Minderoo Foundation
Australian charity organisation
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Minderoo Foundation is an Australian charity organisation founded by Andrew and Nicola Forrest.
| |
| Formation | 2001 |
|---|---|
| Founder | |
| Headquarters | Perth, Western Australia, Australia |
Board chair | Allan Myers |
CEO | John Hartman |
| Website | minderoo |
History
In 2001, Andrew and Nicola Forrest established The Australian Childrenâs Trust which evolved into the Minderoo Foundation.[1]
In 2017, the Forrests donated $400 million to the Minderoo Foundation followed by another $520 million in 2020.[2] In 2023, they donated $5 billion worth of Fortescue shares to the foundation, the largest single charitable donation in Australian history.[3]
In October 2021, the foundation launched Minderoo Pictures, a company with "a mission to develop, produce and assist in the release of screen projects that inspire change".[4]
In October 2022, chief executive Andrew Hagger left the foundation and John Hartman, who had been the foundation's chief investment officer, took on the role.[5] Under Hartman, Minderoo adjusted its strategy to work on fewer issues, have an Australia-first approach and a stronger focus on working with other organisations.[6] A restructure of the foundation in April 2024 led to the axing of about 100 jobs and the consolidation of several international offices.[7] In October 2024, the Forrests stepped down as co-chairs of the Minderoo Foundation but retained their board seats.[8] Allan Myers, who had been on the board since 2014, took over as chairperson.[9]
In October 2024, the Minderoo Foundation donated $30 million to the Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts (WAAPA).[10] The school's Minderoo Centre for Performance Excellence at ECU City was subsequently named after the foundation.[11] In December 2024, the foundation invested $100 million to seed Future Generation Women, a new women-focused fund by Future Generation.[12] In July 2025, the Minderoo Foundation donated $3.3 million to Regional Arts WA and 20 organisations within the Regional Arts Network.[13]