The future of philanthropy and why it matters

Speech by Maree Sidey, CEO of Philanthropy Australia at the opening of the 2024 Philanthropy Australia Conference.

Welcome everyone to the 11th Philanthropy Australia conference here on the banks of the Karrawirra Pari.

Acknowledgement of Country

I would like to acknowledge the Traditional Custodians of the land on which we meet today, the Kaurna people, and pay my respects to Elders past, present, and emerging.

I also want to extend a deep gratitude to all First Nations peoples and leaders who have graciously given their time and expertise to help us develop this conference. 

This includes representatives of the traditional owners of Kaurna and its surrounds and includes,

• First Nations leaders advancing Indigenous-led philanthropy in South Australia and nationally,
• Philanthropy Australia’s First Nations Governance Committee,
• our fabulous MCs – who are both proud First People’s.
• and the emerging leaders working within and alongside our sector. 

Your contributions have been invaluable in guiding us toward a future that embraces justice for First Nations peoples.

As Warren Miller, a proud Wirangu and Kokatha man from South Australia, who is with us today, said to me recently, 

“Our people were the first philanthropists… and you white fellas have spent the last 65,000 years catching up.”

I have spent a lot of time reflecting on those words coming into this role  – and the powerful re-framing it offers for how we think about giving in this country.

A Gathering For Good.

It’s an honour to stand before you today as Philanthropy Australia’s new CEO.  As a long time, attendee but first time host of a PA Conference, it has been an absolute privilege to watch this event come together from the inside.  

Two years in the planning, twelve months in the preparation, and six months in the making…. We are thrilled that it has culminated in the largest ever gathering of philanthropy …and social change advocates in Australia. 

My thanks goes out to the Philanthropy Australia Board, our partners –  and most importantly the team – for helping to weave together the and logistically ambitious conference program to date,

1,000+ people in the room, 100 online, 170 speakers, 21 concurrent sessions, 12 Masterclasses, 24 side events, 500 dinner attendees… and countless opportunities for knowledge sharing, networking and engagement….

… including no less than 9 breakfasts  (which as an aside is actually a hot tip for the fundraisers in the room – philanthropy clearly loves a breakfast!).

I also want to acknowledge what a milestone it is to be gathering in Adelaide for the first time… (I think I heard a woo hoo), and to express my gratitude to all of our South Australian colleagues for their warm welcome and the incredible effort that has gone into showcasing the sector in SA. 

Please wave your arms for us if you are from SA – lets give them a clap.  We have had special badges made for our SA colleagues, so you know who they are and can chat to them about their exciting work.

I also want to extend my thanks to the Premier, PETER MALINAUSKAS, for joining us this morning and opening our conference. The invitation for closer engagement between philanthropy and the South Australian Government is warmly accepted, and underscores the growing momentum and desire for more strategic collaboration between the sector and all tiers of government.

So Why Are We Here, Together at this Time?

So I am going to go out on a limb here and say that I think philanthropy in this country is in a moment…. and that is reflected by how many of us are here today.

But its also informed by my last ten years in the sector… and crystallised since taking up the role… I’ve been travelling around listening and talking to members and partners…

And 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…..

It’s why we need forums like this conference… it’s also why we need organisations like Philanthropy Australia, …and its one of the key reasons I accepted this role.

Building deep and meaningful and partnerships with each other is how we build a robust civil society … its why we are sitting together in the room today.

I believe in the power of philanthropy –…and I also believe in the potential of philanthropy. 

This sector has been behind some of the most significant forces for positive change in this country….

 from marriage equality, to gun control, from abortion rights, to welfare reform, from sustainable housing, to jobs on country, from the creation of bush heritage, to the protection of endangered species, from gambling reform, to supporting the arts, from the climate movement, to supporting people seeking asylum, to providing access to education, to supporting self determination, to enabling medical research… and bridging the digital divide…I could go on…

This sector is important… the work we support is important… in fact it is critical.

But if we want to affect change in broader society, we cannot avoid the question of how we also bring it about in our own sector.

This year’s theme, “Shifting Perspectives, Shifting Practice,” reminds us that achieving change out there … also requires us to reflect on how we achieve change in here…. 

