From giving to partnering: reshaping philanthropy with Indigenous communities 

A groundbreaking research paper is inviting philanthropists to reimagine how they listen, walk alongside community, and create pathways that honour Indigenous knowledge. Philanthropy, Our Way argues that true impact cannot be achieved while donor agendas are prioritised over Indigenous self-determination. 

The paper, published by the University of Newcastle and Noble Ambition, emphasises that success in philanthropic practice should be measured not by scale or uptake alone. It should be evaluated in how relationships with Indigenous communities become more respectful and accountable over time. 

“For too long, I have witnessed a disconnect in philanthropy in higher education and beyond,” said Dr Kelvin Kong, Worimi man, the country’s first Indigenous surgeon, and one of the authors of the report. “Philanthropy can feel transactional, where funding is given with strings attached, often muffling the very voices it seeks to uplift. This is not a path to true equity. True equity requires a fundamental shift – from giving to us, to investing with us.” 

The paper emerged from a 2024 workshop at which the University’s Wollotuka Institute and Office of Philanthropy explored Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander fundraising priorities. The discussion highlighted the need for culturally responsive philanthropy and revealed common trends and gaps in current practices. Subsequent broader research, including interviews with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander leaders and industry representatives, brought together shared experiences alongside frameworks to inform a set of key recommendations.

For Nathan Towney, Wiradjuri man, the University’s Deputy Vice-Chancellor of Engagement and Equity and co-author of the report, that shift requires understanding how and why philanthropy currently fails Indigenous communities. He said his understanding deepened when he studied government files and discovered his grandmother once asked for her husband’s wages to be paid in cash instead of rations. The request was denied. 

“I started to think about our peoples’ relationship with money and our inability to generate wealth,” Mr Towney said. “Not only were we taken from our lands, which other people then benefited from financially, but when we did work, we weren’t paid cash, so we had no ability to save money.

 “Our people might not have much, but what we have, we share. I’ve grown up seeing my family and communities do this. I think that’s an important story to tell as we start to think about our peoples’ relationship with philanthropy and with money itself. That should shape the way that we start to approach this work.” 

Growing cultural responsiveness in giving 

The paper outlines four ways to grow philanthropy that is culturally responsive and impactful for communities. 

1. Strengthen the ecosystem by building structures, data, relationships and capabilities that support best practice in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander-led philanthropy. 

2. Centre Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander leadership guided by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander knowledge, governance and self-determination at every stage. 

3. Shift philanthropic practice with long-term, relational and flexible approaches that evolve with community priorities. 

4. See higher education as an enabling environment, with cultural governance structures, deep community relationships and Indigenous leadership, universities can model how culturally responsive philanthropy can thrive. 

The authors are now focused on how the work is formalising approaches already embedded in practice. Such as Wukul Yabang, the Aboriginal Health Research Community Panel, which provides culturally safe research advice, returns knowledge to community, and ensures community priorities inform decision-making across research and philanthropy.  

Universities are uniquely positioned to model this best practice, according to Loren Collyer, Bandjin woman, Pro Vice-Chancellor Indigenous Strategy and Leadership and Head of Wollotuka Institute, and co-author of the report. 

“This paper speaks to the opportunity for philanthropic investment to operate not simply as an act of giving, but as a commitment to equity, justice, and long-term partnership,” she said. “When funders invest in Indigenous-led initiatives, they are supporting more than access to learning, they are enabling communities to lead their own futures, define success on their own terms, and generate solutions with far-reaching social and economic impact.” 

While the paper focuses on higher education, its authors are clear that it is relevant to all philanthropic fields. Despite significant investment in the sector, a persistent gap remains in funding directed to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander-led initiatives, a gap that Noble Ambition CEO Melissa Smith says must be urgently addressed. 

“If our systems are not ready, the opportunity will not reach communities in the ways it needs to and should,” Ms Smith said. “We need funding models that move at the speed communities need, centre Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander leadership and lived experience, and invest in genuine, long-term partnerships built on trust.” 

In five years’ time, the authors would like to see stronger relationships, deeper trust, and a philanthropy model that is led by community and sustained well beyond the life of the paper itself.  

Read the Philanthropy, Our Way report. 

Artwork: Philanthropy, Our Way Collaborative Artwork (2025–2026)
Digital artwork from scanned watercolour and oil pastel on paper

Participants:
University of Newcastle and Noble Ambition staff, with researchers, project partners, and community.

Artwork Story:
The Philanthropy, Our Way artwork was co-created through a collaborative workshop process facilitated by the University Galleries, where contributors generated visual responses to the themes developed in the co-authored paper, which were then interpreted through digital design. This shared creative process invited participants to respond, reflect, and engage with the Philanthropy, Our Way research in new and meaningful ways.

With consideration for the University of Newcastle’s approach, ambition, and leadership in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander-led philanthropy, the workshop provided an opportunity to consider and articulate insights from the research through visual storytelling, as well as reflect the diverse perspectives and creativity of the participants. The collective creative outcomes were combined and interpreted digitally to generate a work of authentic visual storytelling as a contribution to the dissemination of the research.

The seed emerged as a powerful visual representation, with roots grounded in Country,
and branching into diverse forms connected by symbols of community and relationships.
The design tells the story of the seeds of many ideas, and visualises the growth of many
projects realised through Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander-led philanthropy.

The artwork also honours collaboration and multiple forms of knowledge; respecting the many cultures, circumstances, skills, and histories which bring us together to envisage culturally responsive philanthropic ecosystems that support positive outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities for the future.