Fundraising Priorities

LFA has set three strategic priorities in its 2023-2027 Strategic Plan to focus its fundraising efforts, these include:

Investing in Knowledge

Funding research and education to build capacity and skills.

Enabling Commuities

Working with community groups to achieve local impact.

Valuing Nature

Influencing policy to reflect the true value of natural assets.

Investing in Knowledge – research, education and capacity building

The LFA is committed to funding research and education programs that build the capacity of communities and professionals who create and care for natural environments in Australia’s urban landscapes.

The programs under this strategic priority include:

  • An annual award to an early- to mid-career professional in a landscape-related field, providing $10,000 to research an area of knowledge of personal interest that also aligns with the purpose of LFA.

    Over the next three years, LFA’s goal is to award one to three Fellowships per year depending on available funding. Sponsors of the LFA Fellowship will be acknowledged on the LFA website and in all communications relating to the Fellowship Program.

  • The Foundation will initiate an annual scholarship program for students in fields of study related to urban landscapes, commencing in 2024/2025.

  • This collaboration with the US-based Landscape Architecture Foundation (LAF) will commence in April 2023. The LPCS Program will adapt the LAF’s highly successful, long-running Case Study Investigation program which has to date assessed eight Australian projects.

    LPCS sponsors and supporters will be acknowledged on the LFA website and in all communications relating to this program which will have global exposure through the collaboration with LAF.

  • As it grows, the LFA will expand its Investing in Knowledge programs by funding individuals and teams to undertake research or education-focused projects that generate new knowledge to inform policy and decision making, aligning with the purpose of LFA.

Enabling communities – achieving local impact

LFA assists communities by supporting projects they have identified and show commitment to implement. Through our network of supporters, LFA will assist local organisations to plan and formulate projects, such as restoring and sustainably managing the natural environments and landscapes in their local areas.

LFA has community-based projects underway including:

  • Collaborating with ZNET Uralla on the ‘Keeping Uralla Summers Cool’ project identifying measures to increase health and liveability;

  • Assisting Uralla Shire Council and ZNET Uralla to develop a grant application to the NSW Environmental Trust (since secured) to restore New England Woodland at the Racecourse Lagoon Reserve; and

  • Collaborating with Planting Seeds, a not-for-profit organisation facilitating the establishment of pollinator gardens at schools through their multi-state “B&B Highway” project.

Valuing Nature –influencing policy and practice.

Environmental degradation is an indicator of the failure of our economic system to recognise the full value of the benefits provided by nature. To tackle this issue, LFA supports research and the development of tools, standards, guidelines, training and case studies to facilitate natural asset management.

Contributions to the Valuing Nature strategic priority will enable LFA to help local governments to develop policies and practices to identify, measure, value and sustainably manage their natural assets within their asset management system.