Over the next couple of days we have the opportunity to examine what we are doing, how we are doing it, and what we can do differently. 

The work that will be shared over the next two days is not Philanthropy Australia’s, it’s yours…. you are all here willing to share and learn from each other, and that is pretty inspiring!

Why Am I Here, Standing Before You?

For those that I have yet to meet, I stand before you not just as the CEO of Philanthropy Australia, but as a fellow traveller on this important journey of learning and growth…. 

My roots run deep in social justice; my mother, a social worker, my father, a Baptist minister, instilled in me a profound commitment to fairness.

Growing up, I learned the importance of being an advocate for social change, a lesson that has shaped my time in the For Purpose Sector in this country.

Prior to running a national foundation, I worked for 20 years as a not-for-profit sector leader in some of our leading NGO’s across family services, mental health and drug and alcohol sectors.

I have worked on the front line, and I have worked in prevention… I have sat in the room with people who needed immediate relief and support, and I have helped redesign systems that have changed the way we conceptualise and deliver services in this country.

And it is these experiences that have shaped how I think about wealth, power and privilege, and how we collaborate to tackle critical issues.

The stakes

So why is there such an appetite for progress in our sector ?…..

I believe its because the stakes have never been higher. 

We face immense challenges, with widespread unmet social needs, environmental crisis…. and a shrinking space for civil society. 

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.

Just as we have a strong and proud legacy of generosity … By its very nature philanthropy is also an outcome of wealth and privilege.

If we don’t name that and we don’t own that …. we have no language to reckon with it. Nor can we develop a clear and compelling vision for how we work together to bridge it.

The people in this room today have power, real power, and we also have a choice about how we use it.

Shifting Perspectives, Shifting Practice …. means wrestling with this work …, who funds it, who does it, who has access to it, who doesn’t…. And what do we do about it?

Courageous Leadership is essential!

Embracing the Challenge to Change

And while we are thinking about what we might need to change, let’s reflect for a moment on our brand….

Philanthropy is not merely a pastime for the privileged; it is a vital component of a strong democracy and a crucial force for social good.

And this critical work won’t be effective if we continue to use outdated stereotypes. 

The face of philanthropy in this country is not and should not be that of the 1% –

just look at the program for this conference – it is a rich and diverse tapestry of people involved in all parts of the work.

Equally, the big investments should not be the only stories we are telling in the media, or celebrating in our publications… 

Not because the generosity they represent is not important – of course it is  – just ask any NGO. 

But if they are the majority of stories we see represented – it is very possible that we are having the opposite effect to what we are seeking,

making giving seem like something unattainable and separate from the average Australian –  who then fails to recognise the responsibility that comes with living in one of the most privileged countries in the world.

And if fewer people are involved in philanthropy and fewer Australians feel a responsibility to give, our social licence is reduced, and we become less effective as a sector.  

So –  in fact the true measure of our success – should be in our collective efforts to grow giving, with the aim of fostering a thriving civil society

– one that is robust enough to tackle the challenges before us.

The Future of Philanthropy in Australia

I know many of you share my sense that philanthropy in Australia is at a crossroads. 

We have some pressing decisions to make and act upon if we hope to play our role, along with others, in meeting the urgent issues we face. 

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. 

There’s no time like the present and no place like a PA Conference to decide what change you are committing to…

On the other side of this choice  – is, I hope, the clarity of purpose and activation that society demands of us…

and that we will be held accountable for.

The government obviously plays a crucial role in shaping policy to grow giving – and we look forward to hearing from Minister Leigh shortly –

…but it’s up to us to make the most of the enabling environment that is created,

…to not only meet the goal of doubling giving, but to ensure that our contributions and the way we make them have a fundamental and lasting impact.

Closing and Call to Action

To that end, let’s take a final moment to reflect on why we are gathered here, …on our own individual aspirations for the next two days… and our shared and collective ambitions for what we can achieve…

What choices will we make over the course of the conference… to shift our perspectives?

What choices will we make when we leave here… to shift our practices?

Let’s seize this moment to evolve together….  

Because together, we can achieve remarkable things.

And let this shared time be the start of the shift we are reaching for!

Thank you.