For over a decade, Collaboration for Impact worked alongside communities across Australia to advance community-led systems change and build collaborations for a brighter and fairer future for all.
Working with communities, governments, philanthropy, the service sector, and business, CFI pioneered, incubated, and amplified new ways of collaborating to address the root causes of inequity. From remote towns to capital cities, and across local, regional, and national contexts, this work centred the leadership of First Nations and other Australians, demonstrating why — and how — communities must be at the heart of transforming the systems that shape their lives.
CFI brought people together to work across difference — in power, race, culture, and perspective — creating spaces to pause, sit with complexity, and tackle systemic challenges collectively. We supported over 100 communities to develop models and practices for collaboration, unearthing and amplifying equity-centred approaches that informed policy and practice change at scale. Alongside this, CFI helped design and strengthen the infrastructure needed to grow the field of collaborative systems change in Australia.
This first decade of community-led systems change shaped who we are and what we learned about building collective power across difference. These learnings have shaped CFI’s next chapter: Belonging for All — a strategy that carries forward this legacy while sharpening our focus on belonging and bridging as essential foundations for Australia’s future.
We invite you to explore the story of our first horizon (2014–2022), told by our co-founders, Liz Skelton and Kerry Graham, to see how CFI began and how far we’ve come. Read: Our Origin Story
Explore CFI’s first decade below.
For over a decade, Collaboration for Impact supported communities and partners to collaborate across difference and transform systems in equitable, enduring ways.
As a trusted learning partner, we have walked alongside communities, governments, and networks to embed reflection, learning, and sense-making into community-led systems change. Drawing on systems learning and developmental evaluation, we helped build the capability and conditions for learning to shape action and impact.
CFI supported diverse groups to come together across race, power, culture, and perspective to address complex systemic challenges. From early collaboration to moments of growth and transition, we helped partners build, deepen, and scale collaboration in ways that sustained shared purpose and community leadership.
CFI provided tailored project support across every stage of the systems change journey, from co-design and consultation to delivery, governance, and learning. We worked hands-on with communities, governments, and funders to build momentum, clarity, and connection in complex, multi-stakeholder initiatives.
CFI supported leadership development grounded in systems thinking and collective power, recognising leadership as a behaviour rather than a title. Our programs helped people build the mindsets, skills, and relationships needed to navigate complexity, work across difference, and sustain long-term change.
It was exciting to see the launch of Partnerships for Local Action and Community Empowerment (PLACE) in 2024. PLACE is a national organisation that supports the adoption and impact of place-based approaches across Australia.
PLACE was a long time in the making. It came from visionary and persistent leadership from communities and collaborators across Australia.
CFI was the Foundation Partner for PLACE, in consortium with the Institute for Social Science Research (ISSR) (University of Queensland) and the Australia and New Zealand School of Government (ANZSOG).
Photo credit: PLACE
Deep Collaboration was created by First Nations and other Australians with one goal. That is to find a new way to lead change together and create a more equitable Australia.
Deep Collaboration is a leadership practice so we can work across culture and power, while centring justice and equity. It enables First Nations and other Australians to collaborate and tackle systemic barriers to equity.
This practice has been adopted by a national network of practitioners. It has been applied to the Victorian Treaty pathway and negotiations; to capability building of the Commonwealth Government for Close The Gap; to local Voice and self-determination governance practices; and to many other initiatives.
ChangeFest25 was held on the country of the Whadjuk people in the greater Walyalup area (Fremantle) in partnership with Imagined Futures on 19-21 November 2025.
Originally launched in the east—on the country of the Yuggera and Yugambeh Speaking people, followed by Darug country—the ChangeFest Songlines have also embraced Larrakia country in the north, Lutriwita country in the south, and Latji Latji country along our great rivers.
“It is right that the ChangeFest Songlines now travel to Western Australia. ChangeFest25 in Walyalup connects the work of ChangeFest across the country, providing a continuation of celebration, learning, and connections for change,” said ChangeFest Elder Aunty Faith Green.
Photo credit: Jillian Mundy and ChangeFest
