Donkey Wheel House has always been about movement, connection, and courage — helping people and ideas reach further than they could alone.

Donkey Wheel began with a simple question:
What would happen if philanthropy put people, creativity, and courage at the centre of change?

Founded in 2004 by the Brunner family, Donkey Wheel was never designed to be a traditional charity. It was built as a different way of thinking — a belief that when passionate people are given trust, space, and support, they create movement. Over its first decade, donkey wheel backed 47 projects across Australia and globally, supporting social innovators who turned ideas into living change. The early gifting ethos was relational, human, and bold: unlock potential, champion truth-tellers, and stand beside those reshaping their communities.

In 2008, this philosophy found a home.

The Venetian Gothic building on Bourke Street — once the headquarters of Melbourne’s Tramways & Omnibus Company — was restored and renamed Donkey Wheel House. A place originally built to celebrate civic movement became a new kind of commons: a base for changemakers, artists, organisers, and big-hearted risk-takers.

Donkey Wheel House has never been about just bricks and mortar.

It’s the physical expression of donkey wheel’s belief that spaces can hold culture, and that culture can accelerate change. Donkey Wheel House is “a living commons for changemakers,” carrying forward the building’s legacy of connection, ingenuity, and civic vision.

From the horse-drawn trams of the past to the social movements of today, this building has always been about momentum.