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 program streams are
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Country And Culture
Healing And Wellbeing
Truth And Justice

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

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From bottom Left to Right: Founding Director Julie Kantor AO, Secretary Ian Roberts, Co-Chair Belinda Duarte AM, CEO Jade Colgan, Co-Chair Prof. Wesley Enoch AM and Director Aunt Prof. Doseena Fergie OAM

Founder - Julie Kantor AO

Julie is a non-Indigenous woman with a background in philanthropy and arts and cultural organisations

Board Member - Aunt Prof Doseena Fergie OAM

Aunt Doseena is a Wuthathi, Mabiauag Island and Ambonese woman with a background in . education, nursing and health.

Co-Chair - Belinda Duarte AM

Belinda is Wotjobaluk and Dja Dja Wurrung woman with Polish and Celtic heritage with a background in elite sport, social equity and First Nations led solutions.

Co-Chair - Prof. Wesley Enoch AM

Wesley is a Quandamooka man, background in theatre, writing and directing.

CEO - Jade Colgan

Jade is a Barkindji woman, with a background in senior management, First Nations led solutions, strategy and community engagement.

Deputy Chair Company Secretary - Ian Roberts

Ian is a non Indigenous man with a background in writing, theatre, arts administration and philanthropy

Camp Dogs - Harry (RIP) & Walu

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From bottom Left to Right: Director Dr Doseena Fergie OAM, Founding Director Julie Kantor AO, Secretary Ian Roberts, Director Prof. Gregory Phillips, Co-Chair Prof. Wesley Enoch AM and Co-Chair Belinda Duarte AM
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From bottom Left to Right: Founding Director Julie Kantor AO, Secretary Ian Roberts, Co-Chair Belinda Duarte AM, CEO Jade Colgan, Co-Chair Prof. Wesley Enoch AM and Director Aunt Prof. Doseena Fergie OAM

Always Ambassador Award

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Annamila First Nations Foundation recognise you as a powerful Ambassador for the sovereignty of Australia’s First People. Your hard work and dedication have not gone unnoticed, and we recognise you as a vigorous advocate for First Nations expertise, leadership, and knowledge, genuinely upholding First Nations’ principles of self-determination and terms of reference. We recognise your tireless support of your community and the nation so that Australia can free itself from discrimination, especially the harmful effects of its colonial heritage.

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. 

There is a priority preference for funding only Aboriginal and or Torres Strait Islander led organisations and projects. 
 
We assess applications in February, June and October of each year. 

COUNTRY AND CULTURE

Our thematic priority for 2024/25 is projects or initiatives targeting truth telling, in an historic or contemporary context.

HEALING AND WELLBEING

Our thematic priority for 2024/25 are projects or initiatives where truth telling leads to 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.’

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Partners

We partner with First Nations owned or led projects and organisations:

Friends and Colleagues

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