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Running Think Autism without state or federal funding
In short
At Think Autism Melbourne in 2026, Kyriakos Gold set out how the conference was paid for without government money. The conversation then turned to philanthropy and how little of it reaches disability.
Read it instead, 3 minutesThe transcript
The story
Think Autism had grown without a dollar from state or federal government. At the opening of the Melbourne conference on 30 May 2026, Kyriakos Gold, who hosted the fireside chat, set out how it was paid for, and how much depended on a few sponsors.
Gold said it plainly to the room: “we have not received any funding from state or federal government to do this.” In the previous two years, the City of Sydney had provided funding, which enabled the conference to take place there and to grow. In 2026 the support came from elsewhere. SSI, which he described as a leading diversity organisation, came on as one of the major sponsors, and Nicole from SSI was in the room and would speak later that day. SydWest, another large New South Wales not for profit, also came on board. So did Autism SA, which he said mattered especially, because it meant one of the peak bodies was telling Think Autism it was doing good work. The stream’s opening credits also thanked ACU for providing the venue.
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Sources the story draws on
- The case for philanthropy in disability (opens in a new tab), Deloitte Access Economics in partnership with Craig Wallace, commissioned by the Achieve Foundation
- Brisbane to host the 2026 Philanthropy Australia Conference (opens in a new tab), Philanthropy Australia
- Release of the National Autism Strategy 2025-31 (opens in a new tab), Department of Social Services
More from Think Autism Melbourne 2026
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