How we work

Acknowledgement of Country

Our offices are based on unceded Wurundjeri and Dja Dja Wurrung Country. We pay our respects to the past and present elders of the five tribes of the Eastern Kulin Nation.

As a white, new migrant-founded organisation, we still benefit from this largely uncompensated and unreconciled dispossession. Our acknowledgement comes with a commitment to action.

This means actively seeking to decolonise the systems we operate in. It means taking practical steps to overcome systems which reinforce racism, oppression and subjugation - through the work we do, the relationships we hold and the benefits that we pass on.

We will always seek to listen, learn from, and honour the enduring cultural heritage and truth telling of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders.

We extend this to the First Nations communities internationally, on whose lands we may work.

Our Approach

Our work is values-led and evidence-based. We are:

Intersectional

We apply an intersectional practice lens to our work, to understand how systems of power create barriers to equity. We know colonialism and traditional patriarchal systems reinforce conditions of oppression, discrimination and marginalisation for people with multiple intersecting identities including race, ethnicity, gender, sexuality and disability. So we actively seek to identify and overcome these in our own practice, with our clients and through the type of work we prioritise.

Influencer focused

People create change. We identify and specifically targeted approaches to engage the key influencers and decision makers. We apply audience identification and segmentation approaches to understand power dynamics in change-making and then use targeted messaging and tactics to appropriately engage them.

Pragmatic

Drawing on robust evidence, we always deliver practical, useful work. We balance ambitious goal setting with achievable, incremental steps forward, whilst advising on ways to strengthen practice over time.

Learning oriented

We want to help you learn and grow. We encourage monitoring and learning to be embedded in all work. We will always provide a pro-bono recommendations report upon project completion, to capture the lessons learnt and opportunities for improvement that may not have been raised directly in the delivery of the work.

Collaborative

Social change requires partnership. We will bring the right people together to solve your unique challenges. We will ensure community stakeholders are heard and represented. We are proud that most of our work is from repeat clients and word-of-mouth referrals – and we want to build lasting relationships with our clients to ensure efficiency and effectiveness.

Open

We give and welcome honest feedback. We are transparent about who we are, what we do and how we work. We are always open to changing our practice and behaviour based on the advice and feedback from others.