Australian Community Workers Foundation
The Australian Community Workers Foundation is a Community Work Australia initiative arising from the desire for a legacy project to mark Community Work Australia’s 50 years anniversary. The past few years have seen the development of the Trust Deed, registration with the Australian Charities and Not-for-Profits Commission (ACNC), and the achievement of Deductible Gift Status (DGR) status for this charity.
The long-term aim of the Australian Community Workers Foundation is to provide financial support to potential students who may be experiencing disadvantage because they:
- live with disability;
- have Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander
heritage; - are refugees or asylum seekers;
- have a background of economic or social
disadvantage; or - live in a remote area that limits their access to
education.
In 2024, the Foundation has entered into agreements with several universities to initiate an ACWF Student Prize to recognise excellence or determination in the study of community services. In the future, the ACWF will be in a position to offer a small number of bursaries and scholarships.
Community Work Australia is committed to building and supporting the Foundation as an adjunct to the important work it undertakes to ensure community workers are widely recognised as professionals who have the requisite skills, ethics, and knowledge to play a proactive role in bringing about a fair and socially just society.
Access papers, community and support with a Community Work Australia membership
Community Work Australia believes this vision for a fair and just society will have been achieved when everyone’s human rights in Australia are recognised, protected, and respected - including those who have been excluded from educational opportunities and a meaningful career in community work through some form of disadvantage.
Whilst Community Work Australia has donated to the Foundation for several years, we still have a long way to go. The Foundation’s new logo represents the idea of Community Work Australia supporting education and community workforce growth.
The logo features two leaves and a flower taken from the existing Community Work Australia logo to symbolise growth. It goes without saying that for the Foundation to continue growing we need your help. To donate or find out more about the Foundation, please see Community Work Australia’s website www.communitywork.org.au/acwf/ for further details.
About Community Work Australia
From setting educational standards through to determining an ethical practice framework, we support community workers in every sphere of their work life.
Set up over 50 years ago, we exist to ensure that the community benefits from an ethical and well-qualified community work labour force.
