Our team
SmartyGrants is an enterprise of Our Community, an Australia-based for-purpose business that was seed-funded by a forward-thinking group of social investors in 1999.
Our Community International is Our Community's UK subsidiary. Formed in August 2024, Our Community International distributes SmartyGrants in the UK, Ireland, Canada and Europe.
Our Community, and (by extension) Our Community International, are not ordinary businesses. Our Community has legally mandated its social mission. Our Constitution states: "Commercial imperatives are afforded equal priority to our social mission, our commitment to employees, and our responsibility to the environment in which we work." Our Community's founding aim, “to build stronger communities through stronger community organisations”, remains our driving force.
Our Community was founded and continues to be led by former senior public servant Denis Moriarty AM. With extensive expertise in grants and a distinguished background as a Vincent Fairfax Ethics in Leadership alumnus, Denis has been instrumental in shaping our mission and guiding our strategic direction.
Kathy Richardson, our Executive Director, spearheads our initiatives in the UK/Europe and North America.
In the UK, SmartyGrants is represented by Vicky Coutts, who works alongside a dedicated team of professionals to deliver innovative grant solutions and support our growing network.
Our Community’s Board of Directors comprises:
- Denis Moriarty AM (Member of the Order of Australia), Founder and Group Managing Director
- Carol Schwartz AO (Officer of the Order of Australia), Chair. Carol is a leading businesswoman, women’s leadership campaigner, social investment pioneer and Deputy Chair of the Governance Board of the Reserve Bank of Australia
- Dr Simon Longstaff AO (Member of the Order of Australia), Executive Director of The Ethics Centre; Adjunct Professor of the Australian Graduate School of Management at the University of New South Wales (UNSW); a Fellow of CPA Australia and the Australia Risk Policy Institute.
Our Community is a leading provider of tech tools and training in Australia. Its other enterprises include GiveNow, a platform used by more than 5000 charities and community groups to process donations, memberships and tickets; Funding Centre, a low-cost grants database and fundraising education website; and the Institute of Community Directors Australia, a governance network and training body for charity trustees and leaders. SmartyGrants is the only Our Community enterprise that operates in the UK.
You can read more about Our Community’s history, work and impact at www.ourcommunity.com.au/aboutus.