It's almost spring, time to think about what goes in the veggie patch next, what needs a prune, and what's about to bloom (pollen season is almost upon us fellow hayfever sufferers).

Fitting timing, last week we hosted Environment Victoria's launch of Movement of Many II. Uncle Daniel Ross gave the Welcome to Country and noted the yam daisy is already flowering, a sign, he said, of a dry summer ahead.

This week also marks National Landcare Week and Keep Australia Beautiful Week, a good nudge to get outside and help revegetate your local neighbourhood.

Back to Sanders, we’ve recently welcomed several new members including Project Planet and Regen Melbourne. Project Planet will host a Lunch & Learn on turning public attention into meaningful action and we’re excited to see the return of our Book Circle, kicking off with Abundance by Ezra Klein.

We're also hosting a watch party of a documentary screening exploring the concept of a nature-positive future, while Phoebe Frederick's popular Lunch & Learn, postponed from July, is re-scheduled with an interactive session on navigating complex systems and competing interests.

Beyond Sanders, we've rounded up a selection of documentary highlights from this year's Melbourne International Film Festival, along with a big list of conferences, community events and gatherings happening across the impact ecosystem.

We hope to see you at Sanders this month,

Justin & Danielle

Tegan Lerm co-founded Project Planet after the Black Summer bushfires revealed how much public attention goes to waste without a clear way to direct it. Since then, she and co-founder Lizzie Hedding have built tools that turn attention into participation - starting with Build a Ballot, which helped almost 600,000 Australians plan their vote in the last federal election. Now the team is gearing up for two more launches: The Share Plate, a publication and podcast debuting in September, and Build a Ballot for the Victorian election in November. Come hear the story behind it all, and what's next.

Date: Wed 19th August
Time: 12:30 pm–1:15 pm
Location: The Boardroom
Cost: Free with complimentary lunch provided

Register here

Our next Book Circle is reading Abundance by Ezra Klein, which discusses why progress gets stuck and what unsticking it might take.

In the last circle we read Climate Capital by Tom Chi, and while we didn’t love the book, we loved meeting up. So we’re keeping the format the same, with four Thursday morning sessions. It’s free to attend and is in person at Sanders.

Spots are limited as we prioritise existing book circle members and keep the sessions intimate, so not everyone who applies will get a seat this round.

Dates: 13th Aug, 27th Aug, 10th Sep, 24th Sep
Time: 7:30 am – 9:30 am
Location: The Boardroom

Submit EOI by Monday 10 August (sorry for the tight turnaround)

A 30-minute documentary introducing the concept of "nature positive", a framework for reversing biodiversity loss, inspired by the Global Biodiversity Framework agreed at COP15 in 2022. In just half an hour, the film touches on the history of the concept, the challenges it faces, and the opportunities it opens up.

Hosted by People Planet Pint, a Melbourne community of people passionate about climate who meet up regularly to connect, learn, and talk through the issues shaping our future.

Date: Thu 6th August
Time: 6pm
Location: The Boardroom

Register here

Phoebe is currently seconded as Policy and Research Lead at the National Indigenous Employment and Training Alliance. Her career spans government, private and civil sectors and has spent the last five years working alongside Mob to progress land rights claims and better economic outcomes. 

In this Lunch & Learn, Phoebe will share her career journey (including the bumps and detours along the way) before facilitating a hypothetical roleplay that draws on every part of it: A net zero project with Traditional Owners, solar proponents, mining interests, government stakeholders, environmentalists and disillusioned farmers all advocating for their position. Expect competing interests, hard trade-offs, a thousand blossoms blooming and a crash course in what multi stakeholder negotiation and advocacy inside complex systems can look like.

Date: Thu 6th August
Time: 12:30 pm–1:30 pm
Location: The Boardroom
Cost: Free with complimentary lunch provided

Register here

Melbourne International Film Festival is back this August and it’s full of awesome films and documentaries. Here are a handful of screenings we think our community will enjoy.

Fulldome Showcase One
Experience a collection of immersive full dome films at the Melbourne Planetarium, showcasing the creative possibilities of 360-degree cinema.
Saturday 8 August | 7:00 pm | Get tickets

Firestorm (MIFF XR)
An immersive, AI-powered cinematic experience exploring the future of Australian bushfires through cutting-edge visualisation technology. University of Melbourne's LED Volume Studio.
Presented as a series of sessions from Monday 10 August
Get tickets

Facing the Numbers
A compelling documentary from Tyson Perkins and Kieran Satour exploring Indigenous representation and identity through the lens of sport and statistics.
Wednesday 19 August | 9:00 pm | Get tickets

Sovereign Shorts (Presented by MIFF and NITV, supported by VicScreen)
A collection of powerful First Nations short documentaries celebrating storytelling, resilience and lived experience.
Sunday 23 August | 6:15 pm | Get tickets

Time and Water
From Fire of Love director Sara Dosa comes a visually stunning meditation on Iceland's disappearing glaciers, memory and our relationship with the natural world. Perfect for anyone who loved Paddle.
Tuesday 18 August | 11:00 am
Wednesday 19 August | 10:30 am
Saturday 22 August | 12:45 pm | Get tickets

Common Ground
Profiling a hopeful and uplifting movement of white, black, and indigenous farmers who are using regenerative models of agriculture. Not part of MIFF but you can stream it here

Explore the full program here

Planting Parties Details: A series of volunteer revegetation events around Melbourne, hosted by Fed Square. Date: Various dates throughout August 2026 | More info

AEGN Environmental Philanthropy Conference 2026 Details: Hosted by AEGN. Date: 12–13 August 2026 | More info

First Nations Clean Energy Symposium 2026 Details: Hosted by the First Nations Clean Energy Network with Indigenous Land and Sea Corporation. Date: 18–20 August 2026 | More info

Global Impact Summit Details: Hosted by Impact Investing Australia. Date: 5–6 August 2026 | More info

Moving from Adaptation Strategy to Implementation
Host: The Climate Change Exchange
Details: Thursday 6 August, 10:00am – 11:30am (online) | More Info

National Landcare Week 2026
Host: Landcare Australia
Date: 3–9 August 2026 | More Info

Keep Australia Beautiful Week 2026
Host: Keep Australia Beautiful
Date: 3–9 August 2026 | More Info

National Science Week 2026
Host: Australian Government
Date: 15–23 August 2026 | More Info

GFPA Community of Practice - Building the ecosystem for good food purchasing Details: Hosted by Good Food Purchasing Australia Date: Wed, 26 Aug, 12pm - 1:30pm | More info

Melbourne | Claude Impact Lab Details: Hosted by Claude Community Events. Date: Sunday 16 August | More info

Philanthropy Australia Conference 2026 Details: Hosted by Philanthropy Australia. Date: 7–11 September 2026 | More info

Spring Equinox Long Lunch at Motel Optimismo Details: Hosted by Finding Infinity. Date: Saturday 19 September 2026, 12:00pm–7:30pm | More info

Don't Waste Buildings - a screening of "The Ranch" documentary
Host: Rewild Agency
Details: Thursday 17 September, 5:30pm – 8:00pm
Location: Sanders Place | More Info

WELL Summit and Healthy Homes Training
Host: International WELL Building Institute
Date: 16–17 September 2026 | More Info

2026 Foenander Lecture presented by Scientia Professor Toby Walsh: The Real Impact of AI on Jobs
Host: Melbourne University
Date: Thursday 3 September 2026 | More Info

Do you want to host an event at Sanders Place?

If you or someone in your network are sitting on a great idea we’d love to hear from you.

SUBMIT EVENT EOI HERE