A vision for Melbourne's charitable giving

Melbourne’s Lord Mayor Sir John Swanson was a successful businessman and philanthropist.  

As Lord Mayor of Melbourne from 1918 to 1923, Sir John worked hard to establish the Lord Mayor’s Fund for Metropolitan Hospitals and Charities with the aim of organising and co-ordinating charitable giving in Melbourne.  

Sir John was a visionary thinker and was convinced it was possible to provide the city’s hospitals and charities with an assured stream of income in which charities could apply for grants. His idea was to centralise fundraising and provide grants through a scheme based on a community chest.  

The Lord Mayor’s Fund for Metropolitan Hospitals and Charities was officially opened by Acting Premier Sir William McPherson on 14 June 1923 at the Melbourne Town Hall.  

The Lord Mayor’s Fund eventually became Lord Mayor’s Charitable Foundation and the community foundation for Greater Melbourne. It has grown to become one of the largest independent philanthropic foundations in Australia. Tens of millions of dollars has been fundraised and granted to charities and public hospitals since 1923.  

In the past two years, $24.249 million has been provided to charitable and not-for-profit organisations across the Foundation’s Impact Areas.

For almost 100 years, Lord Mayor’s Charitable Foundation has continued to connect donor support to charitable organisations in addressing ongoing social issues such as homelessness and more recently climate change.  

Sir John’s vision has inspired generations of giving and paved the way for Melbourne to be the centre for philanthropy in Australia. Sir John passed away in 1924 leaving a gift in his Will to the Foundation. This gift has been recognised as the first bequest received, establishing the very early beginnings of the Foundation’s corpus. 

Thanks to Sir John Swanson Lord Mayor’s Charitable Foundation will always be an important and leading philanthropic force in Melbourne.