Holly Buschman: How Minderoo Foundation approaches holistic philanthropy

For the Minderoo Foundation, taking a holistic approach to philanthropy is about recognising that social and environmental challenges do not exist in isolation. 

The foundation’s work spans three key areas: natural ecosystems, addressing socioeconomic disadvantage and gender equality. Across all of these priorities, Minderoo Foundation applies what it describes as three core lenses: gender, climate and First Nations perspectives. 

“We apply those lenses because in those areas there’s extra thinking required – or areas of real historical inequity that we want to make sure our work and our partnerships, and our collaborations address in that space. So, we apply those lenses over all of the work that we do,” says Holly Buschman, Executive Director, Natural Ecosystems at Minderoo Foundation, in conversation with Claire O’Rourke, CEO of the Australian Environmental Grantmakers Network.  

As Holly explains as part of The Rise of Holistic Philanthropy series from Philanthropy Australia and the Australian Environmental Grantmakers Network (AEGN), Minderoo’s approach also shapes how the foundation assesses potential partners and projects. Beyond a strong idea, Minderoo looks for organisations that are deeply connected to the communities they serve and understand the broader systems they are seeking to influence. 

“We’re also looking for proposals that address that systemic, more holistic view that really understand where this particular initiative fits into that holistic system.” 

Minderoo’s commitment to systems thinking extends to the projects it supports. Holly points to the foundation’s backing of Ocean with David Attenborough, a documentary designed to help audiences better understand the connection between climate change, nature loss and the degradation of marine and ocean ecosystems. 

Checks and balances 

For funders seeking to adopt a more holistic approach, Holly believes one of the biggest advantages is bringing together people with different expertise and perspectives. 

“Bringing in those different perspectives and testing, particularly for natural ecosystems, that we are not taking a limited view that’s based on biodiversity conservation. For example, bringing in the gender perspective or the First Nations perspective really rounds out that approach and make sure that we’re not too narrow in our thinking.” 

Importantly, she says those perspectives do not all need to exist within an organisation. Funders can actively seek out external voices, partners and networks to challenge assumptions and strengthen their approach. 

“Then we’ve got not only the check and balance around the unintended consequences of our giving on issues outside of our own, but also test and kind of expose the potential opportunities and co-benefits that might arise,” she says. 

For Holly, holistic philanthropy is ultimately about more than addressing a single issue. It is about understanding how complex challenges intersect, listening to the people closest to those challenges, and drawing on diverse perspectives to create lasting change. 

This article is part of The Rise of Holistic Philanthropy, a video series exploring how funders are creating impact across interconnected issues. Watch the full series to hear from philanthropic leaders and discover practical examples of strategic, holistic giving in action.