You have to see it to believe it: visiting organisations on-the(ir)-ground is catalytic
The Australian International Development Network (AIDN) conducts Insight Tours designed to connect philanthropists, donors and impact investors with diverse, locally led development initiatives overseas to help break down barriers to funding. Julie Rosenberg, AIDN CEO, shares her experiences of a recent tour to illustrate how developing on-the-ground, trust-based relationships is key to increasing Australia’s support for global challenges.
Latest Telescope report highlights cost-of-living and collaboration as big issues for 2024
A new report has revealed the philanthropic sector’s issues and ideas for the coming year. Philanthropy Australia’s second annual Better Philanthropy Telescope report has taken the pulse of the sector to help identify the trends, issues and opportunities that will shape the giving agenda this year.
Sector appointments: LMCF new CEO, ACF new Board Chair
The Board of Lord Mayor's Charitable Foundation has announced the appointment of Peter Walton as its new Chief Executive.
Grace Forrest wins prestigious US award for anti-slavery work
Human rights advocate Grace Forrest is the first Australian woman to win the prestigious Roosevelt Foundation Freedom from Fear Award 2024. She founded Walk Free, under the auspices of the Minderoo Foundation, which produces the Global Slavery Index, the world's most comprehensive dataset on modern slavery. Grace is the oldest daughter of Andrew and Nicola Forrest and joins the likes of high-profile global advocates who have been honoured with the award previously, including Malala Yousafzai, Ruth Bader Ginsberg, Nelson Mandela, the Dalai Larma and former German chancellor Angela Merkel.
Mother Earth loan – an agribusiness finance model that cares for Country
The Mother Earth loan is designed to support the purchase of freehold title farmlands by First Nations farmers to revive traditional practices. It’s based on similar modelling to HECS, where repayments are due when Mother Earth is ‘healthy and able to share’ and payments are paused or significantly reduced when ‘Mother is struggling and needs time to heal’. Paul Girrawah House, one of the founders of the Waluwin Foundation, explains how it can work, its benefits and the role philanthropy can play.
Global platform launches to unleash the potential of data in philanthropy
In an era where data permeates every aspect of our lives, its transformative potential remains untapped in many sectors, particularly philanthropy. The ability to leverage innovative data-driven tools and methods could transform how our organisations – big or small – prioritise investments, tackle root causes and understand more deeply the communities they aim to serve. Recognising this, The GovLab and the Paul Ramsay Foundation joined forces to create the global platform DATA4Philanthropy.net. Stefaan G. Verhulst, Co-Founder and Chief R&D at The GovLab, explains its benefit to the sector.
Innovative corporate philanthropy empowers staff to give
Independent wealth management firm Koda Capital has launched its own company foundation that empowers employees to become philanthropists in their own right. The Koda Endowment creates an appealing option for staff to structure their giving, building up their philanthropic capital via their salary in a similar manner to how they build up their superannuation - creating a lasting legacy for themselves and the community. Chris Wilson, Philanthropy and Social Capital Partner at Koda, explains how it works.