FYA is transforming.

We back young people to change the world. Here’s how we’re changing too.

Get involved
Stay in touch

For the past few years, FYA has been on a significant internal Transformation process with the purpose of unlocking FYA’s full potential to back young people with integrity for the long term. At its heart, it’s about reimagining how FYA operates so that young people and First Nations communities aren’t just participants in our work, but genuine leaders, decision-makers and knowledge holders shaping our future.

Why we’re doing this

This work builds directly on FYA’s 2024 Listening and Truth-Telling process, which surfaced important and at times uncomfortable truths about culture, power, racism, decision-making and harm within the organisation. It made clear that change can’t just be about the work we deliver. As we approach our 50th birthday, we’re using this moment to become a genuinely youth-led and culturally safe organisation – actively addressing racism internally, and centring First Nations ways of knowing, being and doing.

 

 

 

Our journey

The Transformation is a multi-phased and multi-year journey. We’re currently in the Wayfinding phase.

Dreaming Together

Oct 2025 – July 2026

a shared vision, purpose statement, and agreed principles for governance, participation and cultural safety

Wayfinding

June – Sep 2026

a co-designed Strategic Plan and clear governance and decision-making mechanisms

Journeying

Oct 2026 – Jun 2027

Embedding youth leadership into everyday practice, with stronger feedback loops between FYA and the communities we work with

Homecoming

July – Oct 2027

Yarning & Reflection Circles, an evaluation report shared with young people, and a Homecoming Celebration to honour the journey

What’s next

  • A new strategic direction for FYA shaped by everything we’ve heard from young people and communities across the country, giving clearer shape to how we work and who leads that work.
  • A new governance group will be set up to guide our Transformation, with First Nations people and young people at its centre, working alongside our Board of Directors.
  • Our Final Strategic Plan and an Evaluation Framework setting out our direction and how we’ll measure whether we’re actually living up to it.
  • Conversations across the philanthropy sector sharing an honest account of our process so far.
  • An evaluation report shared openly with young people, and a celebration marking both this journey and FYA’s 50th anniversary.

Our Transformation partners

This work is being supported by partners who bring deep expertise in youth-led systems change, governance and cultural transformation.

  • Turnstone Collective – an Indigenous-owned and operated consulting firm supporting cultural transformation, anti-racist practice and organisational change centred in First Nations ways of knowing, being and doing
  • YLab – a not-for-profit social enterprise designing better services, policies and products with young people, supporting co-design and governance approaches that give young people meaningful influence
  • Deadly Inspiring Youth Doing Good (DIYDG) – a youth-led non-profit that equips and empowers young people to co-design and lead their own projects

What to expect from us

We’ll share updates about milestones, learnings and challenges as they happen. If something may affect a partnership, program or arrangement, we’ll name it early and clearly – and we’ll be honest about what’s still being tested and what hasn’t been decided yet.

A note on the Philanthropy Australia Conference (9–10 September 2026)

We will be delivering a session at the Philanthropy Australia conference in September that will share honest reflections about our Transformation process journey.

Is it even possible? A near 50 year old institution’s imperfect journey to real Power Shifting, TruthTelling and Transformation. 

This session invites philanthropic partners to move beyond being ‘funders of programs’ to becoming ‘partners in transformation’. We will share the raw mechanics of the four-phases we’ve completed and the two phases ahead, all with the intention of arriving at our 50th birthday having structurally embedded First Nations leadership and youth decision-making into our DNA.

How to get involved

Want to know more? We’d genuinely welcome a conversation. Reach out at 

[email protected] – Molly Whelan
[email protected] – Jason Glanville
[email protected] – Rosie Thyer

Take part in our Learning Series

Want to get the latest updated on the Transformation Learning Series?

Sign up to the Transformation Learning Series newsletter

Name(Required)
Email(Required)