One year on - strategy in practice

One year ago, almost to the week, we launched our new strategy at PRF. We committed to taking a different approach to working for an Australia where people and places have what they need to thrive.

We talked about the systems approach and how PRF would use its resources to invest, build, and influence by combining levers for change:

• recognising the context of where people and places exist,
• understanding the life course, and
• paying close attention to intersecting root causes and factors that can affect people.

The past twelve months have been marked by many intentional moves, some courageous decisions, and continuous adaptation, all aimed at improving how PRF can positively influence social change for people and places. We have gathered some tangible examples of how our granting has changed and have learned a lot.

Below, I share some of these changes and key learnings so far.  

Perhaps one of the most common questions I’m asked, is ‘How does PRF’s strategy play out in terms of what you fund?’.  By moving to a more dedicated systems approach, how we fund has gone through some significant shifts. Our approach has three interacting components:

In the past twelve months, we have (so far) developed ten cross-functional ‘packages’ of grants aligned to four intersecting outcome areas:

Outcome 1: Children and young people have positive life paths free from entrenched poverty and harm.

• Family stability – to strengthen family cohesion and reduce the effects of family and domestic violence.
• Reinvesting in young people – to address the criminalisation of disadvantage experienced by young people.
• Economic dignity – building on our work to support pathways to employment and enabling opportunities and conditions for people to participate fully in economic, social and civil life.

Outcome 2: First Nations peoples and communities are self-determining.

• First Nations economic development – to empower and strengthen self-determined economic growth and opportunities within First Nations communities.
• Strengthened in culture – elevating First Nations voice, leadership, and agency in Australian education.

Outcome 3: Places and communities are connected, and imagining and leading their own futures.

• Shifting conditions for children in place – supporting the Investment Dialogue for Australia’s Children. ‍
• Place – supporting a range of community-led, place-based initiatives.
• Supporting community-led initiatives in Mt Druitt that address priority systemic issues.

Outcome 4: Conditions support thriving, and capacity and capability is enhanced across the for-purpose sector.

• Democratising data and AI – empowering decision makers and communities by enabling access and capacity to use their data.
• Capability for systems change – to develop leadership capacity and capability in the for-purpose sector.

Let me flesh out the First Nations Economic Development package example.

This package is so far made up of eight grants and an impact investment. They cover many levers, different parts of the system, sectors and regions across Australia.  Each initiative is community-led and First Nations-designed, addressing diverse levers such as caring for community and Country, maintaining cultural custodianship, supporting on-Country workforce development, clean energy, embedding cultural intellectual property, and building sustainable income streams for First Nations communities. These efforts are underpinned by an intentional emphasis on elevating First Nations conceptions of economy, value, lore, and wealth distribution, while supporting infrastructure and intermediaries that enable long-term prosperity.

At its core, the package is guided by a theory of change that believes when we invest in and strengthen First Nations-led economies—particularly in regional and remote areas—we create opportunities for positive economic cycles that benefit both community and Country. This approach not only honours and maintains cultural custodianship but also champions the diverse values, strengths, and aspirations held within communities.

Funding packages aligned to intersecting outcomes is not straightforward. We have learned many lessons along the way. Here are five:

1. Clarity and communication are key. Initially, we faced challenges in formally communicating our priorities without tangible examples. As we progressed, we heard the need for clearer, more consistent communication about how our strategy translates into funding priorities and decisions. This clarity is important in building trust and understanding between us, our partners and other stakeholders.
2. Deepening relationships is a priority. Over the past year, we have continued to deepen our relationships beyond funding and grant transactions. We prioritised partner and community visits, time building relationships and working with others – especially peers and government. This has helped us listen and respond to community needs and community-driven solutions, increase co-investment, strengthen our partnerships, and contribute to positive changes with others. We have more work to do further connect across sectors.
3. Adaptive leadership helps navigate loss, conservation and growth. We invested in leadership development at various levels within our organisation, fostering regular leadership reflection and adaptive leadership skills. This has been important in dealing with the complexities of systems change work. This is ongoing.
4. Difficult decisions take courage. One difficult decision we made was to temporarily freeze the grant pipeline and say ‘no’ to many funding requests that were not aligned to our new strategic priorities. This experience underscored the importance of paying attention to the balance board of leadership, and emphasised the need to support staff to know when and how to communicate early and clearly.
5. Continuous improvement matters. Over the past year, we have made significant progress in improving our understanding of the landscape, leveraging additional funding, and refining our systems and processes. We remain committed to continuous reflection, regular course corrections, and accountability.

The past year has been adaptive, and while challenging in ways we predicted and some we did not, it has been filled with progress, valuable lessons and insights. Our strategy has guided our actions and shaped our organisational culture and capabilities. As we move forward, we remain committed to learning, adapting, and evolving to achieve meaningful impact with and through others.

Thanks for being on this journey with us.

Kristy Muir, CEO