Accelerate & amplify your impact in regional Australia
Social Impact
In The Regions
- Kempsey, NSW
- 4 - 6 September 2024
Our Vision
While social challenges are not unique to the regions, the solutions to these problems must be relevant to place. The conference will explore a range of tools, techniques, beliefs and practices to better enable you to create more impact in your regional community.
Our vision is that you will leave the conference with the tools, network and energy to amplify your impact in your regional community.
Exhibit at #SocialImpactITR
Would you like to be an exhibitor at the conference in 2024? SIITR24 offers a range of opportunities to exhibit throughout the entire conference.
Our delegates will visit your stand to learn, connect and also to share information about how to best work in regional communities, particularly useful for city-based services wanting to have more impact in regional Australia.
Contact the event producer for more information or download the 2024 exhibitor kit.
Become a
Sponsor
We can’t do this without our sponsors. If you would like to find out about the benefits of sponsoring this event, please click the link below to find out more.Â
#SIITR24 Themes
In 2024 our overarching theme is
Investing in strong regional communities.
The sub-themes are:
- Empowering regional changemakers
- Investing in regional impact
- Amplifying regional voices and
- Understanding regional challenges
The Team Behind #SIITR24
There's a wealth of experience and knowledge driving this initiative so you can be sure that this will be a super-exciting event that will benefit all attendees, sponsors and stakeholders!
Kerry Grace (she/her)
Kerry Grace is the conference founder and producer
Kerry Grace is known for her authentic approach and ability to get things done in communities.
A passionate regional Australian she learned from a very young age that many skills are required to enable the social change she is passionate about, the most important one being the ability to build trust.
Like many entrepreneurs Kerry is multi-skilled and while her skills may broadly be defined as community and economic development, writing and community advisory, through her decades in the workforce she has honed a unique mix of practical skills, connections, deep understanding and abilities which make her a sought after person for facilitation, MC and community advisory services.
Kerry works with clients at every level of government, not for profits, Aboriginal Corporations and Corporates.
At the heart of her work she thoroughly believes in healthy and sustainable regional communities. The methodologies surrounding the delivery of this goal vary.
Jo-Anne Kelly (she/her)
Experienced working in the trauma informed space and family research with a demonstrated history of working with individuals and family services industry. Skilled in Social Policy, Change Management, Leadership Development, Community Development, Engaging with Government, Culture & Heritage, Building Community Capacity and Program Management.
Jesse Taylor (he/him)
Jesse is a dynamic, accountable leader with 20 years of cross-sector experience on the regional, state and federal levels in Australia and the USA. He has built high performing teams leveraging his expertise in leadership and management, coopetition (cooperative competition), relationship management, mergers, service design, evaluation and monitoring and scaling, finance, grants and fundraising, community development and corporate and clinical governance. Qualified with a Masters of Public Health from the University of Sydney and a Bachelors of Philosophy and Counselling, Jesse is a Senior Fellow of the United Way NYC’s Leadership Institute in the Masters of Public Administration program at CUNY, NYC.
Sue Currie (she/her)
Sue has over 40 years’ experience in a range of community care and health settings and has been with Blue Sky Community Services since 2010. Sue holds a Bachelor of Social Sciences, a Certificate IV in Workplace Training and Assessment, an Advanced Diploma of Management: Social Enterprise. She is also a School for Social Entrepreneurs Australian Fellow and has completed the Challenge Of Leadership course through Leadership Management Australia (LMA). Sue has a passion for the principles of social justice and is a strong proponent of working collaboratively and in partnerships with communities and services within a strengths-based and inclusive model of practice. Sue is currently the Program Manager for the Families, Young People and Communities team and is based at the Groundworks Youth Centre.
Angela Martin (she/her)
With over 30 years of experience in culturally diverse community engagement, PR, and communications, Angela has a proven track record of successfully leading teams and delivering impactful programs that drive social impact.
Angela thrives in stakeholder engagement and strategic planning. Her expertise lies in fostering collaboration and partnerships between organisations, government agencies, and communities to drive collective action.
Angela’s passion lies in collaborating with likeminded people and organisations to develop activities that focus on the mental health and wellbeing of individuals and families, with the purpose of creating positive, meaningful, and sustainable systems change for the benefit of community and particularly for those disadvantaged as a result of complex, long-term systemic issues.
Jo Taylor (she/Her)
Jo has 25+ years of leading for-purpose organisations. Over her career, she has raised over $100m leading for-purpose organisations and has distributed more than $400m globally through philanthropic organisations. She knows how hard it is to fundraise, spend and donate money effectively if you want to create transformational change.
This experience has given Jo a deep understanding of the challenges of building resilient organisations focusing on impact and a burning passion for leaders to do their best work AND look after themselves. Jo has designed and led reflective leadership retreats and action learning programs for social change leaders, LGBTQI leaders, young leaders, social entrepreneurs, women, culturally and linguistically diverse leaders, directors and philanthropic leaders nationally and internationally.
Jo is the inaugural CEO of the Siddle Family Foundation, a non-executive director of the Australian Council of Social Services (ACOSS) and Asthma Australia, the Chair of the Pay What it Takes coalition, a Leap Ambassador, an advisor to philanthropic organisations and a range of for-purpose organisations that are starting or deepening in their work. She lives in regional NSW with a partner, a tween and a teenager who keep her engaged and a little bit exhausted.
PITCHFEST will return in 2024
In 2023 our first PITCHFEST raised the roof. We'll return this to the program in 2024 only bigger and better!! Stay tuned...
Why Attend?
There are many reasons for many different individuals from various walks of life to attend this event, but here are some of the standout reasons you shouldn’t miss out!Â
The Speakers
A range of speakers with topics including funding models for your social impact activities, impact measurement, social enterprise development, community engagement and more.
Community
Like minded people who are living and working in regional communities and are creating social impact.
Wellness
A range of wellness activities so you leave the conference energised and grounded.
Toolkit
Various pathways to put together the social impact toolkit you need.
Who should attend?
The audience will comprise of changemakers who currently work or volunteer as not for profit managers or board members, social entrepreneurs, social impact investors and policy makers impacting regional communities.
Delegates will:
- Explore a range of tools to plan, deliver and measure social impact enabling more potent impact in regional communities.
- Take a deep dive into funding models enabling more sustainable impact activities.
- Network with likeminded people working in regional Australia enabling ongoing partnerships and friendships.
- Nurture themselves through a range of wellness activities enabling self-care and an invigorated sense of purpose.
- Learn through the experiences of the host community via their participation in the Ready Communities program
"If you live and work in the regions and want to make a difference in your patch of the world, (or bigger!), then this conference is for you."
- 2023 conference delegate