We gathered, we shared, we pondered, we connected.

Earlier last month members of the Equity Trustees Philanthropy Team attended the 2024 Philanthropy Australia Conference on Kaurna land, Adelaide (South Australia).

Philanthropy Australia is the national peak body for philanthropy - facilitating conversation and collaboration among trusts, foundations, families, individual donors, professional advisors, companies, intermediaries and for-purpose organisations. Seeking to nurture a growing movement of people and organisations who believe in the importance of giving and are proud to leverage their position and influence to create social change.

Held every two years, the Conference is the pre-eminent gathering of the philanthropic and for-purpose sector and is an eagerly anticipated event. Over two and a half days in August 2024, philanthropists, grant seekers, advisors and community impact practitioners came together.

Held for the first time in South Australia in the almost 50-year history of Philanthropy Australia, this conference was the largest cohort ever in attendance. Over 1,000 delegates met in person on Kaurna land, and 120+ participated in the plenary sessions online.

More than 170 inspiring, thought-provoking speakers and panellists shared their learnings, experiences, frustrations and hopes throughout the Conference. It supported reflection of how we work, why we do what we do and what else is possible. There were six sub themes written into the program including shared power; shared capital; shared stories; shared futures; shared knowledge and shared place.

Maree Sidey, the newly appointed CEO of Philanthropy opened the event with reflections on the Conference theme, ‘Shifting Perspectives, Shifting Practice’. Now is our opportunity to examine what we are doing, how we are doing it, and what we can do differently. She shared that ‘philanthropy is having a moment‘, that there is real ambition and appetite for progress in our sector. But we can’t achieve that alone. We can only do that together.

Some of the key underlying themes we heard across the two days included:

• Intentional philanthropy takes patience and is long-term.
• The importance of articulating your “why” – for those delivering services and impact in community, and philanthropist alike.
• Trust takes time to nurture and involves shared power and a shared vision.
• Making change as a “collective” – we are in this together.
• Courage is required – to act, to trust, to take risks, to share power.

The Hon Dr Andrew Leigh MP, Assistant Minister for Competition, Charities and Treasury shared his thoughts around the Productivity Commission’s Future Foundations for Giving report and the Government’s commitment to boost the culture of giving.

Conference delegates were inspired by James Chen, the Chair of the Chen Yet-Sen Family Foundation who has coined the concept of moonshot philanthropy, which focuses on ambitious, high-impact goals that have the potential to create transformative change in society. Danny Kennedy, CEO of New Energy Nexus highlighted the urgent need to fix our planet and deepen our investment in climate, making a compelling case to broaden the focus of environmental philanthropy. And Stacey Thomas, CEO of The Wyatt Trust, one of Australia’s oldest philanthropic foundation with a vision of a South Australia free from poverty, shared how they are embracing truth-telling.

12 masterclasses, 14 plenary sessions, three concurrent streams – each with 21 separate panel discussions. Two days of connection, collaboration, honest conversations and thought-starters.

Together we made a commitment to further giving and greater impact in Australia.

If you would like to know more about the Conference, or Philanthropy Australia, please reach out to the Equity Trustees Active Philanthropy team.