LKF Impact
Every dollar we raise comes from the people who show up in Lachie's name, on the golf course, on the dance floor and beyond. Since 2023, that support has funded a specialist bowel cancer nurse at Chris O'Brien Lifehouse, backed bowel cancer research trials and taken our first awareness campaign across Sydney.
Chris O'Brien Lifehouse
Chris O'Brien Lifehouse is a not-for-profit, comprehensive cancer hospital in Camperdown, Sydney, a place where Lachie spent much of his time throughout his treatment. At COBL, a specialist nurse is a patient's single point of contact, with specialist training and expertise to offer practical and emotional support throughout treatment for their particular cancer.
In November 2024, we proudly announced our partnership with Chris O'Brien Lifehouse to appoint a new Clinical Specialist Nurse in Lower GI (lower gastrointestinal) cancers, the first for COBL. Our pledge is to fund this role for three years, a commitment of $450,000. Our first $150,000 was committed as part of the 2024 Giving Day, helping Lifehouse raise over $800,000 towards its mission to create a specialist nurse role across all streams of cancer.
In March 2025, Nilika Kansakar started as The Lachlan Kean Foundation Lower GI Specialist Nurse at Chris O'Brien Lifehouse. Nilika has extensive experience caring for patients with Lower GI cancers, having begun her nursing career on the colorectal ward at Royal Prince Alfred Hospital in 2013.
"I'm inspired by the experiences of people like Lachlan," says Nilika. "My vision is to ease the burden of colorectal and bowel cancer for our patients by seamlessly coordinating multiple streams of care. I also want to ensure patients and their loved ones always have someone to turn to if they have a question or just need emotional support."
Funds raised through our annual Golf Day, our Gala Balls in 2024 and 2025, and individual fundraising by the LKF community have made this partnership possible. Thank you.
GI Cancer Institute (AGITG)
GI Cancer Trials (formerly AGITG and the GI Cancer Institute) is an independent research organisation that designs and runs clinical trials for gastrointestinal (GI) cancers, including bowel cancer. Since 1991, it has led more than 90 research studies and given more than 10,000 people access to new treatments. Running trials here in Australia can get those treatments to patients up to five years sooner than waiting on trials overseas.
Funding research is a core part of our mission, and clinical trials are how better treatments reach the people who need them.
Following the success of our 2025 Gala Ball, we proudly donated $70,000 to GI Cancer Trials, contributing to the work they do to deliver clinical trials that lead to better treatments, improved quality of life, and longer survival.
In September 2025, a group of LKF supporters laced up for The Gutsy Challenge, a 15 km day trek through the Blue Mountains, raising $10,000 for GI Cancer Trials.
Since then, GI Cancer Trials has shared Lachie's story in a giving campaign that raised over $55,000, with LKF proudly adding a further $20,000.
Thank you to everyone who walked, gave and shared Lachie's story.
Awareness Campaign
January 2025
LKFs first awareness campaign went live across Sydney late January 2025, spreading vital information around the importance of Bowel Cancer testing - because life is so good! Did you spot our billboards?
JCDecaux Australia and Sam Noble were the driving force behind this initiative, and we look forward to furthering our partnership with JCD along with additional media partners in the future.
Sydney Marathon 2024
The Sydney Marathon took place on Sunday 15th September 2024 and LKF was lucky enough to have 25 runners supporting the cause. The marathon raised over $40,000. Special thanks to Salesforce running team for their contribution.
Lachie's Legacy
When we started this journey, we were fortunate to have a large network to offer us guidance on the best way to set up a charity to support Lachie's legacy.
Following detailed investigations, legal and accounting advice, Lachlan Kean Foundation (LKF) was established as a Public Ancillary Fund (PuAF), which is a trust set up and maintained solely for the purpose of providing money, property or benefits to deductible gift recipients (DGRs). A PuAF, whilst having DGR status, does not perform charitable work itself. Instead, it acts as a bridge between donors and charitable DGRs, promoting philanthropy through fundraising and collecting public donations, which provide donors with an immediate tax deduction.
This structure is most suitable for LKF as the foundation does not currently employ full time employees. This way, we are able to focus on maximising the success of fundraising initiatives, which can then be deployed to further the foundation’s stated objectives, and causes identified by Lachie as being important throughout his battle.
As such, the Foundation is endeavoring to form a panel of partner charities that are suitably aligned to the LKF Mission. We look forward to announcing these partner charities in the coming months.
LKF is committed to undertaking thorough diligence of the mandate, constitutions and governance of any organisation that receives funds from LKF. Furthermore, as a PuAF, the Foundation is obligated to conduct audited financial reporting and other records that detail and explain all transactions that are relevant to its fundraising activity, allocation of funds raised, and status as a DGR
An Incredible Start
After Lachie passed, our first job was to set up the Lachlan Kean Foundation properly, with the right governance and structure. Alongside that, we focused on letting people know who we are and what we're here to do, and on bringing our tight-knit community along with us. Our website and socials were up and running early to share Lachie's story, and we were thrilled to run some early merchandise collaborations with Budgy Smuggler and Tucker Cafe in Randwick. Thank you both.
Our first fundraiser was a GoFundMe in December 2023, set up because so many people in the LKF community wanted to help. It raised $57,000. That money covered the costs of establishing the foundation, including the registrations that make donations tax deductible, and gave us the means to run the bigger fundraising events that followed.
Salesforce Partnership
We would like to take the opportunity to place a special call out to our platinum partner at the inaugural LKF Ball event in Salesforce. Lachie worked for Datarama, a Salesforce company, once he returned from Singapore.
Lachie immediately found his place at Salesforce where he appreciated the company's culture and energy. The value of his time with the organisation was evident in the many colleagues who soon became friends and later stood by his side through his diagnosis and ongoing battles.
Salesforce as an organisation was also extremely generous when Lachie had to take leave to focus on his health and since his passing have continued to show support in honour of his legacy.
The Salesforce and LKF partnership will initially include sponsorship of the LKF Ball and the LKF team participating in the 2024 Sydney Marathon. LKF also intends to present on the Foundation's story and mission at Salesforce Sydney offices in the coming months.
A very big shout out to those involved in establishing this partnership, in particular Hugh Allerton and Camilla Franklin from the Salesforce team.