NED Foundation: Strategic Plan

NED Foundation: Strategic Plan
Version: 19/04/2026

The values of the NED Foundation ground us in the way we work, and guide us in the way we nurture evolutionary development in people, organisations and relationships. Our new Strategic Plan (2026-2030) demonstrates our commitment to our own evolutionary process.

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Intent

Why: Creating a Better Future Together

The NED purpose is to create a better future through collaboration, shared responsibility, and community-
driven vision. We invest in people, relationships, and collective empowerment to enable constructive
social and systemic transformation.

How: Relational Culture

NED supports and promotes the growth of restorative culture in Australia by nurturing initiatives and
individuals who advance relational, inclusive-community responses to social challenges. Our approach is
values-focused, reflective, flexible and adaptive – aimed at strengthening capacity and learning across
diverse communities.

What: Supporting constructive ideas

• Initiatives: Identifying, initiating, or supporting endeavours that reflect regenerative and restorative aims that respond to emerging social and economic conditions adversely impacting society.
• Seed Funding: Providing catalytic investment in projects and organisations that need early-stage support to develop or scale sustainable models.
• Mentoring: Supporting leaders and practitioners to cultivate reflective leadership, ethical clarity, and relational integrity.
• Reflective Evaluations: Embedding learning and adaptation through reflective and reflexive evaluations to capture relational impact as well as long-term value.

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NED Values: our values ground us in our work

Nurturing

• Awareness
• Cultural safety
• Trust
• Compassion

Evolutionary

• Curiosity
• Deep learning
• Participation
• Unfolding, as in nature

Development

• Courage
• Humility
• Connection
• Accountability

NED invests in the journey

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NED Objects

The primary object is to advance the well-being of Australians and the nation through activities that specifically
benefit the community and are practical, inspirational and ethical in nature. By fostering community action and
participation we aim to promote the development of Australian society and an inclusive community ethos,
through:

• a) promoting of the Social Developers’ Network;
• b) promoting co-operative linkages;
• c) providing education, seed-funding, mentoring support and facilitating connections to individuals who are engaged in discernible community benefit activities or undertaking innovative projects, which respond to emerging social and economic conditions adversely impacting communities and the wider society;
• d) supporting communities, including marginalised and disadvantaged people, to take responsibility and effective local control over their lives, with the aim of eliminating discrimination and promoting equality, harmony and diversity;
• e) promoting Restorative Justice, Restorative Practice and other forms of conflict resolution and reconciliation between individuals and groups within Australia;
• f) supporting research into social development within Australia;
• g) promoting public awareness of the community benefit of the Objects of the Association.

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Organisational Strategy

The NED Foundation, as a modest philanthropic organisation with limited financial resources, sees its key
advantage for creating a better future in fostering the quality of its members in promotion of NED’s unique ethos
and restorative values.

• A. Ethos-Driven Reputation
  Position the organisation as an example of restorative culture by integrating ethos into all our activities including promoting thought-leadership through presentations, published insights and forum participation.
   
• B. Professional Development
• • Ongoing training in relational practice.
• • Encourage presentations and thought-leadership roles.
• • Foster a culture of learning and reflection.
   
• C. Partnership & Engagement
  Guiding Principle: engagements promote Restorative Culture principles of respect, inclusivity, and collaboration.
• • Awareness Raising and Engagement – networking, newsletters, events.
• • Collaboration on Activities – co-branded project support, seminars, conferences, publications, SDN Retreats.
• • Partnerships – project-based collaboration.
• • Strategic Alliance – co-development of programs or long-term initiatives.
   
• D. Strategic Focus Areas (2025–2028)
  Approach
• • Support for the next generation of leaders through capacity-building programs.
• • Response to emerging issues and social challenges that impact society by fostering collaboration, shared
• responsibility and grassroots solutions.
• • Build a sustainable funding model for long-term project support

 

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