FUNDING OUTCOMES FROM THE GOOD DEATH IMPACT NETWORK Part 1: Creating Death Care Leaders

By Shanna Provost & Lauren Anseline

Big change often starts small through community grassroots activities. One of GDIN’s systemic change levers is ‘Fund for Outcomes’ which recognises that often these grassroots initiatives don’t attract the attention of big funders, yet they can be the catalyst for ripples that eventually cause systemic shifts.

Allocating funds for projects each year is part of GDIN’s Innovation Fund, a process of participatory granting where GDIN members present their ideas to the members of the network. The network then discusses the potential of each idea to align to GDIN’s principles, systemic levers, and purpose. Instead of external funders determining priorities, this deliberative process invites the members – those who live and work within the sector’s realities, challenges and opportunities – to directly influence what gets funded. This process is not just about giving out funds. It’s a practice of connection, transparency, collaboration, and relational trust which is the culture the network wants to grow in the end-of-life sector.

In 2024, one of the Innovation Fund’s supported projects was ‘Creating Death Care Leaders’, a pilot series of workshops designed and facilitated by GDIN member Rebecca Lyons in partnership with the Australian Home Funeral Alliance (AHFA).     

Creating Death Care Leaders: Building community capability

Co-funded by GDIN’s Innovation Fund and the Australian Home Funeral Alliance (AHFA), the pilot workshops trialled a two-day workshop structure in Adelaide and Melbourne that was then evaluated using the Death Literacy Index (DLI). Their goal was to raise the death literacy and capabilities of grassroots community members around death and dying.  

“The program is bridging the gap between what is being offered from the top down and what is needed on the ground, in community. From an institutional point of view there has been a shift in the way in which end of life and death and dying is driven by educating people on what conversations they can have and what is possible”, reflects Rebecca Lyons.

Impact: Starting conversations

Workshop participants were invited to fill out the Death Literacy Index, compiled by Kerrie Noonan Ph.D, founder of the Death Literacy Institute. Evidence gathered from the forms showed a clear increase in death literacy as well as allowing attendees the space to reflect and take action on their own planning. 

Post-workshop feedback provided participant reflections on how they carried new skills, conversations and networks back to their communities, with most participants mentioning the helpful impacts they experienced.

“The vibe was amazing in both sessions.  [It was a] safe and connected space, with stories and learning as a strength.”

"I've been up all night, thinking about what we need to do next!!”

“Usually, you leave a two-day workshop exhausted, but people were on fire from it.”

What’s next

The pilot has been iterated since its launch and received three more years of funding with support from the Wicking Trust’s community-led program granting. The plan is to expand into regional and rural centres in five regional areas in Victoria and Tasmania, with further sessions planned in Sydney and Queensland.

In this iteration, these workshops have become a hub to collate GDIN members’ tools, which are being introduced and distributed to workshop participants. These tools included:

• Carked It! - a card game funded by GDIN and co-created with GDIN members and The Ageing Revolution

• Rest Easy Journal - authored by GDIN member Shanna Provost

• Showing up for Grief videos - funded by GDIN and co-created with GDIN members and Kerrie Noonan

These tools are enriching the workshops and giving participants tangible resources to take back into their communities. 

Thanks to support from Claire Turnham, founder of Only with Love, the program is also being adapted for New Zealand communities.

Are you interested in hosting a Creating Death Care Leaders workshop in your community? Reach out to Rebecca Lyons for more information

In our next article, we’re spotlighting the ‘Good to Go Death Festival’ hosted by GDIN member Rose Sexton from End Stage Matters.