Australian Communities Foundation Names New Chief

Melbourne-based Not for Profit leader Jonathan Chapman will replace UK import Clare Brooks as CEO of the Australian Communities Foundation – one of the oldest and largest community foundations in Australia.

New Australian Communities Foundation CEO Jonathan Chapman.

Chapman takes over the position on October 1 after four years as CEO of Lord Somers Camp and Power House, a Not for Profit organisation focussing on young people and leadership.

He has also served on the board and committees of many Not for Profit organisations including, Fitzroy Adventure Playground, Evolve at Typo Station Ltd, Leadership Victoria, St John Ambulance Victoria and Scots Church Melbourne.

Clare Brooks, who was on an 18-month contract with the community foundation, will be moving back to her home in London. Brooks had been head-hunted from the UK in late 2011 because of her extensive philanthropic experience nationally and internationally and her wide networks.

Australian Communities Foundations Chair Annie Duncan described the new CEO Jonathan Chapman as a person who has his “head in finance and heart in Not for Profit”.

“The reason we chose Jonathan was because of his long career in finance and he’s a chartered accountant,” she said.

“He had worked in client services roles in private finance.

“He has a good mix of finance skills and Not for Profit experience. He does understand how donors tick.”

In the past 18 months under the leadership of Brooks, Dr Duncan said not only had Brooks raised the profile of the Foundation throughout Australia but worked with the board to refocus and strengthen the foundations within its administration for further growth.

“Her vast international experience helped us look beyond Australian community foundations,” Dr Duncan said.

She said Brooks also led The Ambassadors for Philanthropy Tour and The Funding Network pilot event, which now looks set to run in three states.

Dr Duncan said with Chapman at the helm his key focus would be looking at workflow and systems and “looking at being as efficient as possible”.

“We have grown quite fast, now we can get systems in place that will enable further growth,” she said. “We get about 450 grants a year.”

She said next week a staff member, General Manager Andrea Heffernan, will be heading to the US to look at two computer systems used by communities foundations there.

“One great opportunity to look at is how we as community foundations can align and co-brand,” Dr Duncan said.

“We’re not a local community foundation. How we work with other community foundations, for example how we can give to Western Australia or NSW, is part of the next three years.”

She said the Foundation will be looking at furthering its consultation with ANDI (Australian National Development Index), and working on a bequest strategy and other strategies to “give in areas that are in most need” and to find new donors and keep them interested.

The Australian Communities Foundation (formerly the Melbourne Community Foundation) has more than $45 million under management.

Chapman’s first outing with Dr Duncan will be at the three-day Australian Community Foundation National Forum next week in South Australia.

Jonathan Chapman will be welcomed and Clare Brooks will be farewelled by Australian Communities Foundation on September 23.