READ OUR 2019 - 2020 ANNUAL REPORT

Our 2019-2020 Annual Report highlights strong community and research outcomes achieved as well as stories of how we have adapted to tackle the challenges presented within the year. 

Our report highlights the positive steps we’ve taken towards our goal of strengthening communities, providing opportunities for First Nation people and our plans to further our work beyond 2020.  

Despite the restrictions of COVID-19 and bushfires affecting our communities, we continued to work with communities around the country.

“We do amazing work, we step up to the challenges presented and we come out shining.” We work in partnership with communities to solve the challenges community have identified themselves. We source the best skills and appropriately trained people available... That’s why we are here. We want to see our communities across the country succeed. We want them to thrive. We want them to be happy and healthy.”

— Karen Milward, Chair, Community First Development 

Partnering with Communities 

We partnered with 159 communities across the 2019-2020 financial year on 209 projects. Some of these projects were ongoing, some were newly commenced, and a number were completed across the year. 

Our Achievements: 

  • Maintaining relationships with our supporters, our volunteers, and communities through some difficult and uncertain times. 

  • Celebrated our 20th anniversary in 2020 with the launch of our new name and brand! We’ve received great feedback and our new branding has helped people better understand who we are and what we do. 

  • Released a new three-year strategic plan which focuses on our commitment to provide opportunities and development for First Nations people. 

  • Published our first action research report which aims to evaluate the effectiveness of our community development approach. It explains and explores why self-determination, leadership and governance are important to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and communities. 

  • Launched our inaugural Community First Development Fellowship for Research and Evaluation. The Fellowship is a pathway for First Nations academics to explore, design and deliver evaluation and research projects that are driven and led by First Nations peoples and communities. The Fellowship was awarded to Donna Stephens, an Iwaidja woman of the Muran clan, northwest Arnhem Land.  

Our work is only possible because of the generous contributions of our supporters who have partnered with us to enable First Nations people to undertake projects that prioritise community goals including economic and business planning, cultural preservation and learning, education and health. 

As we embark on a new year working alongside communities, we do so with the respect and understanding of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures, histories, challenges and their right to self-determination.  

Download and read our Annual Report here

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