What Dusseldorp Forum does

Dusseldorp Forum is an independent Australian family foundation established in 1989 with a gift of shares from Lend Lease employees and institutional shareholders, honoring retiring Lend Lease founder GJ (Dick) Dusseldorp. Originally focused on vocational education and skills development as Dusseldorp Skills Forum, the organization rebranded in 2012 under Teya Dusseldorp's executive leadership to broaden its focus to community-led equitable learning, health, and justice outcomes. The foundation is independently funded through its original endowment and provides long-term flexible funding, advocacy, convening, and strategic learning support to approximately 10-15 core partner organizations across Australia.

The Forum's programmatic emphasis spans three primary verticals: First Nations-led organizations (representing 30% of giving), climate action and environmental protection (37% of giving, tripled to $675k in 2025), and civil society/democracy initiatives supported through the Mannifera collective. Geographically, grantmaking extends across New South Wales, Victoria, Northern Territory, Queensland, and Western Australia. Long-tenured strategic partnerships include Maranguka (since 1989), Karrkad Kanjdji Trust (10+ years), Our Place (10-year $1.5M commitment since 2016), and Just Reinvest NSW, supplemented by newer collaborations with Supercharge Australia, Wilya Janta Housing Project, and the Living West Kimberley Blueprint partnership. The Forum operates with a small staff of 8-10, governed by a family-led board now in its third generation (Tom Dusseldorp as Chair since 2024).

The Forum's business model is endowment-driven philanthropy rather than revenue-generating commerce. Its outputs are limited to strategic frameworks (Thriving People and Places), annual publications (Year in Review 2019-2025), and a storytelling resource (Story-Kit for Changemakers), with no technology product, pricing model, or AI/ML development. Go-to-market is community-led: relationship-based partnership selection supplemented by ecosystem participation through Mannifera. Customer concentration is structurally low given the foundation's grantee-base model, with no single partner dominating the giving portfolio.

Name

Dusseldorp Forum

Legal name

Dusseldorp Forum

Website

https://dusseldorp.org.au

Company type

Private

Founded year

1989

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Dusseldorp Forum is an independent Australian family foundation established in 1989 that provides long-term flexible funding, advocacy, and convening support to First Nations-led organizations, climate action groups, and civil society initiatives working toward a just and equitable Australian society.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Philanthropic Foundation and Grantmaking Services

NAICS

Grantmaking Foundations (813211), Grantmaking and Giving Services (81321), Social Advocacy Organizations (8133)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Community Foundations (BPAGAKAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Environmental & Climate Grantmaking Foundations (BPAGAKAM), Education Grantmaking Foundations (BPAGAKAK), Social Justice & Human Rights Grantmaking Foundations (BPAGAKAN)

Keywords

• Philanthropic foundation
• Grantmaking programs
• Community development funding
• First nations advocacy
• Climate action funding

Headquarters

HQ city

Bondi Junction

HQ country

Australia

HQ region

Oceania

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Others, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Foundation Endowment Returns: Dusseldorp Forum was established in 1989 with a gift of shares from Lend Lease employees and institutional shareholders. The foundation is independently funded through income from its assets and endowment investments, using returns to provide long-term flexible funding to partner organizations.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels10 records

Core offering

Dusseldorp Forum is an independent family foundation that provides long-term, flexible grant funding to selected community-led organisations in Australia. It also builds connections between partners, supports shared learning through publications and events, and advocates alongside First Nations-led organisations, climate action groups, and civil society initiatives working toward social change. Its offering is essentially philanthropic capital, convening power, and learning resources rather than a commercial product or service.

Product overview

Dusseldorp Forum is an independent family foundation that operates grantmaking programs and produces research publications, resources, and strategic frameworks rather than a technology product. Its offerings include the Storytelling for Systems Change Story-Kit for changemakers, the Thriving People and Places strategic framework, annual Impact Reports, and Year in Review publications. The Forum does not operate a unified software platform but instead provides funding, builds connections, supports learning, and advocates alongside partner organizations working toward a just and equitable Australian society.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Long-term flexible grant funding and partnership program Core grantmaking offering of the foundation, providing long-term, flexible, and often unrestricted funding to selected community organisations, along with in-kind support such as time, connections, platforms, and skills. Targeted at First Nations-led organisations, climate action groups, place-based community initiatives, and civil society organisations in Australia.
• Storytelling for Systems Change - Story-Kit for Changemakers Publicly available Story-Kit resource for changemakers that distills the foundation's research into how stories can transform systems, supporting community-led change efforts and narrative building.
• Year in Review annual publication Publicly released annual publication (2019-2025) sharing highlights, reflections, and giving statistics from the foundation's partnerships, used to evidence impact and share lessons with the philanthropic sector.
• Impact Report 2016-2021 Five-year impact report documenting the Forum's 2016-2021 strategy and outcomes across the Thriving People and Places framework, including partnership outcomes and learnings.

