At the end of a complex and challenging year, the best of Australian philanthropy has been celebrated at the sixth annual Australian Philanthropy Awards.
Catch up on the ceremony here. |
The awards were held for the first time as a virtual ceremony and showcased a range of collaborations that led to innovative, strategic and bold outcomes in settings as diverse as outback Australia to inner-city Melbourne.
Philanthropy Australia CEO Sarah Davies hailed philanthropy’s response to the challenging circumstances of 2020, that began with the bushfires, was quickly followed by the COVID-19 pandemic and then the social and economic consequences of the health crisis.
“Never has there been a more important time for philanthropy to show up,’’ Ms Davies said. “And has it shown up this year! We have been so energized and inspired by how our members have responded – generously, cleverly, nimbly, strategically – to these challenges, and I have to say the best of philanthropy is on display now for us all.’’
The Awards drew a record number of nominations across nine categories: Leading Philanthropist, Better Philanthropy, Bolder Philanthropy, Best Grant Program, Community Philanthropy, Environmental Philanthropy, Indigenous Philanthropy, Gender-wise Philanthropy and International Philanthropy.
Australia’s highest philanthropic honour, the Leading Philanthropist Award, was awarded to Carol Schwartz AO in recognition of her outstanding contribution to philanthropy and her insights into giving, community, leadership and gender.
Ms Davies said the nine award recipients showed the “…the transformative power that good partnership, powerful community leadership and powerful philanthropy can achieve together.”
Press release | Leading Philanthropist press release | Awards booklet
Leading Philanthropist
Carol Schwartz AO
Better Philanthropy Award
Lord Mayor’s Charitable Foundation and Housing Choices Australia for the Affordable Housing Challenge
Bolder Philanthropy Award
Gandel Philanthropy and the Australian Foundation for Yad Vashem for the Gandel Holocaust Studies Program for Australian Educators
Best Grant Program Award
Foundation for Rural and Regional Renewal (FRRR) for the Tackling Tough Times Together program
Community Philanthropy Award
Give Where You Live Foundation and Geelong Community Foundation and Kids Thrive for the Geelong Kids as Catalysts program
Environmental Philanthropy Award
The Pace Foundation (and six other funders) and Beyond Zero Emissions for the 10 Gigawatt Vision
Gender-wise Philanthropy Award
Brian and Virginia McNamee Foundation and WIRE for the Purse Project
Indigenous Philanthropy Award
The Balnaves Foundation and Guardian Australia for working together to deliver independent investigative reporting into Indigenous affairs
International Philanthropy Award
Accenture Australia and Good Return for working together to build the financial capability of vulnerable people in Cambodia and Nepal
The Australian Philanthropy Awards were generously partnered by Macquarie Group, Grant Toolbox, Australian Community Philanthropy, Australian Communities Foundation, Foundation for Rural and Regional Renewal, Lord Mayor’s Charitable Foundation, Australian Environmental Grantmakers Network, Australian Women Donors Network, Ninti One, Australian International Development Network and Australian Council for International Development.
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Philanthropy Australia acknowledges the Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples as the first inhabitants of the nation and the Traditional Custodians of the lands where we live, learn and work. We pay our respects to Elders past, present and future.
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