The WELA Giving Circle is a sub-fund of Australian Communities Foundation, which is a public charitable foundation. All donations over $2 are tax-deductible.
When you become a member of the WELA Giving Circle, you’ll give $20 per week or $1000 a year.
Then each year, we pool our money with 50% of the money we raise is granted to women’s environmental and climate action, and 50% supporting WELA’s groundbreaking leadership programs.
And the best bit? All members have a say and get to vote on where the money is going and the kind of impact we want to create.
And the more members we have, the more projects we can fund.
Our vision is for a world transformed by women leading change.
A world that fully integrates and values women’s insights, knowledge and contributions in the changes we need to make for the future of the planet. A world where the solutions to our climate and environmental crises reinvigorate and revive communities and landscapes, centering justice, equity, connection and regeneration in our society, governments and economic activity.
Women and gender diverse people all over Australia are stepping up to the challenges facing our planet. From the forest frontlines to taking fossil fuel companies to court, teaching the new wave of leaders or protecting country, we are transforming Australia’s response to our environmental and climate crises.
But here’s the thing. Women-led projects are chronically underfunded with less than 0.2% of global charitable funding going to women’s environmental action.
WELA is creating Australia’s only giving circle dedicated to funding women’s action on environment and climate issues.
But we can’t do it without you.
Our grants are open to women and gender diverse people working on environmental and climate action.
The use of the term “women’s environmental and climate action” refers to supporting a broad range of work at that nexus. This includes funding women-led actions to protect the environment, supporting the inclusion of diverse women’s voices and participation in environmental initiatives, and addressing the differential impacts of environment and climate crisis on women due to their gender.
Our grants will fund operational and core activities, program delivery with a focus on innovative solutions, and advocacy.
For more information on grant eligibility see our FAQs and join our email list to be the first to know when grants are open.
“Every single day I am inspired by the women in my life.
I want to be a part of the WELA Giving Circle to empower these women to make real, lasting, and much needed societal change.
By taking part in WELA’s Giving Circle, I can equip passionate, smart, and wise women to be where they are most needed – tackling climate change.”
A giving circle is a group with shared values collaborating for change. We gather, discuss shared values, pool funding, and decide together where to give — multiplying impact, increasing community connection, and building power.
Giving Circles are a growing movement of people-powered philanthropy. By pooling donations, we maximise our impact.
But this is not new. Collective Giving has been happening for centuries. But in the past few decades, thousands of people have come together to start giving circles that have collectively given over $1.3 billion.
This kind of giving is joyful, collaborative, and intentional.
Our vision is for a world transformed by women leading change.
WELA is a community connecting, training and funding generations of women and gender diverse changemakers so that together we transform Australia’s response to our environmental and climate crise
