support this kind of work, philanthropy is shifting from controlling to partnering. We need to provide longer-term, flexible funding, back community-led efforts, and be open to learning alongside the people closest to the issues. It means investing in, and earning, trust and recognising that meaningful and lasting change takes time. It requires philanthropy to act with humility.
To do this well, we need to ask ourselves: Are we willing to let communities lead? Are we building relationships, not just contracts? Are we funding the process, not just the project? And are we prepared to persevere, even when the outcomes are uncertain or take time to emerge?
What are we doing right now?
As a critical first step in deepening our place-based work, the Foundation is supporting the Centre for Just Places to map social justice challenges and opportunities across Melbourne’s West. This project will help us understand what’s needed to support stronger collaboration across the region, and where the conditions already exist for place-based approaches to thrive.
It builds on the Centre’s strong local relationships and long history of work in the region, as well as the Foundation’s previous investments. Importantly, this work will build on what already exists in the West and is designed to align with, rather than duplicate, current efforts. The project will help shape our next steps by grounding them in evidence, community insight, and a shared commitment to long-term change.
To effect true systems-change, philanthropy needs to reflect and identify where, as organisations, or as a sector, we need to evolve how we work. Taking a place-based approach is a good way to start.