The rise of collective giving: “We all can be philanthropists” 

For many people, philanthropy is still seen as reserved for those with significant wealth. But for Sophie and Paul Chamberlain, Directors of the Spinifex Trust, pooling their funding with others and collectively deciding where to direct it has been accessible, impactful and personally rewarding.  

Sophie and Paul helped establish a giving circle in Western Australia focused on supporting the arts. The circle has brought together people who don’t think about themselves as philanthropists, and funds organisations and projects that may otherwise struggle to access funding.  

“People think that a philanthropist is someone who has hundreds of thousands of dollars to give away,” said Sophie. “But we all can be philanthropists. Anybody who gives anything away is a philanthropist, particularly through collective giving.” 

This simple reframing sits at the heart of collective giving. Rather than acting alone, individuals pool their contributions, decision‑making and perspectives to support causes they care about. A $1,000 donation might feel modest in isolation, but when combined with the contributions of others it can become transformational. 

“If I pool my $1,000 with 100 other people,” Ms Chamberlain explains, “we’re giving $100,000 as a group for some big project to make real change.” 

This experience closely reflects the findings of the upcoming Giving Together: The Power and Potential of Collective Giving in Australia, the first comprehensive report into collective giving in this country. It shows that collective giving is mobilising significant financial resources because it lowers the barriers to entry into philanthropy. 

“It’s a fantastic way for a new philanthropist to get involved at a very low price point,” said Paul Chamberlain. “You begin that philanthropic journey and meet other people who are on a similar journey as well.” 

He also said collective giving is not just about pooling funds, but pooling insight, skills and lived experience. 

“Not one person is making a decision,” Paul said. “We’re all in it together, feeding in our different abilities, connections and understandings.” 

“There’s fun along the way,” Mr Chamberlain says. “You dig deep into the issues, explore solutions, and actually get to be part of it. We can do more together,”  

Giving Together: The Power and Potential of Collective Giving in Australia will be published by Philanthropy Australia in early July.