---
title: McKinnon (formerly Susan McKinnon Foundation)
type: philanthropy
status: active
country: AU
website: https://mckinnon.co
logo: /assets/org-logos/susan-mckinnon-foundation-icon.png
logo_bg: light
banner: /assets/org-logos/susan-mckinnon-foundation.webp
contact:
  checked: 2026-07-24
  email: info@mckinnon.co
  source: https://mckinnon.co/contact
summary: A non-partisan Australian foundation working across all sides of politics
  to find common ground and practical pathways on major national challenges, with
  a focus on democratic and public sector reform. Rebranded from Susan McKinnon Foundation
  to McKinnon in 2025.
concepts:
- democracy
- constitutional-democracy
- citizens-assembly
location:
  latitude: -37.8136
  longitude: 144.9631
  name: Melbourne, Australia
  precision: city
news_page: https://mckinnon.co/insights
events:
- date: '2015-01-01'
  title: Founded (as Susan McKinnon Foundation) by Sophie Oh and Grant Rule
  url: https://mckinnon.co/about-us
  quote: known as the Susan McKinnon Foundation) was established in 2015 by Sophie
    Oh and Grant Rule
  proof_level: high
  url_checked: '2026-08-10'
  notable: true
- date: '2017-11-01'
  title: McKinnon Prize in Political Leadership established, in partnership with the
    University of Melbourne
  url: https://www.unimelb.edu.au/newsroom/news/2017/november/susan-mckinnon-foundation-and-university-of-melbourne-establish-prestigious-award-for-political-leadership
  quote: 'Susan McKinnon Foundation Co-Founder Grant Rule said: &ldquo;Now, more than
    ever, we need to publicly recognise political leadership that shows vision and
    courage and has had a constructive impact for'
  proof_level: high
  url_checked: '2026-08-10'
  notable: true
- date: '2019-01-01'
  title: McKinnon Institute for Political Leadership established, in partnership with
    Monash University
  url: https://www.philanthropy.org.au/news-and-stories/the-susan-mckinnon-foundation-and-monash-university-renew-commitment-to-enhanced-political-leadership/
  quote: Since it was established in 2019, the Institute has delivered transformative
    programs to more than 25% of the current MPs across Australia
  proof_level: high
  url_checked: '2026-08-15'
  notable: true
- date: '2021-06-09'
  title: Co-founder Grant Rule's company MessageMedia sold to Sinch for a total enterprise
    value of US$1.3 billion
  url: https://www.globenewswire.com/news-release/2021/06/09/2244148/0/en/sinch-ab-publ-sinch-to-acquire-messagemedia-accelerating-growth-with-small-and-medium-sized-businesses.html
  quote: Sinch will pay a total enterprise value of USD 1.3 billion, with a total
    cash consideration of USD 1.1 billion and 1,128,487 new shares in Sinch
  proof_level: high
  url_checked: '2026-08-15'
  notable: false
- date: '2024-05-17'
  title: Renews Monash University partnership with a $25M+, five-year commitment to
    the McKinnon Institute; Prof. Rod Glover named CEO
  url: https://www.philanthropy.org.au/news-and-stories/the-susan-mckinnon-foundation-and-monash-university-renew-commitment-to-enhanced-political-leadership/
  quote: an investment of more than $25 million over five years from the Foundation
    to sustain and advance the McKinnon Institute for Political Leadership
  proof_level: high
  url_checked: '2026-08-15'
  notable: false
- date: '2025-01-01'
  title: Rebranded from Susan McKinnon Foundation to McKinnon
  url: https://mckinnon.co/about-us
  note: Rebrand independently cross-checked against the organisation's own site, LinkedIn
    company page, and ACNC charity registration (recorded in this page's activity.dod,
    2026-07-19). The linked page confirms the rebrand itself ("previously known as
    the Susan McKinnon Foundation") but not the specific 2025 year on its own — hence
    proof_warning rather than a quote.
  proof_level: medium
  url_checked: '2026-08-15'
  notable: true
  proof_warning: true
activity:
  manual:
    checked: 2026-06-07
    date: 2026-06-03
    note: website loaded. https://mckinnon.co/insights is it's news page. Latest news
      is 03 JUN 2026 'McKinnon Political Leader of the Year 2025 - Federal – Shortlisted
      nominees'
    url: https://mckinnon.co/insights
  dod:
    checked: 2026-08-15
    date: 2026-08-15
    note: Added sourced History section (founding 2015, McKinnon Prize 2017, McKinnon
      Institute 2019, MessageMedia/Sinch sale 2021, Monash renewal 2024, rebrand 2025)
      after verifying each claim against directly-fetched primary sources
  scrape:
    date: 2026-07-06
    note: 'Latest post: News & Insights | McKinnon'
    url: https://mckinnon.co/insights
    checked: 2026-08-17
  sitemap:
    date: 2026-08-11
    note: Page last modified (from sitemap)
    url: https://mckinnon.co/sitemap.xml
    checked: 2026-08-17
last_checked: '2026-08-15'
---

