As we wrap up the year, I’m feeling that familiar mix of celebration and exhaustion, made even more vivid by the wild storms rolling through Sydney and so many parts of Australia. The weather feels like a metaphor for 2025 – unpredictable, intense and full of moments that pushed us to think differently about what doing more good really means for the organisations we work with.

One story that has stayed with me is ShoreTrack. Their impact story shows why investment readiness matters. It is not a tick box or a nice-to-have. It is what helps an organisation steady itself, plan clearly and unlock the right kind of capital at the right time. We’re also featuring the Lighthouse Foundation in this newsletter, whose work with young people experiencing homelessness continues to impress me. Their commitment to deep, long-term care is powerful. We are proud to walk alongside them as they build the financial and organisational strength to match the scale of the need they see every day.

And after months of conversations, Sefa Partnership’s rural and regional funding Deep Learning Community wrapped up. This group was honest and brave in naming what works and what doesn’t in the regional funding landscape. Those insights will shape our work next year as we push harder to shift capital into places where it is most lacking.

A personal highlight was spending a day on Country with the Sefa team through Natcha Tours. Being welcomed and guided with such generosity was grounding and energising. Experiences like this are an important part of our internal work on Indigenous identity and reconciliation. It reminded me, again, that relationships and listening matter more than any framework ever will.

We also launched our two annual reports showing the impact and financial strength of both Sefa and Sefa Partnerships this year. A huge amount of work sits behind these, and I am incredibly proud of what our team achieved. We closed the year with homemade dumplings, cocktails and a lively round of naughty santa – a reminder that joy and human connection fuel us just as much as our for-purpose work itself.

It has been a big year of shaping where we want to go next. Now, it’s time for a bit of rest before we dive back in.

Thank you for being part of our journey to do more good.

Hoping you find some time to unwind and recharge this summer. Merry Christmas!

Warmly,
Hanna

Hello from the CEO - December