Our story

Local Impact began as the Inner West Community Foundation. Directors of the Foundation recognised there was an opportunity to deliver real impact using collective professional skills, experience and local insights to power community ideas in the Melbourne’s inner west.

We’ve been part of the fabric of Melbourne’s West since 2019, building trusted relationships and delivering initiatives that make a lasting difference. As a certified social enterprise, Local Impact has evolved into a place-based intermediary—rooted in community and creating connections that will help shape our region’s future.

Our vision is to strengthen local ecosystems where community organisations can move from simply surviving to achieving real, lasting growth. We’re deepening our role as a local connector who understands the character of our place, its opportunities, challenges and changing needs. This local insight, built over more than two decades, helps us create connections that are both strategic and grounded in reality.

Our aim is to expand our ability to bring people together and spark collective action. We’re undertaking community-led research to better understand the local landscape and convening diverse partners—government, philanthropy, business, education, and community groups—around shared priorities, ensuring local voices shape the solutions needed to drive change.

Our role as connector will continue to grow through collaboration. By providing professional services, capacity-building support and education, we help mission-driven organisations focus on their purpose while strengthening the operational foundations that keep their work going.

As a place-based intermediary, we are committed to ensuring Local Impact is well positioned to respond to emerging opportunities, bring resources together effectively, and strengthen the networks that will sustain Melbourne’s West for years to come.