The Susan McKinnon Foundation, rebranded as McKinnon in 2025, is a private philanthropic foundation focused on strengthening Australian democracy and governance. It funds and supports work on electoral reform, parliamentary integrity, public sector capability, and cross-party collaboration.

Its explicitly non-partisan stance — working with all sides of politics rather than advocating for any particular party or ideology — makes it distinctive in the Australian policy landscape. The foundation tends to focus on institutional reform (how decisions get made) rather than policy outcomes.

## History

Founded in 2015 by co-founders Grant Rule and Dr Sophie Oh, the foundation's mission was "inspired by Grant's mother, who instils the values of service and positive contribution in those around her."[^about] Its two flagship programs both launched as university partnerships: the [McKinnon Prize in Political Leadership](https://mckinnon.co/leadership/mckinnon-prize) — which McKinnon's own site describes as "Australia's only independent, non-partisan award for outstanding political leadership"[^prize-only] — launched with the University of Melbourne in November 2017[^prize], and the [McKinnon Institute for Political Leadership](https://mckinnon.co/leadership/mckinnon-institute), established with Monash University in 2019 and, by 2024, credited with delivering leadership programs to more than a quarter of Australia's sitting MPs.[^monash]

Rule separately founded the messaging-technology company MessageMedia, sold to Swedish rival Sinch in June 2021 for a total enterprise value of US$1.3 billion.[^sinch] The foundation rebranded from "Susan McKinnon Foundation" to "McKinnon" in 2025, a change independently confirmed via the organisation's own site, its LinkedIn page, and its ACNC charity registration.

## Links

- Website: [susanmckinnon.org.au](https://mckinnon.co)

## See also

- [Democracy](../concepts/democracy.md)
- [Constitutional Democracy](../concepts/constitutional-democracy.md)
- [Citizens' Assembly](../concepts/citizens-assembly.md)
- [Australian Democracy Network](australian-democracy-network.md)
- [Open Society Foundations](open-society-foundations.md)
- [Luminate](luminate.md)

[^about]: ["About Us"](https://mckinnon.co/about-us), McKinnon.
[^prize-only]: ["McKinnon Prize"](https://mckinnon.co/leadership/mckinnon-prize), McKinnon — "The prize is Australia's only independent, non-partisan award for outstanding political leadership." The organisation's own claim about itself, not independently verified against competing awards.
[^prize]: ["Susan McKinnon Foundation and University of Melbourne establish prestigious award for political leadership"](https://www.unimelb.edu.au/newsroom/news/2017/november/susan-mckinnon-foundation-and-university-of-melbourne-establish-prestigious-award-for-political-leadership), University of Melbourne Newsroom, November 2017.
[^monash]: ["The Susan McKinnon Foundation and Monash University renew commitment to enhanced political leadership"](https://www.philanthropy.org.au/news-and-stories/the-susan-mckinnon-foundation-and-monash-university-renew-commitment-to-enhanced-political-leadership/), Philanthropy Australia, 17 May 2024.
[^sinch]: ["Sinch to acquire MessageMedia, accelerating growth with small and medium-sized businesses"](https://www.globenewswire.com/news-release/2021/06/09/2244148/0/en/sinch-ab-publ-sinch-to-acquire-messagemedia-accelerating-growth-with-small-and-medium-sized-businesses.html), Sinch AB press release via GlobeNewswire, 9 June 2021.