The James N Kirby Foundation is a private ancillary fund established by the late Sir James Kirby with an initial investment of $2 million in 1967, a time when major philanthropic initiatives by businessmen in Australia were extremely rare. Since its inception, the family has continued to contribute funds and to date has donated nearly $30 million across a broad charitable spectrum, and is committed to distributing approximately $1m in grants each year.
In establishing the Foundation, Sir James’ goal was to advance Australia’s technical and managerial fields with the aim of exporting that talent overseas. He hoped “It will assist young Australians to reach top international standards in business and management. Naturally I am going to lean towards technical education grants because I have always been involved in secondary industry.”
Sir James also wanted to improve Australia’s communal and national interests, therefore it is the Foundation’s goal to ensure our support makes a significant impact on both small and large Australian charitable organisations.
As the Foundation enters its fifth decade, the third generation of Kirbys are proudly embracing Sir James’ philanthropic philosophies. Together with the board we oversee a breadth of grants that impact not only towards the future educational and technical development of young Australians, but also on the health and welfare of many Australians in need as well as The Arts and The Environment.
Thank you for visiting our website. If you would like further information with regards to our Foundation, please contact Mel Rankine on (02) 9212 2711.