Louise Arkles is Senior Program Manager responsible for the Foundation's Sustainable funding pillar. 

In the Environment program, Louise is focused on supporting broad-scale approaches to land and water management (both freshwater and marine) that can achieve transformative change, sustaining our natural environment and biodiversity for future generations.

She is an active member of the Australian Environmental Grantmakers Network and was instrumental in The Ian Potter Foundation winning Philanthropy Australia’s 2017 Environmental Philanthropy Award. 

Louise joined the Foundation in 2015 as Program Manager for Environment, Arts, and The Ian Potter Cultural Trust.

Previously, Louise has worked in philanthropy with individual donors and grant-making foundations for two decades, focusing on sharing the history, the passion, the outcomes and the impact of people’s generosity in order to raise the profile and effectiveness of philanthropy in Australia. She created the first Australian library specialising in philanthropy at the national peak body (Philanthropy Australia) in 2001 and went on to edit the Australian Philanthropy magazine, interviewing over 50 donors. She has worked to strengthen the network of community foundations in Australia, delivering workshops on accessing philanthropy, and consulting with individual foundations.

Louise began her career in public libraries. After working in special libraries in industry and higher education, she gained a Master of Information Management from the University of Melbourne, researching knowledge-sharing in zoos and their role in wildlife conservation.