Credit: Louise Beaumont via Getty Images.

Communities

Four ways early intervention can change the lives of children and families

Learn more
Nicola Forrest, wearing a denim jacket, sits in a play boat at a day care centre, accompanied by three young First Nations girls. One sits at the bright blue “wheel” of the boat while another watches her. The third is standing next to where Nicola sits, and is wearing a yellow ochre coloured dress with matching headband.
Communities
Our children are precious – and the future.
Caroline Croser-Barlow stands in front of a podium, with a pull up banner behind her. She is raising her hands in a gesture supporting her point. She wears a maroon top with a pattern of flowers outlined in a lighter colour and has solid rimmed glasses.
Communities
Early intervention is not a nice-to-have – it is a necessity.
Amy Graham sits in a blue armchair, wearing a whit blouse and yellow ochre coloured slacks. She is holding a mobile phone and has a lapel mic fixed to her top. At top right, there is an overlay of the ConText logo.
Communities
ConText: The Cost of Late Intervention report.
Communities

Cost of Late Intervention Report, 2024

The second edition of Minderoo Foundation’s Cost of Late Intervention (COLI) report, compiled by The Front Project, shows late intervention now costs $22.3 billion per year.

Download report

Our focus areas and impact missions

We seek to uplift communities, support gender equality, protect natural ecosystems and respond to emerging threats and challenges.

Two young First Nations girls play with brightly coloured beads on bead mazes that are sitting on a pine table. In the background can be seen black safety fences, showing that this is in an early learning centre.

Communities

All children in Australia reach their full potential in thriving communities.

A mother and daughter pose smiling at the camera, with their faces close together. The mother has honey blonde hair and wears a sand coloured knitted jumper, the daughter has dark hair and is wearing a light blue buttoned shirt with a floral pattern.

Gender Equality

All people realise their inherent freedom and equality.

A New Holland Honeyeater, a small bird with black and white mottled body, a black head and white ear patch, and a large yellow wing patch and yellow sides on the tail. The bird sits on a a bright red, pink and yellow banksia flower. Another banksia flower and the serrated-edge, grey green foliage can be seen in the background.

Natural Ecosystems

Healthy ecosystems safeguarded for all generations.

An elderly woman holds her hand to her mouth, looking as though she might cry. She wears a light coloured jacket and has a grey and white striped scarf covering her hair. On either side of her are tall and thin yellow candles, on ornate brass plates. In the background are other men and women and arches of the cathedral.

Impact Missions

Agile response to existential threats and urgent challenges.

Read our strategy to forge a fair future

Our vision

A society that values all people and natural ecosystems.

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Our impact and reach

We maximise our impact by focusing on our beneficiaries, consistent geographies and key stakeholders.

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Our role

We back those who are closest to the problems we seek to solve.

Partner

Support partners using the full spectrum of funding solutions, from grants to impact investing, to create, accelerate and scale measurable impact.

Advocate

Affect system change at scale by shifting the expectations of decision-makers to act on our chosen issues by enhancing advocacy capacity and shifting attitudes, norms, mindsets and behaviours to support critical policy reform.

Develop

Collaborate with partners, communities and beneficiaries to develop, test, refine and de-risk solutions, sharing learnings to help others scale-up and adapt to local contexts.

Generate evidence

Generate, connect and leverage evidence to drive change, fuel advocacy, guide decisions and amplify our collective impact.

Learn more

Our stories of impact

Read the latest stories, research and interviews from across Minderoo Foundation and our partners.

Explore more stories
A group of primary aged children sit variously on grass and a blue esky, eating slices of watermelon. In the background, glimpses of their mums can be seen.
Communities
Four ways early intervention can change the lives of children and families
Caroline Croser-Barlow stands in front of a podium, with a pull up banner behind her. She is raising her hands in a gesture supporting her point. She wears a maroon top with a pattern of flowers outlined in a lighter colour and has solid rimmed glasses.
Communities
Early intervention is not a nice-to-have – it is a necessity.

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Latest media releases

27 Aug 2025

Every child – no matter their postcode – deserves the best start in life

A statement from Nicola Forrest AO.

27 Aug 2025

Australia’s spiraling cost of missing early warning signs in our children

A new report reveals the economic burden of failing to identify health and development issues in young Australians has surged almost 50 per cent to $22.3 billion annually.

23 Aug 2025

Statement on the IPC report confirming famine in Gaza

The Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) Famine Review Committee has officially confirmed that famine is occurring in Gaza Governorate and is projected to spread rapidly – the first time a famine has been declared in the Middle East.