Vale Marc Besen AC
Fri, 10 Nov 2023
Marc Besen AC, the renowned philanthropist and co-founder of the Sussan clothing group, passed away this week aged 99. Tributes appeared across the media, remembering Mr Besen warmly. Forbes magazine said he was regarded as “retail royalty” and a legend of business, and to those who knew him best, “he was kind, funny, loyal and incredibly wise”.
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Philanthropy is catalysing phenomenal growth in the social enterprise sector
Tara Anderson, CEO, Social Traders
Fri, 10 Nov 2023
The social enterprise format – blending mission and money – is the business model of the future, says Social Traders CEO Tara Anderson. Social Traders is a leading intermediary connecting social enterprises with business and government to grow the social procurement sector and offers Australia's only social enterprise certification. To celebrate Social Enterprise Day on 16 November, Tara outlines how Australia is experiencing the fastest and largest social enterprise procurement growth anywhere in the world – and philanthropy is fuelling the momentum.
Small Grants are vital to strengthen rural Australia
Jill Karena, Place Portfolio Lead, Foundation for Rural and Regional Renewal
Fri, 3 Nov 2023
For purpose organisations come in many shapes and sizes, and have varied needs according to their structures and location. This means that there is no "one-size-fits-all" solution to grant making, writes Jill Karena, Place Portfolio Lead, Foundation for Rural and Regional Renewal. In this thought piece, Jill explains how small grants can have a big impact, particularly on grassroots organisations, which may not be able to access traditional philanthropy.
Grattan Institute: The philanthropy behind powerful systems change advocacy
Fri, 3 Nov 2023
At Philanthropy Australia’s Philanthropy Meets Parliament Summit in Canberra last week, Danielle Wood, outgoing Grattan Institute CEO, reviewed some of the outstanding outcomes the independent public policy think tank has achieved in one of our case studies illustrating effective collaboration with government.
Why charities need robust cybersecurity now
Dr Omaru Maruatona, CEO, Aiculus
Fri, 3 Nov 2023
When a cybersecurity breach exposes confidential data such as customer personal details, sponsors and donors data and funding details, there will be significant consequences whether the victim is a large profit-making business or a small charity.
Photos from Philanthropy Meets Parliament summit
Fri, 3 Nov 2023
Leaders from across the philanthropic and government sectors gathered at Parliament House Canberra last week for the 2023 Philanthropy Meets Parliament Summit – a biennial Philanthropy Australia event. The program included speakers from across the spectrum of politics, think tanks, the Productivity Commission, agencies and more. The double giving agenda was front and centre on the day, which included the launch of a new report about superannuation bequests and a publication showcasing stories of giving. View the photo gallery below.
Five questions to consider when scaling for impact
Social Ventures Australia
Fri, 27 Oct 2023
Dr Neela Saldanha, Executive Director, Yale Research Initiative on Innovation & Scale (Y-RISE), visited Australia at the invitation of Social Ventures Australia to give the keynote address at SVA’s summit on impact at scale. She explained why successful pilots often don’t achieve the same results ‘at scale’ and provided questions to consider when expanding a change program. These issues will be explored further in the upcoming sold-out Replication and Scale event hosted by Philanthropy Australia and Zurich Insurance Group.
