I was recently invited to speak about the Foundation's long-standing relationship with Hello Sunday Morning (HSM) at its 15th Anniversary celebration, hosted by Her Excellency the Governor-General, Sam Mostyn, at Admiralty House. The Ian Potter Foundation has been a key supporter of HSM since 2012, providing critical investment in Hello Sunday Morning's organisational capacity and sustainability.

As the Foundation's support for HSM pre-dates my time as CEO, I had to dig into the files to conduct some research on this long-standing partnership. The Foundation first invested in Hello Sunday Morning in 2012, just two years after its establishment, when it sought a modest amount to support its bold ambition to change the world's relationship with alcohol, ‘one Sunday at a time’. 

What struck me was how the relationship has developed in line with HSM's ambitions – initially, a small grant to pilot activations at Australian universities, followed by a larger investment to innovate through the development of the Daybreak app, which aimed to reach Australians who needed support to reduce their drinking but weren't accessing traditional services. Then, a more substantial funding commitment over five years ($2.5 million) to support HSM to build its capacity, strengthen its leadership, and embed quality and safety into its services.

The Ian Potter Foundation is proud to have been on this journey with Hello Sunday Morning, backing its growth, innovation, and focus on prevention to help those seeking to change their relationship with alcohol. Congratulations to the leaders of Hello Sunday Morning on achieving this milestone.

This year, we have seen several changes to our Board, and this month, we welcome Ms Alison Watkins AM, an experienced chief executive officer and non-executive director, currently serving as a non-executive member of the Reserve Bank of Australia, CSL Ltd and Wesfarmers Ltd. She is also the Chancellor of the University of Tasmania. We are delighted to welcome Alison and look forward to her fresh perspectives on the Foundation’s grantmaking.

At the same time, we bid farewell to Mr Leon Davis AO, who served on the Board of Governors for 18 years. Leon believed that supporting outstanding leaders was critical and was always keen to visit many of the organisations we have supported to learn from those on the ground. We thank him for his commitment and dedication to the Foundation over his many years of service.

Lastly, on behalf of the Board and our team, I acknowledge the passing of Mr Neil (Nobby) Clark AO, who served on the Foundation's Board from 1994 to 2007.

As we close out another busy year, I wish all our colleagues in the philanthropic and not-for-profit sector a safe and restful holiday season. We look forward to working with you all in the new year.