Partnerships and Philanthropy

Partnering and co-investing with us

Our investment, advocacy and strategic development work builds sector capability and our capacity to connect Australians through creativity.  

Our co-investment model supports the extension of these outcomes, through the leverage of Government and private sector investments, including to amplify the impact of arts and cultural practice and participation.  

Partnerships are crucial to our shared commitment to the public value and impact of Australian arts and culture. We cannot do this work alone, and we welcome the opportunity to develop strategic partnerships that extend the impact and reach of our programs. 

We are activating partnerships across government, with industries, and with individuals and families, to maximise the benefits that arts and cultural participation offers our communities. We are open to new investment models and partnerships with commercial outcomes where artists, arts organisations and audiences are the beneficiaries.  

Attracting private investment since the early 1980s, we have a long and impactful history of extending the outputs of public funds with private investment. A recent example is the capital funds raised to build a new Australia Pavilion in Venice (2015) that will enable Australian contemporary visual arts and architecture and design creatives, and their supporters, to engage in global conversations for generations to come.  

Private investments (also known as co-investments) include philanthropic gifts from individuals, families, trusts and foundations, and from corporations who are driven by impact. Increasingly, partnerships are aligning around values-based objectives, and a shared desire to make a positive contribution to society.  

We recognise that private investments play a critical role in today’s fundraising environment, as the ambitions and potential of Australian artists and arts organisations take us into new areas of excellence, scale and innovation.  

Our partnerships model, ‘Partnerships with Purpose’, reflects this new orientation around values-led ambition. Each co-investment relationship is assessed on a case-by-case basis with the following guiding principles:  

• identified alignments of values and principles
• collaborative and ethical activity; and
• if applicable, consideration of the views and perspectives of collaborating artists and other third parties 

First Nations ethical, best practice and moral considerations will be applied in accordance with our protocols for using First Nations cultural and intellectual property in the arts. 

Private investments will not be knowingly accepted under the following guiding principles:  

• where a strongly adverse and broad-based community consensus exists related to areas of businesses or corporations (or individuals who are their principal owners or former owners)  
• if the private investment is offered in a form that it will incur a substantial expense or difficulty, or compromises our operational priorities or those of the project; and
• where an acceptance might create a legal risk (including but not limited to) to its DGR status, bring us into disrepute or limit our capacity to carry out our functions. 

Download the Partnerships with Purpose model here.

Opportunities offered in conjunction with our co-investment partners

Below are some of the examples of our important co-investment relationships creating inspirational opportunities for artists, organisations and audiences: