All-One Activist: Tishiko King of Just Futures Collab

Dr. Bronner’s “All-One Activist” series profiles influential activists who are advancing the core causes that Dr. Bronner’s supports through its philanthropy and advocacy.

As part of our ongoing All-One Activist series, we are highlighting the organisations we support through the All-One Australia Initiative and other charitable giving programs. 

Just Futures Collab is a Torres Strait Islander-led giving circle that supports climate justice where it matters most: on the frontlines. They are reimagining philanthropy by pooling small contributions from everyday people and redistributing them directly to frontline communities. 

Dr. Bronner’s is currently supporting Just Futures through the sales of our Deluxe Sample Packs. The organisation’s commitment and resilience in a challenging political and economic climate is a powerful story of hope and resistance. We recently had the privilege of sitting down with their founder, Tishiko King (Tish), and asked her about the impact the organisation is striving for, its evolution, and how they overcome challenges.

What is Just Futures Collab’s vision?

A future where Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island people thrive, guided by ancestral wisdom, cultural sovereignty and collective prosperity - with equitable access and opportunities to strengthen self-determination and resilience.

What is Just Futures Collab’s mission, and what work or programs bring that mission to life?

Just Futures Collab exists to redirect and decolonise wealth in order to accelerate resources, decision-making and power to frontline communities leading climate justice - initiatives that are grounded in Country, culture and community leadership.

How did Just Futures get started, and how did you come to work with them? What does the work mean to you personally?

Sea levels are rising. King tides and erosion are already threatening low-lying islands like my home of Masig in the Torres Strait, where sacred burial grounds and cultural practices are being destroyed. I’ve witnessed firsthand the disproportionate impacts of climate change on our island communities.

I’ve also seen the devastation in polar ecosystems like Antarctica—ice sheets collapsing at an alarming rate due to human-caused global warming from fossil fuels like coal, oil, and gas. These two places, worlds apart, are connected by the same crisis.

Through conversations, solidarity actions, and years of supporting frontline leaders and organisations, it’s clear that the most powerful solutions come from those with the most at stake—First Nations people. We’re not just sounding the alarm; we’re leading with love for culture, deep connection to Country, and generational responsibility. But Country is hurting, and it’s costing us all.

With support from Groundswell, I joined roundtable discussions that revealed a critical gap: First Nations organisations often compete with non-Indigenous organisations for the same limited resources within the climate movement. That shouldn’t be the case.

So we launched a pilot initiative—a grant round by First Nations people, for First Nations people—supported by philanthropic resources from the Eisen Family Private Fund.

Through relational approaches, truth-telling, and shared vision, other philanthropic partners stepped in. Oranges & Sardines Foundation, The Dusseldorp Forum, Gumtree Foundation, and members of the Groundswell community came on board. Together, we shifted decision-making power to First Nations people—recognising our knowledge, expertise, and leadership.

As we see planetary boundaries nearing irreversible tipping points, and as Australia remains one of the world’s largest exporters of coal and gas, the fight for climate justice is more urgent than ever. It’s also deeply unjust. But there is another way forward.

Drawing on my experiences with community foundations, collective giving circles and hosting partners on immersion trips to Masig, it’s clear: Philanthropy has a role to play.

But the truth is—we all have a role to play.

Just Futures Collab is how we come together.

It’s how city-based resources can reach remote communities.

It’s how we plant seeds for future generations, led by First Nations values of care, connection, and courage.

This is our collective fight for a Just Future.

How has Just Futures work evolved since launching? Are there any key milestones or shifts you’ve seen?

Since launching in November around the moment of COP30 in Belém, Brazil, Just Futures has grown from an idea into a living, community-powered model for climate justice and collective giving.

One of the most meaningful shifts has been the steady growth of a committed community. We now have over 60 people contributing regularly—everyday folks who are deeply concerned about climate inaction, who care about First Nations justice, and who want to walk together in collective action for a more just, equitable, and sustainable future. That in itself feels like an important milestone: creating an accessible entry point for people who may not see themselves reflected in traditional philanthropy but still want to contribute to real change.

Another key evolution has been how we’re reimagining collective giving. From the beginning, we set out to challenge traditional models that can often feel exclusive or top-heavy. Instead, we’ve focused on making participation simple and accessible - especially in the context of a cost-of-living crisis. That’s been one of our biggest tensions and learnings: how do we both redirect resources to frontline communities and ensure that contributing remains realistic and inclusive for people doing it tough? We’re continuing to navigate that with care, grounded in trust and solidarity.

