Since we stepped into this co-CEO gig, we keep getting asked: What’s new? What’s different? What’s going to change at TACSI? All fair questions.
At our November “all-in”, the TACSI team came together to build (and paint and draw) a new direction for TACSI over the next five years. We recognised that it’s time for us to play a greater role across the social innovation ecosystem.
By drawing on the wisdom of our 26-person team and our many relationships and experiences across the for-purpose sector (and beyond), we know we can make a greater systemic contribution. Looking through one lens in 2025, we’ll be broadening our role as an intermediary and field builder. Through another, we’ll be formalising ways of working and partnering that have been emerging at the fringes of our organisation.
Our purpose remains clear: To mainstream social innovation and create a world where decision-making is experimental, embraces complexity, and gives real power to people experiencing marginalisation.
This means that whether you’re social-innovation-curious, in the thick of doing it, or out there championing the case for it. there’ll be a greater variety of ways to engage with TACSI in 2025 to support your work.
– Chris Vanstone and Kerry Jones, co-CEOs
How to get involved with TACSI in 2025
Learn social innovation with us
Whether you’re an individual looking to build your skills or an organisation wanting to embed practices like co-design or allyship, in 2025 we’ll be offering more courses on a wider range of topics, more scholarships, and—through partnerships—we’ll explore how to extend social innovation learning to prosocial professionals in business, as well as to children and young people.
Do social innovation (with our support)
If you’re working on social innovation in 2025, we’re here for you. Our consulting team supports a diverse range of innovation efforts, with expertise in co-design, peer-to-peer solutions, place-based and community-led innovation, strategy, and futuring. Meanwhile, our systems initiatives team is here to support the design and delivery of long-term systems change initiatives.
Create the conditions for social innovation
If you’re a commissioning body, system steward, or funder, we can help you create the conditions for social innovation. In 2025, this includes continuing our work with PHNs on primary health innovation, supporting community-led innovation through Our Town with the Fay Fuller Foundation, and driving innovation in end-of-life experiences through the Good Death Impact Network in partnership with Equity Trustees.
Building on insights from the Good Death Impact Network, we’ll also continue to advocate for impact networks as a practice, with events in partnership with philanthropy and international network communities—leveraging the momentum around our Impact Networks white paper.
Champion social innovation
In 2025, we plan to do even more to connect and support the individuals and organisations making the case for social innovation. If you see yourself as a creative bureaucrat (or want to become one), you may want to join one of our events in Sydney, Melbourne, or Adelaide as part of the Creative Bureaucracy Festival.
We’ll also be sharing insights from our academic partnerships with Monash University, and the University of Adelaide — including findings from a quasi-experimental trial and health ethnography looking at the long-term outcomes of the Family by Family program. And we’ll be looking to extend our academic partnerships to further knowledge about social innovation.
Deepen your commitment to First Nations work
One thing that remains unchanged is our commitment to First Nations-led innovation. We’re currently building a First Nations Exchange Group (working title) —a group of First Nations friends and partners advancing social innovation, whose work we’ll support, and who will support ours. We’ll keep you updated on this as plans progress.
We’re also expanding our support for organisations looking to build their allyship, so if you know RAP teams and RAP champions looking for guidance, send them our way.
Let’s connect
Social innovation should be social. If you’re looking to learn, partner, or contribute to creating the conditions for social innovation, we’d love to connect.
Explore our courses, join an event, talk to us about your work, use our resources, connect with us on Linkedin or just reach out — we’re always up for a chat (especially if there’s coffee involved).