The Philanthropy Leadership Summit Compass launches

Philanthropy Australia is proud to release the Philanthropy Compass 2025 – a guide to practice that responds to the complex challenges of our times. The Compass is shaped by the insights, ideas and aspirations of the sector.

In response to the unprecedented issues facing the world today, the 2025 Philanthropy Australia Leadership Summit convened 450 established and emerging philanthropic, not-for-profit and government leaders in Canberra in August. There were powerful keynotes, panel discussions, lightning talks and interactive roundtables aimed at galvanising our collective direction. The theme of the Summit was Leadership for our Times.

There was an urgency to the Leadership Summit discussions and a tangible intent to further mobilise the finance, influence and unique catalytic powers of philanthropy to take Australia into a more sustainable, equitable and hopeful future.

The Philanthropy Compass 2025 is an important resource capturing Leadership Summit insights and feedback. It is a record of the event, and a heartening representation of the sector’s dynamic and collaborative spirit.  It represents how participants coalesced around a leadership for our times that is courageous, adaptive, emotionally adept and values based.

The Compass is designed as a tool to inspire further conversations, create opportunities for new thinking or to affirm current practices and approaches.

Sarah Hardy, Philanthropy Australia’s new Deputy CEO with leadership of the Partnerships & Practice portfolio, said: “I am delighted to have joined Philanthropy Australia as we launch the Philanthropy Compass 2025.

“It is a timely offering and one that we hope will spark further ideas and conversations about the kind of philanthropic leadership we need in these times. I congratulate PA and the sector for developing a resource to inspire and build on practices to meet this moment and create positive change.”

This work is a continuing journey that will evolve and deepen with the sector as we move closer to the Philanthropy Australia Conference in 2026.

Read the Philanthropy Compass 2025.