What should philanthropy do about the US freeze on aid?
Benjamin Bellegy, Executive Director at WINGS
Fri, 7 Mar 2025
Here we are. The entirety of USAID’s, the biggest bilateral aid donor on earth, programmes were suddenly frozen last week by US President Trump. The organisation’s website is now offline, and the Trump administration is moving to put the free-standing agency under the umbrella of the State Department. Elon Musk, who now holds a key position in Trump’s government, has called the USAID ‘criminal’ and said it’s ‘time for it to die’.
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War Child Canada: How a Caribbean conversation is leading to a better education for Congolese girls
Allison Harding
Fri, 25 Oct 2024
War has many victims and perhaps the most tragic are children. War Child Canada has established a radio education program so girls in the Democratic Republic of Congo can learn at home to avoid the risk of sexual attack on the way to school. The program is supported by DECJUBA Foundation after an unlikely meeting on Richard Branson’s island.
You have to see it to believe it: visiting organisations on-the(ir)-ground is catalytic
Julie Rosenberg, CEO, Australian International Development Network
Fri, 16 Feb 2024
The Australian International Development Network (AIDN) conducts Insight Tours designed to connect philanthropists, donors and impact investors with diverse, locally led development initiatives overseas to help break down barriers to funding. Julie Rosenberg, AIDN CEO, shares her experiences of a recent tour to illustrate how developing on-the-ground, trust-based relationships is key to increasing Australia’s support for global challenges.
How impact investment is making a difference in global health equity
Mark Sullivan AO, founder and managing director of Medicines Development for Global Health
Fri, 2 Feb 2024
Impact investing is playing a critical and growing role in the development of medicines to treat ‘neglected diseases’ affecting the world’s poorest and most underserved peoples. These medicines would not otherwise be developed by the pharmaceutical industry, which is primarily driven by financial returns. Here, Mark Sullivan AO, founder and managing director of Medicines Development for Global Health, an Australian biopharmaceutical not-for-profit, describes how this finance model is supporting the development of Moxidectin – a potential gamechanger for the WHO’s roadmap to ending river blindness by 2030.
COP28: How philanthropy is advancing women’s climate action leadership in the Pacific
Michelle Higelin and Flora Vano
Fri, 1 Dec 2023
As the UN Climate Change Conference 2023 - COP28 - gets under way, Philanthropy Australia was pleased to partner with Groundswell Giving and ActionAid Australia to hear from Ralph Regenvanu, the Vanuatu Minister for Climate Change Adaptation. Here, ActionAid Australia's Executive Director Michelle Higelin reflects on insights from the event and the importance of backing women-led action.
United Ukraine Appeal’s mission extends beyond the end of the war
Diana Hodgetts
Fri, 3 Feb 2023
This month will make a full year since the Russian invasion of Ukraine began. Since then a charity founded by Betashares CEO Alex Vynokur has delivered humanitarian aid to Ukrainians affected by the war and evacuated vulnerable children to safety.
Philanthropy supports Ukrainians to lead in response to ongoing humanitarian crisis
Wed, 21 Dec 2022
Approximately $1.1 million in funding will give Ukrainians access to humanitarian leadership training to support their communities through the ongoing crisis.
