Who we are

Foundation SA is an exciting locally based giving opportunity for South Australia. It gives donors the ability to make a tax deductible donation today that will provide support to the South Australian community for years to come.

Available to individuals, families, businesses, government and non-profits, giving through Foundation SA makes giving easy — we take care of compliance and reporting and ensure your funds are responsibly invested while you choose exactly which causes you support.

Foundation SA ultimately exists to increase giving and see a connected, resilient and sustainable South Australia where everyone belongs. We aim to achieve this by inspiring generosity at a local level, building collaborative and connected networks, strengthening the local non-profit sector and creating a permanent endowment to support the current and future needs of our community.

To learn more about our progress, view our 2024 Year in Review.

Our origin story

Foundation SA was established in May 2021 with the mission to grow giving and make a positive impact across diverse South Australian communities.

Founded by the Wyatt Trust, Foundation SA was created to bridge a gap in the state’s philanthropic sector; to bring like-minded everyday people together under the common purpose to support communities and causes close to their heart. And to do this in a way that is enjoyable, accessible and beneficial for individuals, families, businesses and non-profits.

It had become clear that South Australia needed a locally based organisation that offered a simple, donor-advised structured giving option. Stacey Thomas, CEO of The Wyatt Trust and founding CEO of Foundation SA saw this need and in keeping with the legacy of Dr William Wyatt, resolved to establish a new community foundation to benefit the state.

Wyatt has supported South Australians since 1886 and The Wyatt Governors could see that Foundation SA was an opportunity to work collaboratively with others who share similar values, as well as extending support for South Australians beyond the remit of Wyatt’s work.

Our vision and mission

As a young and energetic community foundation, Foundation SA has an ambitious growth strategy. This plan on a page outlines our mission, vision and high-level strategy. The 5 key pillars detail how we intend to achieve our mission. These key activities guide our work and provide focus for our small team to ensure maximum impact. We have made a commitment to focusing on: Inspiring generosity, elevating awareness, building a corpus, collaboration and connection.

Accessible, easy and enjoyable

It is important to us that giving through Foundation SA is accessible, easy and enjoyable. And that the experience is fulfilling and meaningful with the potential to create a lasting legacy. It’s important to us because we have heard and understand that it is also important to you.

From making a donation to establishing a fund, we offer a variety of ways to give — all guided by philanthropic experts and executed with the due diligence you’d expect for peace of mind that your gift and tax benefit is making the maximum impact.

Whether you’re setting up a donor advised fund or making a donation to Foundation SA for us to grant out, you can rest assured your money will be making an impact in the communities that need it most.

Sophie Doyle

Chief Executive Officer

Our aim at Foundation SA is to

Inspire generosity and inclusivity

across South Australia, providing accessible opportunities to give and to bring friends, family and colleagues on the journey with you in a meaningful and united way.

Elevate awareness

of grass roots community and non-profit organisations and the aspirations they are hoping to achieve for their communities.

Build a perpetual corpus

to ensure the long term sustainability of Foundation SA and the impact it has on communities across Australia.

Foster sector collaboration

to make intentional change, we are committed to actively working with other community foundations and community organisations to grow our sector.

Connect

communities and resources to fully leverage the power of giving. We bring together human resources, financial resources, physical resources and environmental resources to drive meaningful and sustainable change for the benefit of South Australians.

Start giving with us

Make Foundation SA your choice

Giving should be fun, easy and accessible. It should be something you can do with confidence, knowing your decisions are rooted in purpose and backed by thorough due diligence.

If you have a cause you want to support but you’re not sure how to approach it, Foundation SA can guide you through every step. Leverage our expert advice, evidence-based research and rigorous due diligence to be certain your gift will make a difference.

Start giving with us

Our implementation partners

Partnerships are at the core of effective philanthropy, bringing a variety of resources, expertise and networks together to amplify impact.

By collaborating with partners, whether they be organisations, businesses or individuals, we can leverage the sharing of knowledge and resources, enabling our philanthropic efforts to achieve more than any one person could achieve alone.

Foundation SA is backed by two implementation partners:

The Wyatt Trust

The Wyatt Trust has generously provided the initial investment capital and funding for the start-up operational costs of Foundation SA, as well as the rigour, governance and experience of the staff and Board.

