Support us

As a proudly community-focused organisation, Abbotsford Convent Foundation has been hit significantly hard by the necessary COVID-19 restrictions—our gates were shut to the general public on 26 March, all 20+ venues immediately closed, and every event, workshop, performance and booking cancelled. In addition, a large number of our tenants have experienced significant financial strain, as the pandemic directly impacted their livelihoods (and continues to do so).

As the impacts of COVID-19 continue to evolve, our key focus remains on:

• Protecting our National Heritage Listed precinct;
• Sustaining our on-site tenant community;
• Ensuring the health and wellbeing of our team and community; and
• Planning for ongoing repair and regeneration.

Generous community support received through our ‘Sustain the Convent’ fundraising appeal in mid-2020 is now going directly towards covering the ongoing essential extra costs the Convent is incurring as a direct result of the pandemic—including heightened site-wide cleaning regimes and increased security—as well as assisting us to support our tenant community.

In addition, all funds raised are actively helping us:

• Manage the ongoing impacts of this pandemic on the Convent precinct and community;
• Pay for the tangible, everyday costs of managing and maintaining a precinct of this scale and nature; and
• Cover the ‘nuts and bolts’ essential expenses that have not stopped through this period and many that have increased as a direct result of COVID-19.

Special thanks goes to the four amazing individuals who joined together to match-fund all donations to this public fundraising campaign up to $20,000, and to our valued funding partner, the Lord Mayor’s Charitable Foundation who contributed a $50,000 COVID-19 Emergency Response grant. This critical support inspired us to double our original fundraising goal in June—and we were thrilled to announce that we surpassed our stretch target of $120,000 by 30 June.

An enormous thank you once again to every member of our community who kindly donated to the ACF’s ‘Sustain the Convent’ fundraising appeal. Through such very challenging times as we continue to navigate the ongoing impacts of the pandemic and changing restrictions for our precinct and community, we remain inspired and incredibly grateful for the generosity shown by so many individuals and valued partners in contributing to a sanctuary that is important in your world.