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South West Community Foundation Latest News

  • Screen Shot 2026-01-21 At 5.13.04 Pm
    January 21, 2026

    Our 2025 in review

    2026 is already off to a strong start, but for those looking to revisit our 2025 Year in Review, it is available to read here.  For those that prefer the hardcopy version, please just get in touch with us through...

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Jan 29

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Did you know you can create a lasting legacy through a Named Fund? 🌱 

At South West Community Foundation, Named Funds allow individuals, families and businesses to support the causes they care about, now and well into the future.
Named Funds are about more than giving — they’re about shaping the future of our region, together.

🔗 Learn more at our website, via the link in our bio.

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Jan 27

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We’re delighted to welcome Alison Byrne as the new Executive Officer of the South West Community Foundation.

Alison brings more than 30 years of experience across the not-for-profit, health, and education sectors, with deep expertise in philanthropy, governance, strategy, and community engagement.

Based on a small farm in Chocolyn with her partner, Alison is deeply embedded in the communities she serves. Her leadership roles include the Courthouse Camperdown Information Centre, Foundation Executive Officer at Emmanuel College Warrnambool, and most recently managing the newly established Scholarship Fund at Mercy Regional College. She has also held board roles with Timboon & District Healthcare Service and Women’s Health & Wellbeing Barwon South West.

Alison’s passion for storytelling, collaboration, and fostering a strong culture of giving across our region aligns perfectly with the Foundation’s mission.

 Alison, we’re thrilled to have you on board and look forward to the impact you’ll help shape across South West Victoria 💚

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Jan 20

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Strong communities don’t happen by accident ... they’re built 🌱 

Across South West Victoria, community organisations are the quiet engines of connection. They keep people supported, included, informed and inspired. But for many local Not-for-Profits, long-term financial stability is one of the biggest challenges they face.
That’s where Community Funds come in.

A Community Fund is a simple but powerful concept:
💰 A dedicated pool of money, created in partnership with a specific place or purpose
📈 Invested to grow sustainably - with the capital preserved and the earnings returned to the community, year after year
🤝 Directed by locals - those who help build the fund decide how the funds are distributed

It’s community supporting community - through a structure that protects the future just as much as the present.

When we help establish Community Funds, we’re not just raising money.
We’re building belonging, backing local leadership, and creating a legacy of generosity that will continue to benefit communities for generations to come.

South West Community Foundation auspices these funds, taking care of the governance and administration, so the focus stays on what matters most: impact.

Interested in building a fund for your region or purpose? Visit southwestcommunityfoundation.org or get in touch to start a conversation.

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Jan 15

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Our GROW fund is certainly gaining traction, but did you know this fund was Founded in memory of Josie Black OAM?

Josie’s legacy of quiet, lifelong commitment to others continues to ripple through her family and community. 
Her son, Marcus Hunt, shared these words with our board at the end of 2025:
“It was with great pleasure and pride I read that you have dedicated a new fund, the GROW Fund in Mum’s name. A fund dedicated to children. Mum led a life commitment to others. Her legacy of giving lives in her children and her grandchildren. I’m so pleased her legacy to help other children continues 16 years after her death.”

This is grassroots giving at its most meaningful - planting seeds today for a stronger, more connected tomorrow.
💛 Learn more or support the GROW Fund: https://www.southwestcommunityfoundation.org/2025/09/weve-got-something-new-blossoming

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Jan 13

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At South West Community Foundation, we’re proud to walk alongside the communities of South West Victoria — supporting resilience, connection, and opportunity across the region.

We work across six local government areas:
📍 @colacotwaysc
📍 @corangamiteshire
📍 @glenelgshire
📍 @moyneshirecouncil
📍 @sthgrampiansshire
📍 @warrnamboolcity

Our impact is strengthened through a network of community-led funds that reflect local priorities - including the Colac Community Fund, Koroit Community Fund, Legacy Fund, GROW Fund, and IRCF initiatives in Hamilton and Portland.
Together, these place-based funds allow grassroots giving to flourish, ensuring local generosity stays local, and support goes where it’s needed most.

💛 Want to learn more about how we give across the region? Head to https://www.southwestcommunityfoundation.org

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Jan 8

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What a year! From launching new funds and forming powerful partnerships, to distributing over $200,000 in grants, 2025 was a year of real, tangible impact across South West Victoria.

This snapshot from our Year in Review highlights just a few of the ways your generosity and support have helped strengthen local communities.
None of this would be possible without the donors, supporters, and community leaders who give so generously. Thank you for backing grassroots change with us. 💛

Read the full Year in Review online at https://loom.ly/Osvtrhk or email your name & mailing address to info@southwestcommunityfoundation to have a copy posted to you.
Our supporters

South West Community Foundation is proud to acknowledge our sponsors and partners.

Contact us
PO Box 478
Warrnambool VIC 3280
info@southwestcommunityfoundation.org
Connect

We acknowledge the Traditional Owners and Custodians of the land we live and work on, the lands of the Gunditjmara, Giraiwurung, Guilidjan, Gadubanud and Djabwurrung. We recognise the diverse needs of our community and we ensure our services are inclusive of all children, young people and their families including those who are of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander descent, from culturally and/or linguistically diverse backgrounds, those who identify as LGBTIQ and persons living with disability.

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  • About
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