Australian Communities Foundation

Australian Communities Foundation has more than 25 years’ experience catalysing positive social and environmental change across Australia, with more than 500 sub-funds and $110 million in funds under management. As implementation partner and Trustee, Australian Communities Foundation has supported Foundation SA to develop best practice investment and grant making procedures and policies.

Our team

“Inspiring people to think about giving back to their local community and seeing the joy this brings is why I do what I do.”

Sophie Doyle

Chief Executive Officer

Community-mindedness and positive impact are the hallmarks of Sophie Doyle’s career. Even while working for one of the country’s biggest law firms, Sophie’s left a lasting legacy by establishing the company’s SA/NT Foundation, workplace giving and staff volunteering programs. She is also a co-founder of MumKIND, a SA-based charity that supports families experiencing family violence.

During her time at Philanthropy Australia, Sophie managed the peak body’s membership programs in SA and WA, developing strong networks within the non-profit and philanthropic sectors.

“I love that working in philanthropy gives me the ability to get people thinking about giving,” Sophie says. “Everyone can make an impact, but often people don’t know how to start.”

In her role at Foundation SA, South Australia’s state-wide community foundation, Sophie intends to help even more people experience the rewards of giving.

“I can’t wait to share the opportunities our new community foundation creates for donors and the non-profits supporting our community,” she says.

“For me to be working for an organisation that’s all about contributing to Adelaide and South Australia is so exciting,” she says. “This job is a real privilege.”

Chelsea Gillies

Grants And Engagement Coordinator

Chelsea Gillies’ role as Foundation SA’s Grants & Engagement Coordinator brings together two important facets of her life. The first is her desire to create positive social impact, and the second is her love for the place she calls home.

After spending a decade in Sydney working with the Sydney Festival, City of Sydney and the Women in Focus initiative at CommBank, Chelsea has returned to Adelaide with her young family.

“My husband and I both loved our experience of growing up in Adelaide,” she says. “We wanted our children to have an Adelaide upbringing and experience that sense of community.”

Growing up with a strong sense of social awareness, Chelsea believes giving is one of the most powerful ways of fostering community connections.

“When people are in a position to help others and they put their dollars into projects and groups within our local communities, they’re investing in those communities and forging that connection and ongoing interest.”

“While I was on the east coast, my work included a collaboration with the Sydney Community Foundation and it opened my eyes to the impact of collective giving through community foundations,” Chelsea says.

“Foundation SA was on my radar back then and when I returned to Adelaide, I hoped one day I’d have the opportunity to join the team.”

Using her extensive experience in building relationships and creating successful project partnerships, Chelsea’s focus as Grants & Engagement Coordinator is supporting Foundation SA’s current donors with their granting and running the Foundation’s grant rounds.

“For me to be working for an organisation that’s all about contributing to Adelaide and South Australia is so exciting,” she says. “This job is a real privilege.”

Why start a fund with Foundation SA?

Tax deductible

All donations to your fund are tax deductible and anyone can contribute to your fund.

Responsibly invested

Funds are responsibly invested for strong financial returns, plus positive social and environmental impact. Financial returns are apportioned to your sub-fund for future granting.

Compliance & reporting

Foundation SA takes care of all compliance requirements, due diligence, administration and reporting. Our work complies with Public Ancillary Fund Guidelines and is overseen by the Australian Charities and Not-for-Profits Commission (ACNC) and the Australian Taxation Office (ATO).

Choose who you support

Each donor advises where their donations go. They can choose causes close to their heart, small grass-roots charities, large international non-profits or scholarships for individuals.

Want to donate and give back to the South Australian community?

Start giving today

Need help deciding who to support?

If you have a cause area that is close to your heart but are unsure of the organisations working in that area, Foundation SA can guide you with evidence-based research backed by rigorous due diligence that gives you confidence that your gift will make a difference.

Get in touch

Australian Communities Foundation (ACF) is Foundation SA’s implementation partner and Trustee of funds under management.

Main Fund (tax deductible) ABN 57 967 620 066
Extension Fund (non-tax deductible) ABN 57 485 460 977
Scholarship Fund (tax deductible) ABN 82 218 603 765.

We pay our respects to the Traditional Custodians of the Adelaide region on which our office stands, the Kaurna people. We acknowledge all First Nations peoples and their deep connection to the land. The dispossession and treatment that has occurred, still impacts on the lives of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people today. We walk hand-in-hand with all First Nations peoples on the path to reconciliation.

Who we are

Our origin story

Our vision and mission

Accessible, easy and enjoyable