Governor-General Sam Mostyn has met with nearly 50 leading women in philanthropy to strategise ways to double giving in Australia by 2030.
Held at Government House on Thursday, the event was part of the She Gives campaign, bringing together some of Australia’s most prominent women in philanthropy, including Georgina Byron AM, Carrie Bickmore, Fiona Geminder and Kirsha Kaechele.
“Caring for each other is deeply entrenched in our national identity – Australians reach out with generosity when times are tough and needs are great. Australian women philanthropists make an enormous impact that is rarely recognised in the public domain,” Mostyn said on Thursday.
“This is a moment to recognise and celebrate women’s giving – Australian women who give their time and their skills, as well as their money, at all levels from volunteering, to raising funds for important causes or significant, life changing bequests to research.”
The meeting sought to find new stategies to double giving in Australia by 2030 – a committment made by Philanthropy Australai – in the face of challenging cost-of-living pressures that have stretched service providers beyond capacity. Currently, 80 per cent of service providers are struggling to meet demand as 3.4 million Australian housholds experience food insecurity.
The event on Thursday also launched the research phase of the She Gives campaign, a major national initiative that is working to harness the potential of women’s giving and the collective power, networks and ambitions of Australian women to accelerate social change. Governor-General Mostyn recognised the important role women play in philanthropy and in grassroots iniatives that are pioneering new ways of giving.
The Governor-General also hosted the first roundtable discussion in a series that will spotlight innovative and inclusive ways of giving and to capture new data to understand what is needed to grow the culture of giving in Australia. Further roundtable discussions across the country will take place in the coming months, culminating in a final research report by She Gives, which will be launched by the Governor-General in late 2025.
“I am delighted to host this group of exceptional and generous Australian women from diverse backgrounds to discuss and plan the strengthening of a culture of giving,” Mostyn said.
“Women giving represents a remarkable opportunity – in celebrating and amplifying its impact we have the opportunity to bring greater scale and impact across the country.”
Melissa Smith, founder of the She Gives campaign, said that for too long, the stories of women and their potential to inspire change have not been adequately recognised.
“By sharing these stories, and tapping into the insights they offer, we can pull the picture of philanthropy into sharper focus, drastically expanding the scope of what we can achieve,” Smith said.
“We know that women are poised to come into greater economic power in coming decades, inheriting up to $3.4 trillion or two-thirds of the intergenerational wealth in the next 20 years as Australia approaches the greatest wealth transfer in our history. That’s why it’s critical that we encourage women in philanthropy, inspiring others by celebrating women who give – regardless of the scale of their gift.”