Displaying an unwavering commitment to economic reconciliation for First Nations people, the First Nations Foundation (FNF) is a deserving winner of the Community Hero Award in this year’s Smart50 Awards.
The organisation admits First Nations people and financial education are rarely considered in conjunction with one another. However, it firmly believes empowering First Nations communities with the resources and information they need to achieve economic wellbeing is not only a rewarding opportunity for these communities, but for Australia at large.
FNF enables such empowerment through access to culturally relevant resources and information, such as the organisation’s flagship program, My Money Dream, which has reached more than 3,000 individuals both online and face-to-face. What’s more, its world-class outreach programs have helped reconnect First Nations people with more than $26 million in superannuation, returning control to Indigenous communities.
To date, the FNF team – alongside representatives from the financial services industry, non-government organisations and government agencies – has travelled to 25 communities across Australia and assisted thousands of individuals with their financial needs. The Foundation is also dedicated to driving systemic change within the financial services sector, hosting the first Indigenous-led First Nations Super Summit earlier this year.
All of these steps are in the cause of giving First Nations communities a fighting chance at a life of equality, whether it is supporting the individual managing family finances; guiding those pursuing higher-paying jobs or starting businesses but stumbling due to a lack of financial education or mentorship; or assisting those living in high levels of financial stress and mostly unable to access emergency funds.
“Transitioning from a life of hardship to one of prosperity is nearly impossible without financial literacy,” says FNF’s Cassandra Baldini.
“Our mission is to harness the resilience and self-determination that Indigenous communities have fostered for over 65,000 years, leaving behind the scarcity mindset to ensure an abundant economic future for First Nations people.”
The First Nations Foundation was ranked 26th on the 2024 Smart50 list.
Smart50 is SmartCompany’s suite of award programs for Australian small to medium size businesses. The Smart50 Awards 2024 recognised the top 50 fastest growing companies in its Smart50 list, and celebrated exceptional achievements in community, innovation and more in the Smart50 category awards.
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