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Fast Facts & Statistics on Philanthropy

How many foundations are there in Australia and how much do they give?

The lack of mandatory reporting makes it impossible to give accurate data, but we estimate that there are approximately 5000 foundations in Australia giving between half a billion and one billion dollars per annum. This includes 1027 private ancillary funds (as at October 2012) and approximately 2000 charitable trusts and foundations administered by trustee companies.

Click here for the top ten reporting foundations and their levels of funding (PDF).


How much is donated by individuals in Australia?

In the 2009-10 income year, individual taxpayers claimed just over $1.9 billion ($1,962 million) worth of gifts, a decrease of 6.3% from the previous year. This is the second decrease recorded in the past decade.

The figures on individual donations do not include giving by philanthropic entities or by business; those figures are almost impossible to estimate with any certainty due to the lack of data and the logistical difficulties of collecting such data. Donations to non-tax deductible entities are also not included.


How does Australia compare to the rest of the world?

Comparisons are difficult, because other countries measure charitable donations in different ways (amounts given per taxpayer, per head or per household, for example) and use different income years. However, Philanthropy Australia research indicates that it is reasonable to say that Australians give slightly less than the UK and Canada, and significantly less than the USA.


What areas of focus receive the most amount of funding?

This is difficult to measure because of the lack of mandatory reporting in Australia. The only figures we can be certain about are the distributions made by Private Ancillary Funds (PAFs). According to those figures the areas of focus to which the largest total of distributions was made in 2009-10 FY are:

  • Welfare: $50.9 million
  • Cultural organisations: $26.4 million
  • Research: $25.2 million
  • International affairs: $23.3 million
  • Education: $21.4 million
  • Health: $18.5 million
  • Environment: $13.0 million
Source: ATO Taxation Statistics 2009/10


What is the oldest foundation in Australia?

We believe the oldest philanthropic foundation in Australia to be the Wyatt Benevolent Institution, established in 1881.



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