Delivering grants for maximum impact

MEET two of the inspiring women who make up and support the Geelong Community Foundation.

Geelong Community Foundation board member Allana Goldsworthy is a barrister and nationally-accredited mediator practising family law, and she has now modified her practice to concentrate on alternative dispute resolution.

“I see first-hand the emotional damage and long-term financial pain that relationship breakdowns bring to the parties and their children, and I work to resolve disputes in a civil, respectful and cost-effective manner,” she says.

“As a member of the Geelong Community Foundation, I have the role of deputy chair and convenor of the Governance, Planning and Nominations Committee, and I also sit on the Donor and Communications Committee. The various meetings and longer-term strategic planning provide interest, challenges and opportunity to work with my co-directors and the fabulous team headed by our CEO, Amy Waters.”

Allana believes that her greatest strength is her support and encouragement of others to achieve their very best.

She is proud to see the rising number of women who are committed to engage with and take on positions within the for-purpose sector, particularly in leadership roles.

“There is no doubt that the pressure upon the sector to keep overheads and administrative expenses as low as possible impacts on the retention of experienced staff,” she says.

“As a counterbalance to that, the increasing numbers of women who eschew the temptation of higher salaries elsewhere, points to the likelihood of having staff who are committed to the tenets of an organisation such as the Geelong Community Foundation.”

When asked about advice for the next generation of for-purpose leaders, Allana’s advice is to simply say yes.

“There will never be the ideal time to take on committee positions, or join organisations in addition to your usual work and family commitments,” she says.

As chief executive officer, Amy Waters is responsible for leading the overall operations of the Geelong Community Foundation. This can include liaising with the board and sub-committees to develop strategy, supporting the team to engage with donors and deliver grantmaking programs, collaborating with other grant funders, and engaging with grant partners.

Amy has been fortunate to have had many wonderful professional opportunities, but says that her standout career achievement to date has been working with a team to establish the NDIA’s Information, Linkages and Capacity Building Grant Program – a $134 million annual program.

“As the inaugural assistant director, grants implementation, I was responsible for developing the NDIA’s national grant management approach. This included designing the agency’s engagement model for grant partners, building and leading a new team, developing grant reporting requirements, and overseeing the end-to-end grant relationship,” she says.

“This was my first leadership role in grant-making, and it was an invaluable learning experience. It shaped my understanding of the kind of leader I aspire to be and reinforced the incredible impact that effective grant-making can have in communities.”

Asked about the impact of women in the for-purpose sector, Amy points to the number of incredibly intelligent and impact-driven women she gets to work with in the Geelong region, through both the foundation’s network of funders and its grant partners.

“These women are both dedicated and determined to create a fairer world, they lead with courage and empathy, and they don’t shy away from making big, bold decisions,” she says.

Reflecting on International Women’s Day, Amy notes that many of the opportunities she has had were only possible because of the women who fought for them.

“To me, IWD is a celebration of both the women who have come before us and those who will follow – women who have worked, and continue to work, to create a fairer world,” she says.