Specialist environmental philanthropy advice

Helping donors and investors identify outstanding opportunities to invest in nature conservation and nature-based climate solutions in Australia.

  • Australia offers exceptional opportunities to conserve nature and biodiversity.

  • The Australian continent and islands have:

  • unique intact ecosystems of high biodiversity value
  • 600,000+ native species, with very high levels of endemism
  • low human-wildlife conflict and high social licence for conservation
  • global leaders in environmental science
  • a healthy and innovative environmental non-profit sector
  • a stable democracy.

  • Nature-based solutions can contribute to:

  • climate change mitigation and adaptation
  • public health and wellbeing
  • food systems and security
  • biodiversity conservation

  • Australia faces huge challenges to preserve and support biodiversity, including:

  • the highest mammal extinction rate in the world
  • obsolete regulatory frameworks and environmental laws
  • insufficient and declining government investment
  • key threats of climate change, invasive species, wildfires, plastic pollution and habitat loss

    • However, our thriving environment sector has solutions ready to scale. Healthy ecosystems are our strongest protection against drought, wildfire and floods.

    We have the social licence to act - 96% of Australians believe that more action is needed to look after the natural environment, and Australia's First Nations peoples provide exceptional wisdom, knowledge and opportunities to 'care for Country'.

    A wide variety of nature protection, restoration and stewardship efforts are ripe for investment, and will help Australia meet its 30x30 goals.

  • At Lark Philanthropy, we have deep experience, knowledge and relationships across the philanthropic and environmental sectors.

    On behalf of donors, we can identify outstanding projects, people and organisations; navigate cross-sectoral collaborations; conduct due diligence and site visits; and play an on-ground intermediary role as required.

  • We focus on:

  • best-practice, relationship-based philanthropy
  • impact and evaluation
  • community voice, agency and First Nations sovereignty
  • regenerative practices
  • the intersection of social justice, circular and localised economies, and systemic change

    • Australia is a huge continent, with a total land area of 7.7 million square kilometers, 60,000 kilometers of coastline, 4.3 million kilometers of rivers, and oceans that cover 10 million square kilometers, encompassing 89 distinct bio-regions.

    Having a trusted advisor on-the-ground is a critical step to providing donors and investors the confidence that their gift or investment will achieve the best possible sustainable and measurable impact.

Louise Arkles - Principal

Working in philanthropy for 25 years, with the past decade specialising in environmental philanthropy, Louise has deep experience in sourcing, supporting and understanding the context and impact of nature conservation opportunities. As Senior Program Manager at The Ian Potter Foundation (2015-2025) she stewarded over 120 environmental grants worth A$82 million, which are now contributing to a strong environment sector and improved land, freshwater and marine conservation across Australia.

Louise has extensive networks across the environment and philanthropy sectors, both in Australia and internationally. She brings experience working with private and community foundations, individual and family donors, trustee companies, and philanthropic peak bodies and networks. She has been an active member of the Australian Environmental Grantmakers Network (AEGN) since 2015 and sat on numerous committees, steering and advisory groups, and is a member of the Women's Environmental Leadership Australia (WELA) Giving Circle.

Louise has also recently completed a Master of Philosophy in Conservation Leadership at the University of Cambridge in the UK, where she undertook placement at a rewilding enterprise.

Stay in touch

louise <at> larkphilanthropy.com.au

ABN: 61217271955

Lark Philanthropy operates on on Wurunjeri Country, and acknowledges the Traditional Owners of Country throughout Australia, their continuing connection to land, waters and community. We pay our respects to First Nations' Elders and their descendents, and acknowledge the ongoing contribution Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples make to Australian society and our environment.