Loredana Fyffe:
Sydney Women’s Fund was founded in 2008 by two visionary women, Wendy McCarthy AC and Lucy Brogden AM,  who believed that women in Sydney, no matter their postcode or past, deserve safety, dignity and opportunity.

They understood that philanthropy could be a force for systemic change, not just a Band-Aid.

As Lucy once said: “Sydney isn’t just one city, it’s many. For every family living in comfort, there’s another struggling to access healthcare, safe housing or a support network.”

They built this Fund on that insight - that inequality is often hidden, but it’s real. And they wanted to change that. Not with pity, but with power.

Their vision was simple but bold: create a fund where women could back other women, where communities could lead their own change, and where philanthropy could be deeply local, grounded, and impactful.

I’ve worked with the Foundation in various ways for over a decade and stepped into the CEO role in 2022. What I saw then – and see even more clearly now – is a fund that not only responds to need but helps redefine how philanthropy can work in this country. Sydney Women’s Fund is not just a fund – it’s a movement and it’s open to all.

Loredana Fyffe:
One of the most powerful tools we have is our Portrait of Women in Greater Sydney research - a longitudinal study which has been running for over 10 years. It’s one of the few ongoing projects of its kind in Australia, surveying over 1,000 women from all walks of life, across all parts of Greater Sydney.

This research is critical. It surfaces the lived experience of women -  the daily pressures, the structural barriers, and also their resilience. In our most recent survey, over 50% of women described themselves as struggling or poor. That’s a confronting figure in a city like Sydney.

We also heard clearly that many women feel financially at risk if their relationship ends, and that food insecurity and cost of living are becoming drivers of family breakdown and domestic violence.

The Portrait is a roadmap. It guides our own funding, and it gives donors the insights they need to give well. Because disadvantage in Sydney is often hidden - and this research helps reveal it.

Loredana Fyffe:


We believe philanthropy works best when it’s collective. At Sydney Women’s Fund, people from all backgrounds and giving capacities come together to pool their resources and create impact. It’s a true community of givers.

Some donors give $50. Others give $1 million. Some create Sub Funds, others join matched campaigns or workplace giving efforts. Many people are now coming to us with questions about bequests. They’re looking for somewhere their giving can live on – where it will be well stewarded, aligned with their values, and where their family won’t be burdened with administrative complexity. We offer all of that.

The beauty of collective giving is that it multiplies impact. One of the best examples is our 2024 Domestic and Sexual Violence Appeal. We started with $150,000 in matched funds from The Wilson Foundation and raised over $765,000 in just six weeks – and 40% of those donors were giving to us for the first time.

That’s the power of pooling resources: we’re not giving to just one organisation. We’re funding multiple frontline charities tackling the issue from every angle - accommodation, trauma recovery, youth education, legal advocacy. That’s where real change happens.

Loredana Fyffe:
Since 2008, Sydney Women’s Fund has distributed more than $20 million to impactful charities across Greater Sydney. Many of these organisations are led by women with lived experience – and often operating below the radar of traditional funding.

In the last year alone, we funded over 25 programs, directly supporting more than 12,000 women and their families. Our support covers everything from trauma recovery and mental health to financial literacy, employment pathways, respectful relationships education, and legal advocacy.

We also continue to deepen our place-based work in Western Sydney. Our Doorways to the Future program is co-designed with local leaders and backed by multi-year support from major Foundations, the Judith Neilson Foundation and the Snow Foundation. It’s long-term work, because that’s what systemic change requires

Loredana Fyffe:
There are a few big ones.

First – that self-determination matters. When you back the community and grassroots leaders and let them lead, the results are transformative. We don’t design programs and impose them, we fund people who already have the answers.

Second – women want to back other women. That might sound obvious, but it’s incredibly powerful. We see this in the generosity of our network: women who’ve had opportunities turning around and investing in others. Not out of guilt, but out of solidarity. It’s not about charity. It’s about justice.

Third – trust is paramount. Our expertise and local insight give donors confidence that every dollar is well-placed and well-used.

Loredana Fyffe:


I want to see a future where every woman in Sydney is safe, supported and seen – and where every donor who wants to create change knows exactly where and how to do that.

For that, we need scale and stability. My goal is to build a $60 million Permanent Fund through Sydney Community Foundation, with at least $30 million supporting the Sydney Women’s Fund. This would be patient capital, not affected by changes in government or short-term funding windows, but invested for long-term impact.

We’d use that Fund to continue backing women’s safety, financial independence, community belonging, education, and leadership – for decades to come. Because the truth is, systemic change takes time. And women and families deserve that investment.

I’d also love to see giving culture shift more broadly in Australia. Giving isn’t just for the ultra-wealthy. It’s for all of us. And when people give – especially when they give together – the impact is exponential.

As our Co-Founder Wendy McCarthy AC puts it: “Your donation, big or small, will change the life of a girl or woman who will go on to change the lives of their family, their community – and in many cases become leaders that build a better city for all Sydneysiders.”