Building a permanent fund to support the Yarra Valley community
The Yarra Valley Community Foundation will bring together large and small donations from individuals, businesses, government, philanthropic trusts and partner organisations to create a permanent community fund. Private bequests, or gifts from a will can also be made into the fund. This fund is then carefully managed so it can provide ongoing financial support for local projects and initiatives — not just now, but for generations to come.
Rather than spending all donations at once, the Foundation invests the funds responsibly. The income generated is then distributed as grants to support projects that strengthen our community, year after year.
The Foundation is grounded in the local community. We work closely with advisory groups made up of local people to help identify priorities, emerging needs, and opportunities across the valley.
Our Foundational Pillars
Community Leadership & Capacity Building
How will funding work?
Grant decisions will be informed by community consultation, local advisory groups, and clear assessment criteria. This helps ensure funding goes where it will have the greatest benefit, and that decisions reflect lived experience and local knowledge.
Our aim is to create long-term, positive change across the social, environmental, cultural, and economic wellbeing of the Yarra Valley.
Initially we will be seeking to fully understand charitable needs in the areas of Education, Housing, Environment, Health, Social Justice, and Culture.
We are committed to being open and accountable. Our decisions, finances, and outcomes will be clearly reported so the community can see how funds are used and the difference they are making. We strive for fair and inclusive outcomes, supporting a wide range of community needs — today and into the future.
Why a Permanent Fund Matters
By building a permanent community fund, we are creating a shared resource that will continue to support the Yarra Valley community long after individual projects or funding programs end.
Healesville needs more housing
Housing is a big challenge in the Yarra Valley, particularly for residents seeking smaller, low maintenance housing.
We have many older residents who would love to downsize from their 3-4 bedroom family homes, into smaller, more accessible homes.
The Yarra Valley has an acute housing shortage, with rental vacancy rates at 0.3%
89.7% of homes are larger, separate dwellings, compared with a state average of 73.4%
Older residents want to downsize, but just 14% of housing out here is two bedroom or smaller
Median house prices are $825,000 - 8.2x the average household income (6x is the recognised as the “unaffordability threshold")
Turn an unused block in Healesville into 20+ one and two bedroom apartments that are sustainable, accessible and affordable for single people, or older residents to downsize into.
Located near the Aldi complex, 58 River St is an unused community asset owned by Yarra Ranges Council. It’s zoned as Recreational Parkland but it has not been used for that purpose, or any purpose, in the past 12 years.
The Main St location is highly accessible by foot, even for those with limited mobility. The Community Foundation could also ensure accessible community gathering spaces were provisioned in the development to support local NFPs, and promote connection opportunities for residents.
Our plan is to partner with Council and the Victorian Government to enable affordable, sustainable, medium density housing to be built on the site. We need your help to demonstrate that the community is behind us.
Our solution
1. Transfer
Yarra Ranges Council transfer ownership of the land to Yarra Valley Community Foundation
2. Rezone
The Victorian Government fast-tracks rezoning so residential housing can be built
3. Defer Rates
Yarra Ranges Council defers rates on the site while the land is used for community benefit
Community Consultations
Our Community Foundation is built on one core principle - the community leads the way.
The Foundation aims to build a significant investment fund over the next 5 years which will direct proportions of earnings directly back into the Yarra Valley to support the community.
The goal of the organisation is to create an entity for the community, by the community. We want to understand what regular people who live in the Yarra Valley would like to see in their community; What is already here that needs to be protected? What should we work towards building so that the local people and businesses here can thrive?
We're looking for people from all walks of life to contribute to painting the future of the Yarra Valley community; 9-5 workers, tradies, young parents, older people, single people, recent arrivals to the community.
Our story
The Foundation was established in 2025 as a vehicle to strengthen the wellbeing of our local community. Our purpose is simple: to harness local generosity and transform it into longterm, locally governed impact.
We will be guided by the people who live in the place, understand its rhythms and hold its stories. We are not bound by election cycles or external agendas, instead we are accountable only to the community itself.
. Badger Creek. Healesville. Gruyere. Castella. Coldstream. Dixons Creek. Mount Toolebewong. Steels Creek. Tarrawarra. Toolangi. Yarra Glen. Chum Creek
. Badger Creek. Healesville. Gruyere. Castella. Coldstream. Dixons Creek. Mount Toolebewong. Steels Creek. Tarrawarra. Toolangi. Yarra Glen. Chum Creek
Where We Operate
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