What we do
Southside Community Foundation believes that lasting change comes from within the community — when people come together to give, act, and care for one another. We build long-term relationships and partnerships by connecting those who want to give with those already making a difference.
Our strength lies in knowing Southside — its people, challenges, and potential. With deep local insight and trusted networks, we seek to strengthen the connective tissue of the community, building bridges through community conversations and ensuring resources are directed where they’re needed most, for the greatest impact.
At SCF, we don’t just support community - we are from the community. And together, we’re working to build a future that’s fairer, stronger, and led by those who know it best.
Initial granting approach
Southside Community Foundation (SCF) seeks to build our community’s power, vision and collective voice, facilitating support for local solutions to local problems.
In our establishment phase, we have offered ‘Grants for Conversations’ aimed at bringing together agencies and stakeholders in key areas identified in our 2024 Vital Signs report.
Our objective is that these conversations will lead to a stronger understanding of each key area’s current and future needs. These outcomes support the local community to identify and prioritise how to create positive change and increase engagement. This work will help inform future grant-making.
We understand that organisations are already doing powerful and important work in these areas. We also know that organisations are often swamped by demand and have little time to pause and reflect. The Grants for Conversations initiative seeks to support agencies and stakeholders within each domain to understand each other's work better, explore opportunities to collaborate and build a shared vision for the future of Southside.
The initial round of Grants for Conversations is fully subscribed. Announcements about future grant opportunities will be made via this website. For enquiries, email admin@southsidecf.org.
Our areas of focus
Using our 2024 Vital Signs report we've identified six key areas where community support can make a meaningful difference.
These are not just issues — they’re people’s lives. And through targeted support, partnerships, and community-led solutions, we’re working to create a Southside where everyone can feel secure, supported, and empowered to thrive.
Arts and culture
Environment
Food security
First Nations communities
Housing and homelessness
Health and wellbeing
Current Grants
Progress on the awarded grants when available will be outlined in News.
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Recipient(s): City of Port Phillip Arts Collective (COPPAC)
Focus: As part of our Grants for Conversation, a $5,000 grant has enabled 12 Arts organisations from across the City of Port Phillip to come together and participate in collaborative dialogue to explore how to deliver the best possible outcomes for artists and audiences in our community.
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Recipient(s): Port Phillip EcoCentre Inc.
Focus: As part of our Grants for Conversation, a $5,000 grant has enabled 15 environmental organisations from across Southside to come together and participate in collaborative dialogue. Through a series of workshops and facilitated conversations, the group began mapping regional strengths and identifying shared challenges — including biodiversity loss, climate change, pollution and nature disconnection.
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We are currently in conversation with local First Nations organisations on how best to support their work across Southside.
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Recipient(s): Port Phillip Community Group andChrist Church Mission Community Centre
Focus: A $5,000 grant from our Grants for Conversations program to further understand the scale of food insecurity in Port Phillip and ways the community can be engaged to ensure no one faces hunger or food insecurity in our community. Facilitated by the Australian Food Network, 14 organisations came together to understand challenges, what is working well and opportunities to create change.
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Recipient(s): First Step, SouthPort Community Group and Voices of Southside
Focus: A $5,000 grant from our Grants for Conversations program to focus on Mental Health and Well Being led by SouthPort Community Group in partnership with First Step. It includes conducting a number of focus groups and conversations with Voices of the South Side (participants with lived experience of mental health), First Step participants with lived experiences, clinicians and others. Desired outcomes include gaining an understanding of current wellbeing and mental health service provision concerns in our community and capturing a range of local voices including those with lived experience to explore local solutions and actions.
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Recipient(s): South Port Community Housing Group and St Kilda Community Housing
Focus: A $5,000 grant to support the important work being done to address housing and homelessness. More than 40 leaders from the housing, health, community, and justice sectors came together at the St Kilda Town Hall to explore collaborative and actionable solutions to the growing housing crisis. A powerful reminder of what’s possible when passionate local voices unite for long-term change.