A community foundation is a charitable fund established and managed by local people to support the needs of their local community. It brings local people and businesses together to build collective capacity and affect lasting social change, working in partnership with local charitable organisations and service agencies. A proportion of funds raised by community foundations is typically invested to build a permanent endowment fund, which is then able to contribute to their communities’ needs in perpetuity.

SCF’s funding comes directly from our community – from local individuals and businesses who care about, and can contribute to, addressing the challenges our community faces now and into the future.

A unique feature of community foundations is that a portion of each donation is invested in building a permanent endowment fund. The capital is preserved and the investment income is applied to supporting community causes. In this way, your donation is not only contributing to immediate needs within Southside; it is building a permanent legacy for the Southside community. By supporting SCF, community voices will be amplified, bringing local organisations together for greater impact. Over time, as a community foundation’s endowment fund grows, it becomes a significant source of funding for future community projects and is a unique way of ensuring that those who benefit from living in Southside continue to build a strong community into the future.

Southside Community Foundation is non-partisan and fiercely independent. A community-focused foundation, we work closely and constructively with Port Phillip Council on a number of issues.

SCF is not aligned with any political party.

Our funds are held in the Southside Community Foundation sub-fund of the Australian Communities Foundation (ACF). ACF is a public, not-for-profit fund that for more than 25 years has provided a range of services to community foundations throughout Australia, including ethical fund management, regulatory compliance, back-office administration including receipt and payment of funds, granting, reporting, and operational and strategic advice.

A sub-fund is a designated account within a larger public foundation set up for charitable purposes. The sub-fund’s capital is invested alongside the foundation’s other funds, and the income is then applied to make grants to local charities and organisations aligned with the SCF’s values. As a sub-fund of the ACF, SCF has a cost-effective way of achieving a commercial rate of return on our funds, and gains access to back-office infrastructure for financial management and administration, granting and end-of-year reporting.

According to their April 2025 market update, since inception, the Australian Communities Foundation's portfolio has returned an average of ~7% per year, demonstrating proven long-term growth.