Five forces from US Philanthropy: QLD Funders Peer Network
At the March meeting of Philanthropy Australia’s Queensland Funders Peer Network, Peter Johnstone, CEO of the Clem Jones Group and Foundation, shared five major shifts transforming US philanthropy. Kim Harland, our Director Engagement (QLD), recaps for his insights for Giving News and what they mean for Australian philanthropy.
Reflections from across the Tasman: Philanthropy New Zealand Conference 2026
Systems change, Te Ao Māori approaches and the future of giving were key topics at the Philanthropy New Zealand conference earlier this month. Philanthropy Australia’s Krystian Seibert, Sarah Hardy and Bella Conynham share their reflections from the gathering.
The Philanthropy Leadership Summit Compass launches
Philanthropy Australia is pleased to share the Philanthropy Leadership Summit 2025 Compass with the sector. This guide to practice in response to the polycrisis has been informed by our 2025 strategic planning process and shaped by insights and ideas from participants in the Summit funders’ workshop and from individual members.
Lord Mayor’s Charitable Foundation unveils new name: Greater Melbourne Foundation
After more than 100 years of operation in Melbourne, the Lord Mayor’s Charitable Foundation this week entered a new chapter. It revealed its new operating name: the Greater Melbourne Foundation. The change reflects the Foundation’s recently launched strategic focus on social justice and equity, and its renewed commitment to tackling some of Greater Melbourne’s most pressing challenges.
Beyond the 5% Rule: Why charity trustees should invest for impact
You can’t have your cake and eat it too. Or some would argue that if you want to generate social or environmental impact from your investments, you have to compromise financial returns. This debate matters because society desperately needs to unlock large, patient chunks of capital to use to scale innovations that can solve the planet’s biggest social and environmental challenges, writes Paul Ronalds, CEO of Save the Children Global Ventures.
Best practice lives at home too: Insights from North American philanthropy
North America often looms large in the philanthropic imagination. It’s home to some of the world’s most storied foundations, biggest givers and boldest initiatives. Andrew Binns, CEO of Australian Communities Foundation, has had two weeks of meetings and conversations across Canada and the US. He has returned with a powerful reminder: the most effective and innovative philanthropy isn’t confined to one part of the world. Best practice lives here, too.
The power of Five Bucks: founder Brianna Kerr on ‘going small to go big’
Five Bucks – a giving community where members chip in $5 a week – is all about ‘going small to go big’. Giving News talks with the founder of this collective giving initiative as the community distributes its first $62,000. In this Q&A, Brianna Kerr shares fascinating insights on the democratisation of giving in action – and what’s in store for year two.






