Semi Finalist Site Visit: Touched by Olivia

In 2025, Impact100 Sydney sought grant applications from charities undertaking activities to promote social cohesion in the Greater Sydney region. We received 64 applications from across Sydney, and nine have been selected to proceed to the semi-finalist stage.

This stage of the process involves the provision of additional information by the shortlisted organisations, and the participation in a virtual site visit that is open to all Impact100 Sydney 2025 donors to attend.

Site visits present a terrific opportunity for organisations to bring to life their grant application, for you to meet key people in the organisation and ask questions that help clarify the program being pitched.

Touched by Olivia Foundation Limited

Touched by Olivia Foundation has evolved from co-creating over 50 inclusive Livvi's Place playgrounds across Australia to addressing lifelong inclusion through innovative social programs. Best known for raising and delivering over $100 million in inclusive social infrastructure, the organisation has expanded beyond play to establish social enterprise cafés and their groundbreaking Community Circles program designed to reduce loneliness and disconnection.

Their 2023 pilot of Community Circles supported over 700 isolated individuals with just one part-time staff member, achieving remarkable results with 96% of participants reporting improved mental wellbeing. The program's simple yet powerful approach asks participants "What's the one thing you'd love to do?" then brings together small circles of community members to make it happen. This model transforms isolation into connection through shared interests, whether it's writing groups, gardening clubs, or craft circles.

A $100,000 grant from IMPACT100 Sydney would enable a transformative shift to a self-sustaining volunteer-led model focused on Retirement Living Communities. The funding would employ a dedicated project lead to activate Community Circles within up to 22 villages managed by Keyton, Catholic Healthcare, and Illawarra Retirement Trust. By training at least 44 volunteer Community Connectors - time-rich, experienced residents seeking purpose - the program would reach over 2,000 people experiencing loneliness. The investment would create a volunteer training framework, online portal, Community Connector Forum, and volunteer management system. This blueprint for sustainable, community-led change would be showcased at national retirement living summits, positioning it for sector-wide adoption and multiplying impact far beyond the initial investment.