Melbourne Art Foundation is a not for profit organisation established in 2003 to support living Australian artists.

The principal role of Melbourne Art Foundation is to produce the Melbourne Art Fair and the Melbourne Art Foundation Awards for the Visual Arts. The Foundation's vision is to increasingly complement its work with additional year round activities in support of living artists, including in the areas of education, events, awards, scholarships and publishing.

Melbourne Art Foundation sponsors a range of programs at Melbourne Art Fair for the benefit of living artists, to facilitate public discussion and develop new audiences for contemporary art. These include: Major Commissions; Project Rooms featuring Melbourne's artist run initiatives and independent and emerging artists; free Public Forums and Lectures featuring artists, curators and international guests; international Curator and Collector Programs; Guided Tours; Publications; and the celebrated opening night Vernissage.

Melbourne Art Foundation is registered for tax-deductible donations (deductible gift recipient status) and has charitable tax concession status through the Australian Government's Register of Cultural Organisations.