In the 2020-2021 financial year, the total value of donations given by the top 50 philanthropists in Australia was $942 million and in 2023 donations exceeded $1 billion. Australia will shortly experience the largest intergenerational wealth transfer in its history and many wealthy Australians are looking to make a bigger contribution to social, environmental, cultural and community causes they connect with. 

Learn how to gain a professional advantage by knowing how to talk to your clients about philanthropy, engaging the whole family with you as their trusted adviser. 

To get started, take a look at our 3-minute animated videos and explore the CPD accredited Professional Advisers Guide to Giving.

Canva co-founders Cliff Obrecht and Melanie Perkins debuted at $15 million and Geoff Cumming has come in at No. 4 on the list with his $250 million donation to establish a pandemic research Centre. Giving in Australia has changed as high-end philanthropy seeks to solve some of our most pressing and challenging problems.

Have you ever had a conversation with your client and been asked - how do I know my money is having impact? How do I know all of my money is going towards the cause and not being spent on overheads? Here's some food for thought...

Know the right questions to ask

Understanding what your client cares about will help you provide tailored advice and deepen your relationship with them and their family.

Giving tends to be a personal journey influenced by external factors. Ask questions about personal motivations for giving, assets available to give (time, treasure, talent) and what and who they think they'd like to give to - ie. is it a particular place, underserved group or maybe it's environment related.

You'll learn more over time, and your client will appreciate your personalized and holistic service.

Looking for a template? Access our worksheets here.

Go in depth with this CPD accredited video. Craig Connelly and Cathy Scalzo discuss how the conversation about giving might be started and how it could play out. 

Before they announced their recent split, Andrew and Nicola Forrest committed $5 billion to their philanthropic foundation Minderoo, the biggest donation in Australia’s history.