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Annual Giving
$500K
Grant Range
$10K – $5.0M
Programs
8 (7 open)

Tips for Applicants

Focus on demonstrating community involvement and leadership alongside academic achievement. Highlight resilience in overcoming challenges related to LGBTQIA+ identity. Emphasize how you'll give back to the community. For corporate-sponsored scholarships, align your field of study with the partner's industry. Consider applying for state-specific scholarships if you have regional connections.

Giving Philosophy

The foundation believes education is the key lever for individual and societal change, with research showing each disengaged young person imposes a $1.1M social cost. They focus specifically on LGBTQIA+ youth who often face discrimination from families and communities, providing not just financial support but also mentor relationships and a wider 'Pinnacle family' community. The model emphasizes empowerment and giving back rather than dependency.

Notable Grants

BHP funds six named scholarships across Australia
Rio Tinto supports six Thrive Scholarships for Indigenous, regional, and STEM students
Commonwealth Bank scholarships in every state/territory
Mirvac funds three scholarships in property/construction fields
Boston Consulting Group, Virgin Australia, Woodside Energy announced multi-year support in 2025

ACNC Financial History

YearGrants GivenRevenueTotal AssetsNet Assets
FY2023
$563K
$2.5M$6.8M$6.4M
FY2022
$404K
$1.9M$5.4M$5.0M
FY2021
$287K
$1.2M$4.9M$4.2M
FY2020
$248K
$1.3M$3.5M$3.3M
FY2019
$157K
$1.2M$2.7M$2.6M
FY2018
$130K
$791K$1.9M$1.8M
FY2017
$93K
$562K$1.4M$1.3M
7yr total$1.9MSource: ACNC Annual Information Statements

Programs & Opportunities (8)

7 open · 1 closed · sorted by deadline · last checked 27 April 2026 (11 days ago)

5 Grants2 Scholarships1 Fellowship

Scholarship Program

Grantclosed

Scholarships for young LGBTQIA+ Australians for full-time study at public higher education institutions.

Closes 31/08/2023Apply →

The Pinnacle Foundation Scholarships

Grantopen

The Pinnacle Foundation provides multi-year educational scholarships and mentoring to young LGBTQIA+ Australians aged 18-26 for full-time study at public TAFEs or universities across Australia in any profession, trade, or the arts.

$6K – $8KCloses 31/08/2026Apply →

Pinnacle Foundation Scholarships

Scholarshipopen

The Pinnacle Foundation provides educational scholarships, mentoring, and opportunities for young LGBTQIA+ Australians (aged 18-26) to pursue full-time study at public higher education institutions in Australia, covering any profession, trade, or the arts.

$7K – $9KCloses 31/08/2026Apply →

General Scholarships

Grantopen

Open to LGBTQIA+ Australian students under 26 studying at university or TAFE, with selection criteria including academic merit, financial need, and community involvement

LGBTQIA+ Executive Fellowship Scholarship

Scholarshipopen

A full scholarship offered by The Pinnacle Foundation in partnership with The University of Sydney Business School to support participation in the one-week intensive LGBTQIA+ Executive Fellowship program. This program is designed for mid- to senior-level LGBTQIA+ leaders and their allies, particularly those from under-represented minority groups or working in not-for-profit organizations, to enhance leadership capabilities.

Eligibility: Mid- to senior-level LGBTQIA+ leaders and their allies, particularly those from under-represented minority groups or working in not-for-profit organizations
How to apply: Applications for the second LGBTQIA+ Executive Fellowship are now open, please visit: LGBTQIA+ Executive Fellowship – The University of Sydney Business School
$10K – $10KApply →

Corporate Partner Scholarships

Grantopen

Various scholarships funded by corporate partners including Accenture, BHP, Commonwealth Bank, KPMG, Macquarie, Rio Tinto, and others with varying eligibility criteria (field of study, location, background)

Rio Tinto Thrive Scholarships

Grantopen

Six scholarships for Aboriginal/Torres Strait Islander students, rural/regional students, STEM students, and TAFE students

LGBTQIA+ Executive Fellowship

Fellowshipopen

The Pinnacle Foundation, in alliance with The University of Sydney Business School, offers a full scholarship for participation in this one-week intensive executive leadership program. It is designed for mid-senior LGBTQIA+ leaders/allies to build executive and board leadership capability, confidence, executive presence, and networks.

Program History (4)

Year-specific program memory with visible provenance. This is the bridge between open opportunities and recurring portfolio strands.

2025-26

Pinnacle Foundation Scholarships

Scholarship

This flagship program provides multi-year educational scholarships, mentoring, and opportunities for young LGBTQIA+ Australians aged 18 to 26 to pursue full-time study at public higher education institutions across.

Places: AustraliaSource: official program url verifiedEvidence: open source
2025-26

Scholarship Program

Grant

Scholarships for young LGBTQIA+ Australians for full-time study at public higher education institutions.

Places: AustraliaSource: official program url verifiedEvidence: open source
2025-26

The Pinnacle Foundation Scholarships

Grant

The Pinnacle Foundation provides multi-year educational scholarships and mentoring to young LGBTQIA+ Australians aged 18-26 for full-time study at public TAFEs or universities across Australia in any profession,.

Places: AustraliaSource: official program url verifiedEvidence: open source
2025-26

LGBTQIA+ Executive Fellowship

Fellowship

This is a one-week intensive executive leadership program, developed by The University of Sydney Business School in alliance with The Pinnacle Foundation, aimed at building executive and board leadership capabilities.

Places: AustraliaSource: official program url verifiedEvidence: open source

Grants in Database (6)

Focus Areas

education
Geographic
AU-National
Recipients
youth

Financial Details

Source of Wealth
Corporate foundation funded by major Australian companies across diverse sectors (finance, mining, energy, law, healthcare, property, media, retail) through multi-year scholarship partnerships. No individual founder wealth is documented.

Board & Leadership

Andrew Staite
board member
ACNC
Caitlyn Georgeson
board member
ACNC
ACNC
Jerome Tse
board member
ACNC
Karen Brown
board member
ACNC
Kathryn Humphries
board member
ACNC
ACNC
Mark Stewart
board member
ACNC
Ross Wetherbee
board member
ACNC
Linked from structured person roles rather than unstructured foundation summary text.

Data Sources

Profile quality: low
Foundation profile updated: 24 April 2026 (13 days ago)
Grant/program scan updated: 27 April 2026 (11 days ago)
Program discovery is newer than the foundation profile summary.
Website pages scraped: 5
Added: 27 February 2026 (70 days ago)
View on ACNC Register →