A major milestone we’ve just reached is pooling our first round of funds. In the coming month, we’ll be releasing our first micro-grant. This is a really tangible moment for us - where small, consistent contributions from people in cities begin to flow back to communities on the frontlines, including places like the Torres Strait Islands, where the impacts of climate injustice are already being felt most acutely. It’s a powerful demonstration that even small contributions, when brought together, can have a meaningful and far-reaching impact.

Overall, the work has evolved from building the foundations to beginning to activate the model…  moving from vision into practice. And as we grow, we’re continuing to learn how to hold both ambition and accessibility, while staying grounded in the leadership and priorities of frontline communities.

What are some of the biggest challenges the organisation faces, and how do you work to navigate or overcome them?

One of the biggest challenges we’re facing is the sheer scale and urgency of the moment we’re in. We’re living in a critical decade for climate justice, yet we continue to see a lack of political will from global leaders. Instead of accelerating a just transition, many governments are doubling down on fossil fuels - expanding oil, coal, and gas projects even as we cross dangerous climate tipping points.

For communities like mine in the Zenadth Kes//Torres Strait, this isn’t abstract. We are already living the impacts with rising sea levels, cultural loss, and threats to our homelands. Despite contributing the least to national and global emissions. That injustice sits at the heart of our work, and it’s something we have to keep naming.

Another major challenge is the way resources flow …or don’t. There is still only a narrow stream of funding directed toward climate, nature, and environmental justice, and an even smaller fraction reaches frontline and Indigenous-led solutions. Globally, Indigenous Peoples make up around 5% of the population but steward roughly 80% of the world’s biodiversity. Yet less than 1% of climate philanthropy funding reaches Indigenous communities directly. The numbers don’t add up and they reflect deeper systemic issues about who holds power, and who is trusted to lead.

For us, navigating this means doing more than just asking for more funding… it means actively challenging the structures behind it. Philanthropy, in many cases, has been built on extracted and unequal wealth. With that comes a responsibility: not just to give, but to shift power. That’s why we’re focused on building relationships with partners who are willing to move differently, who are ready to back frontline leadership, trust community-led solutions, and connect their resources to collective action.

We also can’t ignore the broader systems at play. The intersecting forces of colonialism and patriarchy continue to shape who benefits and who bears the cost of the climate crisis. The system isn’t broken… we know it’s working as it was designed to. And what we’re seeing globally is the concentration of wealth and power at the top, while the people most impacted are those with the least: Indigenous communities, women, and future generations.

So our approach is twofold. We’re creating practical pathways like our collective giving model to redirect resources directly to the frontlines in ways that are accessible and community-driven. But we’re also working to shift the narrative and the system itself - calling for leadership from those with wealth and influence to not just move money, but to move in solidarity, redistribute power, and stand alongside the communities leading this work.

Because ultimately, this isn’t just about funding, it’s about justice. And all of us have a role to play in shaping what comes next.

Are there other movements, organisations, or approaches you find especially inspiring or aligned with your vision for change?

I mean, where to start… In places like Australia - a colonial settler state and one of the world’s major fossil fuel exporters - we’re seeing more and more people turn to the courts to demand accountability where political leadership has failed. The fact that Australia has had some of the highest levels of climate litigation brought against its own government speaks volumes. It reflects a growing refusal to accept systems that are unjust, unequal, and designed to protect extraction over life.

What’s especially powerful is the leadership of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples in this space. For generations, our communities have resisted, adapted, and fought for justice and in this moment, that resistance is also showing up in the courts in ways that are shifting precedent and influencing global conversations.

From the leadership of the Torres Strait 8 taking their fight to the United Nations Human Rights Committee, asserting that climate inaction violates fundamental human rights to Traditional Owners in the Tiwi Islands challenging gas expansion through cases against Santos Ltd. From the courage of Youth Verdict taking on projects backed by Clive Palmer, to communities across the Murray-Darling Basin holding the Commonwealth accountable for water justice.

These are not just legal cases. They are acts of sovereignty. They are acts of protection. They are acts of love for Country and future generations.

And this is only this decade. It builds on the footsteps of those who came before us - our Elders and ancestors - who fought tirelessly so that we could stand where we are today.

