Stories of Impact

We were back in the company of Zara and her amazing team of supportive friends last weekend, when they held their stall and sold earrings (all in the name of Brain Cancer Research) as Z&M Co . 11 year old Zara is on a mission to ensure that women researchers aren't left behind when it comes to career opportunity. To date she has provided 3 scholarships for women researchers returning to work and hopes to continue her efforts. Interviewing the girls, it is inspiring to see the

"I I've buried a lot of young people in Canberra who should not have died... This is a big social issue." We were privileged to visit The Farm a couple of weeks ago and find out about the difficult and rewarding work that Kate Cleary is doing in helping women reclaim their lives and families after addiction. Having worked for many years as a social worker, Kate was struck by how many stories were the same - women in abusive relationships, with significant addiction problems

It's already that time of year, where expressions of interest are open for the Canberra Foundations Collaborative Grant Round. Created to support community led initiatives that create lasting impact throughout the Canberra region, over 1million dollar in grants (ranging from $5,000-$50,000) will be awarded 2026. Created by The Snow Foundation, Hands Across Canberra and The John James Foundation, the collaborative aims to strengthen connection, capacity building and learnings

Davencare Foundation would like to wish everyone a Happy Holiday period. May you have the chance to relax, spend time with family, eat good food and spend time doing the things that revive and inspire you. Whilst we are still finding our feet in this new (for us) sector, we wanted to take the opportunity to reflect on our first year and acknowledge the many wonderful things we have been privileged enough to witness and be a part of this year. First up, thanks must go to Hands

We had the absolute pleasure of visiting one of the sessions hosted by Good Omen Goodeze (GOG for short) today. GOG came across our radar through the Canberra Collaborative giving round. The ingredients for this special group are simple. Creation. Comfort. Connection. It started by Mary Liondi-Barlow, who at the time was knitting a beanie for a loved one going through Chemo. From there she got interested in crafting for charity and kept making and donating items to the h

We came across this amazing social enterprise at The Mill House Ventures Dinner last month. Bright Smiles Mobile Dental was created by local Brenda Fry - with the simple yet impactful mission - to make high-quality oral health care accessible for people who find it difficult to leave their home. You'd think that surely a service like this would exist in the ACT, but unfortunately Brenda found out this wasn't the case. Determined to do something about it, Brenda has steadily

Zara Skepev is making a huge difference in the giving space and she's still in primary school. In the search for inspiring subjects for our Ripples Film Project, we were lucky to come across the story of Zara and her mum Milena. Inspired no doubt, by the work Milena does with The Australian Brain Cancer Foundation , Zara is on a mission to ensure that researchers can be great scientists and also great mothers. To this end, Zara has set up her business which creates unique han

Local obstetrician David O'Rourke, and his wife Sue-Ann, have been tirelessly working with the Mother Ignacia Hospital in Soe, East Timor, to improve the lives and health of the community. We sat down with David, to chat with him about what motivates him to give and what they've been able to acheive with a "why not?" attitude. The power of "Why not?" You can read more about the work David and the team do here: https://muderignacia.com

One of the biggest messages we have heard on our journey so far, is to know what it is that others are doing, combine forces when you can...

A unique type of philanthropist