LEADERSHIP BEGINS IN COMMUNITIES

Citizen leaders are the backbone of resilient societies. They foster agency, strengthen trust, and create the conditions for communities to thrive.

 

Communities today face deep challenges — poverty, housing shortages, racism, family violence, climate disasters, and mental ill-health. These problems are interconnected and exceed the capacity of any single authority. Citizen leaders bring lived experience and informal influence that can cut through silos and drive collaboration. 

 

Why It Matters: 

  • Engaged citizens are essential to building robust democracies. 
  • Community resilience reduces fragility to shocks and crises. 
  • Leadership at the local level restores trust and strengthens cohesion. 

What We Do:

The Foundation seeds partnerships and incubates initiatives that: 

  • Equip citizens with the skills and confidence to act collectively. 
  • Co-design new forms of governance that prioritise accountability to communities. 
  • Create sustainable financial and cultural platforms for community-led change. 
Untitled design (31)

Projects

Strengthening Community Leadership in Victoria (2024–2026)

Statewide strategy to support citizen leaders across nine regions.

Tasmanian Community Leadership Movement

Building civic agency through new governance models and narratives of leadership. ​

Participatory Melbourne

Building civic agency through new governance models and narratives of leadership.

Knowledge in Action

Join the Menzies Brief Newsletter

Receive updates on our latest news…..

Natasha Eskinja

Digital Communications Coordinator

Natasha is driven by a profound passion for both creativity and analytics, a synergy that fosters authentic storytelling in the digital realm with both innovation and integrity. 

Throughout her career, she has consistently integrated the overarching marketing and communications narrative with the emotional connections of audiences. She is currently pursuing a Certificate in Society and the Individual from Flinders University, furthering her exploration of human behaviour and the critical importance of connectedness between organisations, individuals, and communities.

natasha.eskinja@menziesfoundation.org.au