Annamila First Nations Foundation supports First Nations led initiatives by gifting and bringing people together.
About us
Our vision is for a people at home with their identity and place.
Our purpose is to promote and support the sovereignty of Australia’s First Peoples so that Australia can free itself of discrimination of all kinds, especially the harmful ongoing effects of its colonial heritage.
Our History
Annamila First Nations Foundation founder, Julie Kantor AO commenced her philanthropic activities more than 26 years ago.
Her first giving was in her own name and made anonymously to organisations.
As Julie‘s philanthropic interests expanded, she decided to give under the name of Annamila – a name that recognises the importance of her parents, Anne and Milan Kantor.
In the early years of Annamila, Julie was drawn more and more to supporting the First Nations Peoples of Australia.
In 2013, Julie asked a long-standing friend and colleague, Ian Roberts to chair Annamila.
While on a trip to Yuendumu in the Northern Territory to inspect a swimming pool that the Kantor family contributed in the memory of son and brother Tom who was greatly loved by the people of Yuendumu. Julie and Ian decided that Annamila should concentrate support for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples. They also made the crucial decision that the governance of Annamila should be conducted by a new board that comprised 50% women and 50% First Nations directors.
A new strategic plan was developed with the new directors and an expanded range of funding initiatives were implemented.
Following a review of its activities after three years, it was decided that the Board should progress to majority Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander representation.
With this significant development the Annamila First Nations Foundation came into existence in 2020.
Our people
Always Ambassador Award
Djapirri Mununggirritj 2023
Prof. Greggory Philips 2023
Services
The Annamila First Nations Foundation provides charitable services by Contributing, Convening and Influencing.
• By Contributing we mean gifting financial support and wherever possible relational support to individuals and organisations.
• By Convening we mean that our founder, board and staff use our collective strength to bring energy and focus to the challenges and opportunities that we feel strongly about. This will most often take the form of hosting/co-hosting safe spaces for robust and action-driven awareness and collaboration.
• By Influencing we mean informing and or impacting policy and decision makers in relation to Annamila themes, values, knowledges & ways of working. We see our strength is the ability to be timely & agile if required.
Our three program streams are
Country And Culture
Projects in this stream must have as their main outcome a sustainable benefit related to caring for Country, supporting cultural practice, renewal or cultural education and development of First Peoples art forms.
Healing And Wellbeing
Projects in this stream must have as their main outcome/focus in First Peoples personal and/or collective healing and wellbeing. Projects in this area must also be potentially able to be scalable and/or of national significance.
Truth And Justice
Projects in this priority area must have as their main outcome systems level impact on nationally significant matters. Projects must also have a scale that reaches beyond any one community or group imperative.
Seeking Support
Expressions can be made under our program streams.
Commonly once off individual grants are in the range of $5 to $30 thousand. Multiyear allocations of significant amounts are not being currently considered.
COUNTRY AND CULTURE
HEALING AND WELLBEING
TRUTH AND JUSTICE
Our thematic priority for 2024/25 is ‘tackling incarceration’ as well as strategic dialogue between First Nations People on ‘Makarrata, Voice, Treaty and Truth.’
Partners
Friends and Colleagues
Coming soon
FAQ
Coming SoonNews
Christmas Message from the Annamila First Nations FoundationDear Friends and Family,
On behalf of all of us at Annamila we would like to send our love and best wishes to you in this beautiful summer season of family and sharing, of love and loved ones, swims in the waters of our beautiful countries – salt and freshwater, the cleansing rains that teach us to be humble and grateful to the creator and ancestors.
As the holiday season approaches, we at Annamila find ourselves reflecting on a year of growth, transformation, and progress. This time of year, is a moment to pause, celebrate our milestones, and express our gratitude to all who have supported our mission of empowering First Nations communities.
2024 has been full of uncertainty and some disturbing changes in the political landscape globally and locally. A year after the referendum we are seeing the rolling back of progress in treaty and truth telling in Queensland, law changes that will affect our young people and incarceration in Northern Territory and a general sense of “where next?”.
