Community-controlled
We are governed by Aboriginal leadership and guided by community Elders and members. Decisions about our programs are made close to the people they affect.
About us
Of community, for community.
Cape York Grassroots Aboriginal Corporation is an Aboriginal community-controlled, not-for-profit charity based in Cairns, Queensland. Since 2019 we have supported Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and families across Cape York and Far North Queensland — including communities in rural and remote areas and people from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds.
Our story
Founded in Cairns, built on trust
Cape York Grassroots Aboriginal Corporation was established in February 2019 by community members who saw a gap: too many families in our region were falling through the cracks of services that were hard to reach, hard to navigate, or simply didn't understand community.
We started the way we still work — at the grassroots. Door by door, yarn by yarn, we built relationships with families across Cairns and the Cape. Today, those relationships are the backbone of our outreach, advocacy and community programs.
As an Aboriginal community-controlled organisation, our direction is set by the people we serve. Community voices shape what we do, how we do it, and where we go next.
Governance & accountability
Transparent by design
ACNC reporting
As a registered charity, we meet our obligations to the ACNC, including annual reporting. Our registration and record can be verified publicly on the ACNC Charity Register at any time.
Every dollar to community
We are not-for-profit. Funds we receive — including through grant programs — go directly to delivering outreach, relief and community programs across Cape York.
Privacy & respect
We handle personal information in line with the Australian Privacy Principles. Read our Privacy Policy for the full detail.
Our values
How we show up
Respect
For culture, for Elders, for every person's story and circumstance. We listen before we act.
Presence
We show up in person and we keep showing up. Change at the grassroots takes time and consistency.
Honesty
Straight talk with community, with partners and with funders. We say what we do and do what we say.
Strength
We build on the strengths already in community — culture, family and connection to Country.
Come and know us properly.
The best way to understand grassroots work is to talk with the people doing it. Reach out — we're always up for a yarn.