‘Philanthropy is having a moment’: Philanthropy Australia marks biggest ever conference

More than 1,000 people filled the room at the Adelaide Convention Centre on 6 August at the Philanthropy Australia Conference 2024 – along with 120 online – to kick off the peak body’s biggest biennial gathering in its history. The size of the audience showed the growth and vibrancy of the sector, said CEO Maree Sidey.

View a summary video about the conference below.

The conference was hosted for the first time in Adelaide, on the lands of the Kaurna people, and taking up a big slice of the Convention Centre on the banks of the Karrawirra Pari. Maree warmly welcomed the audience of philanthropists and social change advocates and acknowledged the First Nations leaders who had contributed to the event’s planning and are helping shape a different future for the sector.

In her opening address, Maree said that philanthropy was “having a moment” and that she had been travelling around the country meeting members in the three months since coming into the CEO role.

“I’ve seen and heard a real ambition and appetite for progress in our sector. People are keen to be involved in significant and meaningful work, because that’s why we get involved in giving in the first place. But we can’t achieve that alone. We can only do that together.

“Building deep and meaningful and partnerships with each other is how we build a robust civil society… I believe in the power of philanthropy… and I believe in the potential of philanthropy.”

The event hosted 170 speakers, 12 masterclasses, 21 themed sessions, 24 side events and a dinner attended by 500. There was a buoyant, enthusiastic mood throughout the three days and a palpable buzz as members, colleagues and collaborators from across the sector caught up with one another and shared experiences.

Philanthropy Australia thanks all those who attended the conference and contributed their valuable insights either as speakers, partners or audience members – and to those who have provided feedback so far in the post-event survey.

Feedback has been immensely supportive and has acknowledged the breadth of topics covered in masterclasses, plenary and concurrent sessions. Delegates have noted the diverse and inclusive cross-section of contributors delving into meaty questions and providing meaningful discussions and networking opportunities.

This anonymous comment from the survey is typical of many: “Philanthropy in Australia is growing. It is becoming more collaborative and understanding that a relationship of equality and trust between donor and the organisation they are supporting with long-term, unrestricted funding is the way real change will happen. I felt very heartened by the atmosphere at the conference.”

Plenary sessions to a packed auditorium included James Chen’s inspirational account of his 30-year journey and multimillion-dollar investment to have vision correction made available to all in Rwanda and now the world. Safeena Husain, Founder and Board Member of Educate Girls, described the on-the-ground steps she and her team have taken, including going from village to village in India knocking on doors to find girls who were being kept out of school. Danny Kennedy, CEO of New Energy Nexus, put out a call-to-action to philanthropists to invest in electric renewables at scale to make a real impact in climate change.

Stacey Thomas, CEO of the Wyatt Trust, delivered a deeply reflective report on how her organisation had gone through a truth-telling process with First Nations leaders about its past, while another plenary session considered the role of First Nations people in philanthropy today. Other keynote sessions included Sara Lomelin on the global growth in the collective giving movement, Dr Kristen Ferguson AM on “heart leadership” and Andy Bryant, of the Segal Family Foundation, on trust-based philanthropy and how a number of the organisation’s former grantees are now on the board and have become “his bosses”.

Philanthropy’s ongoing collaborative relationship with government was also evident, with the presence of the Premier of South Australia, the Hon Peter Malinauskas MP, who opened proceedings, followed by Assistant Minister for Competition, Charities and Treasury, the Hon Dr Andrew Leigh MP, who signalled support for tax donation reforms and support for the community foundations model. Day 2 of the conference was opened with Kristy Muir, Paul Ramsay Foundation CEO, in conversation with Social Services Minister the Hon Amanda Rishworth MP.

Maree urged the audience to embrace the conference themes of Shifting Perspectives, Shifting Practices. “We face immense challenges with widespread unmet social needs, environmental crisis… and a shrinking space for civil society… the stakes have never been higher. 

“On top of that, we are at the crossroads of the biggest ever gap between the haves and have nots…  and our sector sits right at the heart of this tension.

“This room has the power to choose to lean into trust, transparency, humility, truth… paying what it takes …and an openness to keep doing what is working and change what’s not.”

Philanthropy Australia Co-chairs Amanda Miller OAM and Lisa George closed the conference announcing the dates and location of the next: Brisbane on 8-10 September 2026. See you there!

View a photo gallery from the conference.

Video recordings of the Conference plenary sessions and a selection of the other sessions will be available in the coming weeks on the member-access Better Giving Hub and to delegates.