What makes these approaches so aligned with Just Futures is that they don’t just seek incremental change…they challenge the very foundations of the system. They expose the imbalance of power, they demand accountability, and they create new pathways for justice that ripple far beyond a single ruling.

Because ultimately, this work isn’t just about winning cases. It’s about shifting what is considered acceptable. It’s about reclaiming power. And it’s about ensuring that the voices of those most impacted are not only heard, but lead the way forward.

Why is an interconnected or “All-One” approach important to the broader work for social and environmental advocacy?

An interconnected - or what Dr. Bronner’s calls an “All-One”- approach – isn’t new. It’s something Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, and Indigenous cultures around the world, have always known and lived. It’s grounded in kinship: the understanding that we are not separate from each other, or from the land, waters, and skies…we are part of them.

In this worldview, everything is in relationship. People, Country, culture, ancestors, and future generations are all connected through systems of care, responsibility, and reciprocity. So when we talk about climate, we’re not just talking about emissions or policy, we’re talking about the health of those relationships. When Country is hurting, communities are hurting. When communities are strong, Country is cared for.

That’s why an “All-One” approach is so essential to social and environmental advocacy. Because the challenges we face - climate change, biodiversity loss, inequality - are not isolated issues. They are symptoms of a system that has separated people from place, and profit from responsibility. Trying to solve them in silos won’t work.

Climate justice, at its core, is about humanity. It’s about recognising that the impacts of this crisis (and the solutions) are shared, even if they are not felt equally. It calls on all of us to move beyond individualism and into collective care. To understand that no single person, organisation, or community can do this alone.

In our work at Just Futures Collab, this shows up in how we come together—pooling resources, sharing responsibility, and backing frontline leadership. It’s about many small actions, grounded in care, adding up to something much bigger. Like drops of water that, together, create a tide.

There’s also a deeper truth here: love is not abstract. In many Indigenous ways of knowing, love is expressed through action—through caring for Country, for each other, and for what we leave behind. Kinship is not just a concept; it’s a practice.

So an interconnected approach isn’t just a strategy … it’s a way of being. It asks us to remember that we belong to something larger than ourselves. And that the future we’re fighting for depends on how well we show up for each other, for Country, and for generations yet to come.

Why is it important that companies invest in social and environmental advocacy efforts?

Right now, many of the systems driving climate and social injustice are upheld by corporate power through extraction, supply chains, lobbying, and influence. So when we talk about why companies should invest in social and environmental advocacy, we’re really talking about a deeper shift: the need to decolonise and decarbonise the way business operates.

To decarbonise is straightforward in principle: rapidly move away from fossil fuels, stop expanding harm, and invest in solutions that sustain life. But to decolonise goes deeper. It means questioning where wealth has come from, whose land and labour it was built on, and who continues to bear the cost. It means shifting from extraction to reciprocity, from taking without consent to acting in relationship and accountability with communities, especially Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island peoples.

The truth is that companies are not neutral actors. As global players, they have immense influence, often more than governments. They shape markets, set norms, and move capital at scale. That means they also have the ability (and responsibility) to lead change, not follow it.

Investing in advocacy is one way to do that. Not just funding projects, but backing movements, community-led solutions, and systemic change. It means supporting the people on the frontlines who are already holding the knowledge and leading the work. And it means being willing to challenge the status quo - even when that requires uncomfortable shifts in power, profit, and decision-making.

Because the status quo is not working. It’s delivering record profits for some, while communities - particularly Indigenous communities, women, and future generations - carry the cost of climate breakdown and inequality. This isn’t accidental. It’s the result of systems designed this way.

So the question is no longer whether companies should engage … it’s how boldly they’re willing to act.

Real leadership looks like more than pledges. It looks like aligning money, power, and practice with a just transition. It looks like redistributing resources, advocating for stronger climate policy, and standing alongside communities, not above them.

Because in this moment, neutrality is not an option. And if companies are serious about a liveable future, then they have to be part of transforming the systems they’ve helped create.

How can readers best support your work?

1. Join the circle, join the family and share with your friends - you have influence in your circles for change and action. Visit www.justfuturescollab.org.au
2. Post it on your socials, I am so proud that you are a part of this - you should be too - share on linkedin, facebook instagram or TikTok.
3. If you haven’t already, divest in fossil fuels and change your bank or super to companies that are doing good for the planet.
4. continue to be engaged here with Dr. Bronner’s and explore other learning resources wherever you are on your journey… lets keep moving forward - together!