About Community Foundations Australia

Elected 2016, re-elected 2019

Ben has worked at the Inner North Community Foundation since 2015, supporting people passionate about Melbourne’s northern suburbs. He is also Chair of Community Foundations Australia, the peak body of community foundations in Australia.

Having lived in the Inner North for most of his life, Ben is motivated by the area’s tradition of local people responding to local challenges in meaningful ways. He is passionate about equality, social justice and ensuring everyone has access to opportunity and choice in their lives.

Ben loves living in Coburg, where he can be found on his bike or at a local park with his young family.

Elected 2022

Stacey was the Founding CEO of Foundation SA, a statewide community foundation established in 2021. She is the CEO of the Wyatt Trust, Australia’s oldest philanthropic trust with an investment portfolio of $100m and a commitment to ethical investment and positive social outcomes.

She has held significant roles in the philanthropic and corporate sectors for both long-established entities and start-ups and has led strategic renewal processes at board and management levels. Her qualifications include a B.Psych. from ACU, a M.Bus. from Swinburne University, and she is a Graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors. She is a member of the Investment Committee of the Adelaide Festival Centre Foundation, and a director of Philanthropy Australia where she is also Chair of the Policy and Research sub-committee.

Elected 2016, re-elected 2019

Sally Gamble OAM is a founding director of Benalla’s Tomorrow Today Foundation and has served on the Foundation’s board since its inception in 2001. While she stepped down as Chair in late 2021, she remains on the Tomorrow Today board. Under her leadership, the Foundation has gone through significant growth and change.

Sally grew up in Melbourne and has a background in health education. She is a member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors and serves as Company Secretary on the Community Foundations Australia Board.

Elected 2021, re-elected 2024

Tae is an accountant with 21 years’ experience in private practice, and a seasoned community foundation practitioner. He was a founding member of the Albany Community Foundation in 2014, has been its Financial Officer ever since, and currently serves as the Chair.

Tae has hands-on experience with what it takes to create and run a community foundation from scratch, including community leadership and donor engagement. As a member of the Community Foundations Australia board, he is contributing his hands-on community foundation experience and knowledge for the benefit of others in the network.

Elected 2019 

Peter is among Australia’s most experienced corporate communications advisers, with a career of more than 35 years combining adventure travel, journalism, policy and consulting, with a big emphasis on regional development and diversification.

For more than 20 years Peter led the Australian arm of the global Porter Novelli public relations group before stepping aside from day-to-day executive leadership in 2021. Peter chaired Porter Novelli Australia and has been a director of Clemenger Group, Carers Victoria, Variety Victoria and the Salvation Army Red Shield Appeal.

He continues as a director of Daylesford Macedon Tourism and Doutta Galla Aged Care and is secretary of the Hepburn Swiss Italian Festa.

Peter lives in Central Victoria and splits his time between for-purpose project consulting and the family vineyard, Mt Franklin Estate, producing Italian varietals under the Mafic label.

Elected 2022

Loredana is CEO of the Sydney Community Foundation, and has over 20 years’ experience in the philanthropic sector, having worked for organisations focused on creating local grassroots change and with international charities.

Loredana’s professional expertise includes strategic planning, operational leadership, management of key stakeholder relationships, and delivering communications, fundraising and advocacy campaigns with impact. She has a track record of securing operational and program funding while diversifying income streams for sustainability; mobilising support from corporates, Ultra-High Net Worth and High Net Worth individuals; building and maintaining effective relationships with Government, partners, community leaders and relevant influencers; and creating communications and positioning strategies for growth and maximum impact.

She is passionate about community foundations and their ability to create lasting change.

Elected 2024

Sarah is currently the CEO at the R E Ross Trust. She has a demonstrated history of working in philanthropy, local government and the nonprofit sectors for over 33 years, with strong established skills in governance, strategy and risk, grantmaking, cultural change, communication and reputation management, fundraising and executive leadership.

With a particular interest in rural and regional Australia and placed-based initiatives, Sarah co-founded the national not-for profit, Youth Live4Life, in 2010. Her experience is underpinned by national and international academic study, including post graduate study at Melbourne University, Harvard University, John F. Kennedy School of Government and Stanford University’s Graduate School of Business.

Sarah is a Graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors and the Executive Colloquium at Cranlana Centre for Ethical Leadership. She holds board positions as a Director of the Victorian Council of Social Services (VCOSS), a Trustee of the National Parks Conservation Trust and board member of Southside Community Foundation.

Elected 2024

Annabel has been the Executive Officer at the South West Community Foundation (SW VIC) since 2020, with previous experience working in private philanthropy, local government, community engagement and development. Proudly regional and an advocate for community-led, place-based approaches, she is a natural communicator with strengths in strategy, governance, regional leadership and grants management.

Annabel is the current Board Chair of are-able, a regionally based disability employment and social enterprise organisation, and a graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors, and seeks to bring an energy and enthusiasm through her networks and engagement.

Ian is a seasoned executive in the community foundation sector and innovator in the field of collective action and network leadership, largely exercised during his tenure as CEO at Community Foundations of Canada and Chair of the Global Fund for Community Foundations. He is a former sport advocate and Olympian in hockey, having represented Canada at the Summer Olympics in Sydney (2000) and Seoul (1988). Ian’s civic engagements currently include contributions as a member of the Wasan Network, co-founder of the Chelsea Commons, past chair of the Child and Nature Alliance and as a director of the Community Forward Fund. A Vancouver native and student at the University of British Columbia, he and his partner, Kristin, raised three children in the Gatineau Hills and have now relocated to Melbourne, Victoria.

Jane has over 30 years’ experience in senior government roles within the ABS, Department of Health and ATO. More recently, Jane has divided her time between part time roles in several peak bodies and volunteering on Not for Profit (NFP) Boards, usually as Treasurer.

As a member of the ATO NFP Stewardship Group, Jane works to improve the administration of Australia’s taxation, superannuation and registry systems by bringing the voice of smaller community-based NFPs to the group.

Purpose-led organisations with their heart in community building are a passion. Jane’s experience adds a unique insight into the foundational elements needed to strengthen these organisations. With a strong focus on continuous improvement, Jane leads iterative cycles of small incremental improvements to our business processes.

Rosie is the face of Community Foundations Australia for our current and prospective members. Starting at CFA in 2021, Rosie has emerged as a key connector and storyteller within our network, supporting and facilitating diverse collaborative efforts and circles of practice. The role of Director, Communities and Members focuses on supporting the people and relationships that underpin our vibrant network.

Passionate about storytelling in all its forms, Rosie holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Creative Writing and a Masters in Screenwriting from the Victorian College of the Arts.

Dylan is an experienced philanthropic executive and social impact leader, with a distinguished career in philanthropy. He recently served as WA State Manager at Philanthropy Australia, overseeing significant growth of the peak body’s membership in Western Australia, and developing the areas of impact investing, collaborative funding, community foundations and collective giving.

He is well known to the Australian community sector through his role as founding Executive Officer at the Fremantle Foundation, and through his contributions to First Nations engagement in philanthropy.

Dylan is also former Chair and Director of Community Foundations Australia.