Adelaide Bound: A shift in perspective (and location)

Chris Venter is the Managing Director for Australia & New Zealand at Benevity, the world’s leading technology platform for Corporate Social Impact. Here, Chris shares how he’s looking forward to being in Adelaide and the alignment of the Conference theme with Benevity’s work.

For the first time ever, the Philanthropy Australia conference will be hosted outside of Sydney and Melbourne, already delivering on the conference theme of “Shifting Perspectives” in the most literal sense.

Australia is a vast country, but when it comes to the needs of communities and the role philanthropy plays to address those needs, embracing all corners of this land is crucial. This will be my first PA conference as an attendee and panelist, and I’m very excited to dive into trends we are seeing, and opportunities to increase impact in the corporate giving space specifically. The Benevity community investment platform powers the world’s largest corporate giving programs, with more than $3.5bn disbursed to hundreds of thousands of non-profits in 2023 alone. And we want to help companies increase that amount significantly in the next decade, as the need has never been greater given the current inflation driven cost of living crisis.

The theme of “Shifting Perspectives, Shifting Practice” ties in directly to the work we do at Benevity to continually leverage the power of modern technology to deliver greater impact to non-profits in Australia and around the world, and I’m keen to hear from corporates, foundations and non-profits about how the rapid pace of technology affects them directly. The dawn of the next AI-driven digital era is upon us, and I know that many share my excitement at the prospect for innovation it holds for our sector. Current technology algorithms and AI holds immense potential to amplify social impact. It can optimize resource allocation, predict crises, and personalize interventions, enhancing efficiency and effectiveness. For instance, AI-driven platforms can identify vulnerable populations, match them with appropriate support services, and monitor program outcomes. However, AI also poses risks. Biased algorithms can perpetuate inequalities, and overreliance on technology can hinder human connection and critical thinking. Ensuring ethical development and deployment is crucial to harness AI’s benefits while mitigating its drawbacks.

I’m also keen to hear about broader themes around the much-needed evolution towards trust based philanthropy (or “pay what it takes” as it’s called in Australia), how better impact data is helping to increase community investment at scale, and the potential for innovative corporate granting, employee giving and volunteering programs to help achieve the Government’s goal of doubling giving by 2030.

Finally, I can’t wait to immerse myself in a community of passionate individuals who share this commitment to creating positive change in the world. Adelaide’s vibrant energy (and exceptional food & wine scene) is the ideal setting to inspire fresh thinking and collaboration.

Chris Venter is the Managing Director for Australia & New Zealand at Benevity, the world’s leading technology platform for Corporate Social Impact. Benevity serves clients like Apple, Macquarie, Nike, Google, Microsoft, Visa, and many other Fortune 500 companies. Chris has spent the past 8 years in the Community Investment software sector, partnering on the design of impact focused technology solutions with companies across Australasia, North America, and Europe.