Quantifiable outcome

• 37% of giving directed to climate and environment initiatives
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers11 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

18 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Accountable Futures CollectivecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Intergenerational systems-change collective bringing young people and adults together to redefine and drive accountability to young people. Works with young people, communities, service providers, researchers, and funders to explore meaningful accountability across society.
• Living West Kimberley Blueprint PartnershipcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Partnership supporting the Living West Kimberley Blueprint alongside Australian Ethical Foundation, Gum Tree Foundation and Lotterywest. Brings together Martuwarra Fitzroy River Council, Nulungu Research Institute, Wentworth Group of Concerned Scientists and Griffith University.
• Homeland School CompanyminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Working towards bi-cultural, on-Country education across Djelk IPA. Appointed principal, employed first teacher, and held curriculum development workshops. Expected to open first independent primary school in early 2026.
• Wilya Janta Housing ProjectcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Innovative Aboriginal not-for-profit promoting community agency in housing design. Developed iterative design process keeping community and culture central while optimizing thermal performance and construction costs for remote Indigenous housing.
• Learning the MacleaycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023LtM is a community-led collective impact initiative seeking to build on community strengths and create better futures for children and families through locally tailored solutions. They emphasize healing, trauma, and grief integration in local practices.
• Australian ProgressminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023Helps shape a more just, equitable, and sustainable society by building capacity of social change organizations and movements through leadership training, community building, and shared action.
• Environmental Leadership AustraliaminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023Non-partisan organization championing community and political leadership on climate action, working to advance practical climate policy with underserved political backgrounds for bipartisan support.
• Groundswell GivingcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023Community of people who fund and power strategic climate action. Pools donations and makes strategic grants to campaigning, litigation and community organizing for system change. Caring for Country program generated over $1M for 30 First Nations-led climate initiatives.
• Surfers for ClimateminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023Not-for-profit engaging surfers and coastal communities for positive climate action. Works on bipartisan policies including ban on new offshore oil and gas projects and advancing renewable energy policies.
• ManniferacoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2022Dusseldorp Forum is a member of Mannifera collective supporting stronger democracy and fair economy. Mannifera makes grants to civil society and First Nations-led organizations working across democracy and economic focus areas. Forum contributes funding, time, and internal resources to governance, strategy, and shared learning.
• Supercharge AustraliacoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2022Supporting Australia to become a hub for battery technology innovation and capture more value from the lithium battery supply chain. Partnership between New Energy Nexus and EnergyLab to develop an ecosystem for lithium battery innovation.
• Yoorrook Justice CommissioncoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2022Australia's first formal truth-telling inquiry led by First Peoples. Dusseldorp Forum supported the Commission and helped launch an independent digital platform to hold testimony and findings as part of Victoria's official records.
• Just Futures CollabcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2022Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander-led giving circle activating resources for climate justice. Spawned from Groundswell's Caring for Country program.
• IndigiGrowminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2021100% Aboriginal-owned, run, and staffed native plant initiative including two nurseries at La Perouse Public School and Matraville Sports High School. Social enterprise sustaining people, land and culture through native plant propagation.
• Our PlacecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2016Our Place is a holistic place-based approach utilizing schools to provide high-quality learning environments and integrated services. Dusseldorp Forum committed $1.5 million over 10 years to strengthen and replicate the Doveton College model in Victoria.
• Just Reinvest NSWcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2014Supports Aboriginal communities to explore and establish justice reinvestment initiatives, advocating for systemic changes that build safer and stronger communities and reduce Aboriginal incarceration in NSW.
• Karrkad Kanjdji TrustcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2012KKT brings together Indigenous landowners in Arnhem Land to address regenerating natural environment, climate action, employment opportunities, and supporting the world's oldest living culture. Dusseldorp Forum has been committed to KKT's vision for over 10 years providing governance, strategy, and advocacy support.
• MarangukacoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 1989Maranguka meaning 'caring for others' in Ngemba language, is a community-led place-based initiative with the Bourke Tribal Council. It is Australia's first Justice Reinvestment site and works on the Safe, Smart Strong strategy to improve outcomes for families and children through deep collaboration between community and government.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Emerging players

• ClimateWorks Australia: Australian climate-focused philanthropic intermediary providing analysis and convening. Comparable to Dusseldorp Forum's climate strategy but operating as a specialist intermediary rather than a family foundation.
• Environmental Leadership Australia: Australian non-partisan climate leadership organization explicitly partnered with Dusseldorp Forum. Operates at the intersection of climate advocacy and political engagement, reflecting Forum's policy advocacy work.

Broad incumbents

• Ian Potter Foundation: Large Australian grantmaking foundation funding across education, community wellbeing, and environment. Compares to Dusseldorp Forum in its grantmaking model and focus on Australian social outcomes, though with a much larger endowment.
• Minderoo Foundation: Major Australian family foundation established by Andrew Forrest, operating across First Nations, climate, oceans, and community initiatives. Comparable Australian family foundation model with multi-decade time horizons and convening power.
• Myer Foundation: Australian family foundation funding education, community, and environmental causes with multi-decade time horizons. Comparable in scale and in supporting multi-sector Australian social outcomes.
• Paul Ramsay Foundation: One of Australia's largest philanthropic foundations with a similarly broad mandate across social change, First Nations equity, and systems reform. Significantly larger endowment than Dusseldorp Forum but comparable in funding long-term community-led initiatives.
• Lowy Foundation: Australian family foundation with comparable longevity (founded by Frank Lowy) and broad social mandate including Indigenous communities. Similar family-led governance structure and Australian focus.

Direct peers

• Vincent Fairfax Family Foundation: Australian family foundation with a similar mid-sized scale and focus on community resilience, leadership, and systems change. Closely comparable operating model, headcount, and grantmaking philosophy to Dusseldorp Forum.
• Australian Ethical Foundation: Australian values-aligned foundation funding climate, First Nations, and community-led initiatives. Direct partner with Dusseldorp Forum on the Living West Kimberley Blueprint, indicating close programmatic alignment.
• Reichstein Foundation: Australian family foundation with an explicit climate justice, environmental, and social justice focus. Highly comparable mission, scale, and approach to Dusseldorp Forum's climate and First Nations work.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks4 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubevimeo.com/dusseldorpforum
• Facebookfacebook.com/DusseldorpForum
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/dusseldorp-forum
• Instagraminstagram.com/dusseldorp_forum

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles13 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Dusseldorp Forum