The book on miscarriage the Victorian Women’s Trust knew had to be written
Dee Rudebeck, News and Storytelling Advisor
Fri, 22 Mar 2024
Around 285 pregnancies result in miscarriage each day in Australia – or around one every five minutes. It’s an extraordinary figure and yet the most common complication associated with childbirth is shrouded in silence, and unfortunately shame, for many of the thousands of affected families. Author Isabelle Oderberg has set out to change some of the perceptions around this all-too-common experience in her book Hard to Bear, the writing of which was supported by philanthropy.
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Startling research shows cost of living pressures hitting Sydney women hard
Lisa Grinham, Head of Sydney Women’s Fund
Fri, 22 Mar 2024
Philanthropy Australia co-hosted an event with Sydney Women’s Fund to launch its Portrait V Women of Greater Sydney Research on International Women’s Day 2024. The study is conducted every three years and takes the pulse of women in Sydney, highlighting the issues that matter to them and the challenges they face. Here, Lisa Grinham, Head of Sydney Women’s Fund, shares the findings, which inform the organisation’s granting process.
‘Giving circle magic’: The gift that grew and grew from a group of Melbourne women
Philanthropy Australia
Fri, 8 Mar 2024
This is a story of a giving circle and the impact of one of its gifts that grew beyond anyone’s wildest imagination. The initial $60,000 grant came from the Melbourne Women’s Fund to help an inner-city community organisation provide early intervention support for women in contact with the criminal justice system. A few years on, it has led to outstanding results and millions of dollars in government backing to expand the program across the city.
Philanthropy Australia launches Women’s Giving and Philanthropy initiative
Patricia Burke OAM, Senior Advisor, Engagement & Philanthropy, Philanthropy Australia
Fri, 8 Mar 2024
As people across Australia gather to mark International Women’s Day, Philanthropy Australia celebrates by launching our Women’s Giving and Philanthropy initiative. Women’s philanthropy has emerged as a distinct area using innovative and creative methods to improve local, national and global communities. Pat Burke OAM, Senior Advisor at Philanthropy Australia and a key driver of this initiative, explains how it aims to grow and support women’s philanthropy with resources, research and inspiring stories as a key part of our mission to support ‘more and better’ giving.
‘Great example of female-led philanthropy’: Paula McLean’s $1m gift and the Stella Prize
Nick Place
Fri, 8 Mar 2024
It must have been a Zoom call for the ages. Philanthropist Paula McLean had left the board of the Stella Prize, Australia’s groundbreaking literary award for female writers, at the start of 2021. Later that year, board members informed her that they were planning to use the organisation’s 10-year anniversary celebrations to try to secure the remaining $2 million needed to endow the prize money in perpetuity. It was a bold target and they only had 10 months to achieve it.
‘Watch out – when women support a cause, they become activists’
Kimberly Downes
Fri, 8 Mar 2024
Philanthropic strategist Kimberly Downes is author of one of the few pieces of research into how women give in Australia. Here, she shares a story and some of the key findings. Despite women finding it difficult to consider themselves philanthropists, she says, but they instinctively look after those in the community and through philanthropy have the power to give hope.
Grace Forrest wins prestigious US award for anti-slavery work
Fri, 9 Feb 2024
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.