But we are also seeing strong signs of growth with the Yoorrook Justice Commission in Victoria and the state-based Voice in South Australia. At Garma this year the theme was about the growth after a fire, focussing on the green shoots that grow from the charcoal and ash. We also supported a gathering in Melbourne organised by a small cohort of respected Aboriginal women to gather and reflect on the way forward on the anniversary of referendum of First Nations women from across Victoria. At the beginning of the year, Annamila sent letters of thanks to the key leaders of the Yes Campaign celebrating their work and supporting them through this trying time. There always needs to be green shoots.
Celebrating MilestonesThis year, we marked a significant transition with Greg Phillips, of the Waanyi and Jaru peoples stepping off the board after many years of service, to focus on growing his business Abstarr Consulting and his continued work with Ebony Institute. Stepping down in early 2024, we recognised Greg’s vision and dedication have been foundational to our success. His tireless work has helped lay the groundwork for the initiatives and structures we are now building upon. We wish Greg all the best and extend our deepest gratitude for his leadership and commitment, which have left an enduring legacy for the organisation and our hearts.
In stepping into this next phase, we are thrilled to announce this year the appointment of our inaugural CEO, Jade Colgan a proud Barkindji woman. Jade brings a wealth of experience, passion, and strategic vision to guide us forward. Her leadership marks the beginning of a transformative chapter for Annamila, as we restructure and refine our focus to better serve the communities we represent.Our 2024 Annamila Ambassador was announced with Jason Glanville joining our 2023 Ambassadors Greg Phillips and Djappirri Mununggirritj. This program is about recognising the work of First Nations people who are powerfully contributing to promoting our communities’ strengths and authority. Congratulations to Jason.
Looking Ahead: A Future of Growth and Impact2024 saw the development of the Annamila website with a commitment to strong public facing communications. Though we believe in primarily promoting the work of our partners, the time has come to strengthen our presence. Check us out at www.annamila.com
In April at our strategic planning weekend, we decided to refine the way we operate and our themes and thematics. Annamila has realigned our offerings providing charitable services through three core pillars: Contributing, Convening, and Influencing.
- By Contributing,we gift financial and relational support to individuals and organizations, ensuring that resources reach those who can bring about meaningful change.
- By Convening,we leverage the collective strength of our founder, board, and staff to focus energy on challenges and opportunities. This often takes the form of hosting or co-hosting safe, action-driven spaces for collaboration and awareness.
- By Influencing,we seek to inform and impact policy and decision-makers, using our knowledge, values, and ways of working to ensure timely and agile responses to key issues.
Our efforts are structured around three program streams reflecting our thematic priorities and our commitment to truth-telling and its transformative power.
- Country and Culture – this year we focused on truth-telling in historical and contemporary contexts
- Healing and Wellbeing – this year we prioritized initiatives where truth-telling leads to healing outcomes.
- Truth and Justice – this year we emphasised addressing incarceration and facilitating strategic dialogues on national imperatives.
We still take applications year-round, but we now have three assessment periods - February, June, and October.
We are currently supporting Ebony Institute, Culture is Life, Ilbijerri, and recently supported Na Djinang Circus, Agency and Kimberley Aboriginal Women’s Council.
As we move forward, Annamila First Nations Foundation remains dedicated to contributing, convening, and influencing in ways that honour our mission and amplify the voices of First Nations peoples. Through these efforts, we aim to create a future defined by justice, healing, and cultural renewal. Influencing through private and public advocacy has seen us receive briefings on youth incarceration, advise and assist Na Djinang Circus, attend Garma to contribute to the talk’s programs and forums. We also participated in the Reconciliation Australia Conference and Gala, allowing us to give to and learn from national conversations.
A Season of GratitudeAs we prepare for the year ahead, we are grateful to you all, who have walked this track with us. Your support, encouragement, and trust have been instrumental in our success and remain our greatest source of inspiration. This Christmas, we celebrate not just the progress we have made, but the potential that lies ahead.
We look forward to walking with you as we work toward a future where First Nations communities truly thrive and flourish.
From all of us at the Annamila First Nations Foundation, we wish you a joyful Christmas filled with love, peace, and hope, and a New Year of opportunity and achievement.
With love and respect,
Jade Colgan, Belinda Duarte, Wesley Enoch, Aunty Doseena Fergie, Julie Kantor, Ian Roberts, Annamila First Nations Foundation