Philanthropy’s impact often extends far beyond its initial point of contact. The right support delivered at the right time can set a ripple effect in motion that creates waves we never imagined. This is the catalytic power of strategic philanthropy. It’s what we aspire to in every aspect of our work at The Wyatt Trust.
As Australia’s oldest philanthropic trust, we acknowledge both the privilege and responsibility that comes with our 139-year legacy. Today, we are channelling all our resources towards one ambitious vision: a South Australia free from poverty. This means moving beyond limited thinking and traditional models to consider what it really takes to achieve systemic change.
Our inaugural Impact Report opens a new chapter in our commitment to transparency and learning. It will become an annual publication as we continue to evolve our approach and deepen our understanding of what contributes to lasting change in relation to poverty.
The impacts documented here don’t fit neatly into a calendar year - real change takes time to unfold. The impacts featured in these pages are the ones we’re aware of from the past twelve months, recognising that some stem from investments made across different timeframes.
The point of this Impact Report is to answer a simple question: is what we’re doing at The Wyatt Trust contributing to positive change?
We recognise that we are a small part of a vast ecosystem working towards social change. Our grant partners are the ones on the frontline of impact - transforming funding into action, working directly with communities, and creating the conditions for people to determine their own paths forward.
The voices of our partners and our Lived and Living Experience colleagues have been given priority as much as possible throughout this report.
In the final pages of the report we unpack 6 key learnings which range from navigating change to how we learn as an organisation. And learning is something that we are still doing, every day.
A special thank you to the Lived and Living Experience colleagues who reviewed the Impact Report ahead of its publication and provided valuable feedback.
The ripples you’ll read about in this report show that even the smallest intervention can set in motion transformative waves of impact.
Download a copy of the report here.
