Foundation Closure Announced Amid Funding Challenges
Child sexual abuse survivor and former Australian of the Year Grace Tame’s foundation has declared it will close, citing difficulties in securing sustainable long-term funding.
Tame established the foundation in 2021, the same year she was honoured nationally for her advocacy on behalf of abuse survivors and efforts to reform related laws.
In a social media announcement on Thursday, the foundation stated it had reached a critical juncture.
“Like many small advocacy organisations, sustaining long-term funding for this work has become increasingly challenging,”
the statement read.
“After careful consideration, the board has made the decision to close the foundation, with the process to be finalised in the coming weeks.”
Advocacy and Impact
Tame’s public advocacy began after she successfully campaigned for legislative changes in Tasmania, her home state, starting in 2018, which enabled her to speak openly about her experience of childhood sexual abuse.
“We helped shift the national conversation by putting safeguarding children firmly in the public spotlight – even when it was uncomfortable or costly,”
the foundation noted.
“Thanks to our campaign efforts, every jurisdiction in Australia has stopped naming the crime of ‘persistent child sexual abuse’ as a ‘relationship’.”
Recent Controversies
In March, Tame revealed she had lost speaking engagements due to a media “smear campaign” targeting her.
This followed criticism from several Jewish groups after she led a chant of “globalise the intifada” during an event in Sydney.
Foundation Details and Achievements
The foundation was governed by a board of four members, including Tame, and maintained a social media presence with over 48,000 followers on Instagram.
In 2021, Tame was also recognised by Time magazine as one of its next generation leaders.
The foundation highlighted its role in advocating for the harmonisation of survivor identification laws across Australia, promoting anti-grooming education, and supporting hundreds of survivors in their pursuit of justice.
“None of this would have been possible without Grace’s fierce and uncompromising advocacy for survivors,”
the foundation said.
“[As well as] her determination to ensure the experiences of those harmed as children could no longer be ignored.”
Background
Grace Tame was sexually abused as a teenager by her high school teacher Nicolaas Ockert Bester.
