Stories

Stories of Giving

Every woman’s experience of giving is different so what could be better than sitting down for a chat with women from all over Australia to hear their story? These incredible women open their hearts and share their personal experiences with giving and hopes for the future with us. We ask the same four questions each time. Each woman’s answers are surprising, inspiring and uniquely hers.

Nicola Forrest AO

Women bring lived experience, empathy, and collaboration to the way we give.

Fiona Geminder

I think of giving a bit like learning to dance. You need someone to teach you

Dame Quentin Bryce AD CVO

I’ve found that bringing women together is a very powerful thing - a lot of giving, at all levels, happens around the kitchen table or on the back steps.

Dr Wendy Scaife

It's one of those ancient, enduring facts of life: generosity brings change.

Donna Digby

The excitement and absolute joy of knowing that through our action we can give someone an opportunity to grow their leadership - makes my heart sing.

Dr Varina Michaels

My advocacy is about creating spaces where our voices aren't just included, but centred. It's time for the spotlight to catch up with reality.

Ann Sherry AO

Anything that builds capacity, hope and ambition, especially for the lives of people with disabilities, rather than simply managing them — really matters to me.

Amanda Smorgon

I’m driven by a responsibility to honour and continue my family’s legacy

Jemma Barsby

giving isn’t just about money — it’s about time, energy, encouragement, and showing up when it matters.

Jodie Guerrero

We have to keep speaking about this issue and make sure more women’s stories into the hands of people who make decisions about the health system.

Jess Mendoza-Roth

I believe there are two fundamental levers we can use to change the world: education and using capital for good.

Shona Reid

In a colonial context, obligation is seen as a burden. In my cultural context, obligation is a privilege.

Clare Ainsworth Herschell

Raising our philanthropic ambition is not just necessary, it should be celebrated as a cultural value that allows everyone to have a fair go.

Libby Prell

I believe that life’s blessings are an accident of birth. That drives me to give in time, treasure and talent.

Anna-Maria Arabia OAM

We need more women to share their journeys of giving and what it means, because the more we talk about it, the more it can inspire others to think about sharing their story or to grow their giving.

Rachel English

I’ve learned to accept the paradox of how simple and complicated giving is.

Melissa Doyle AM

I'm not interested in being a token name on a list; I'm a ‘boots in’ kind of person.

Janet Saunders

For me, I need to have some sort of emotional connection to my giving. So, it really needs to be something that aligns with my values and what I stand for.

Louise Walsh

Doing things with purpose is what drives me. I don’t see my personal life and professional career as separate; it’s all interwoven and always will be.

Carolyn Fletcher AM

Just do something. Take the first step, then the second step, and things will flow from there.

Sarah Langley

Sarah Langley

I find other people's stories fascinating - from the people who are inside the organisations doing the work to the people who are benefiting. Connecting with people is the best part of giving.

Solai Valliappan

Solai Valliappan

The other thing I've learned is that you don’t have to retire to do this kind of work. I can grow my giving whilst my career is in motion.

Laurie Cowled

Laurie Cowled

But my biggest ambition is for everyone to know that giving is a tonic; it does you so much good and it also does a lot of good for the whole country as well.

Kirsha Kaechele

Kirsha Kaechele

When I was a girl, I remember asking what a philanthropist was and thinking it sounded pretty amazing.

Annie Fogarty AM

Annie Fogarty AM

One of our philosophies at the foundation is, “if not you, then who?” If there's something that you think needs to be changed, then perhaps you need to get involved.

Wendy Stops

I'm at a point in my life where I've finished my executive career and now through my current non-executive director and advisory career, what drives me is to simply give back.

Maree Sidey

Maree Sidey

I believe more people are looking to be more involved in the issues they're giving to. Whether that shows up as volunteering, joining a board or fundraising.

Sarah Davis

Sarah Davies AM

The highest value dollar comes from regular, predictable, untied income because organisations can plan with it. They can make promises to the community about what they’re going to do, and spend it on what they need, when they need.

Jahna Cedar

Jahna Cedar OAM

Protecting our physical, mental and spiritual health as the way for us to keep giving the best of ourselves to others - this would be my number one learning.

Georgie Harman AO

“Mental health and suicide have affected those I love so ensuring more people have access to the support they need is incredibly important to me.”

Sami Glastonbury

Whether you’re a politician or a hospital CEO, the question at the forefront of every decision needs to be, is this going to make someone else’s journey better? Is this going to empower someone’s life?

Brenda Gaddi

Brenda Gaddi

Share what you know, pass the microphone, lift up your sister and hold the door wide open until she steps in.

Julia Gillard

The Hon. Julia Gillard AC

The key is to marry resources with activity. Get involved, lend your time and your talent because when you donate your money along with your time and talent, it makes for a hugely powerful combination.

Robyn Leonard

Robyn Leonard OAM 

If you have a simple idea and follow it through, it can be transformational. Even if you're not an expert and the odds feel impossible, persistence makes things possible.

Karen Mundine

Karen Mundine

I like supporting the things that opened up different opportunities for me. Wherever I can to give back as part of my reciprocity and create those opportunities for others, that's where I invest my time and my money.

susan gin

Susan Gin

For me giving has been a humbling experience. It’s connected me with different communities and government agencies and deepened my understanding of how this country and our society works – its strengths and deficits - in how we care for our people.

Leah Bennet

Leah Bennett

I'm always pushing for sustainability instead of growth because constantly growing and innovating doesn't necessarily lead to impact. Uplifting a disadvantaged group of people is a slow process.

Upenyu Mawande

I fundamentally believe that there are great people doing great work, and great funders wanting to fund great work. They just need help to find each other.

Hope Dyson

Hope Dyson

Giving back to the community that helped raise us and having the opportunity to leave the world a better place – it’s the ultimate really

Debbie Dadon AM

There’s so much you can learn from a multi-generational engagement in giving.

Jacinta Parsons

Women have always come together to find solutions because we're community focused and it's important to acknowledge that and celebrate that as we grow women’s giving.

Prue Pateras

Everything in our community is run off volunteers and I think it needs to be celebrated more because it often gets missed.

Tessa Sullivan

I'd love to pave the way and open the door for more inclusiveness. I want to see more women of colour, especially Thai women, stand up for leadership positions.

Pip Smith AO & Hayley Baillie

The bottom line is that if you do well in Australia, you have a duty to give back.

Tara Castle

I think my superpower is being a connector of people and of causes, bringing people on a journey and breaking philanthropy down to small bite-sized pieces

Georgie Somerset AM

I think that philanthropy is really simple: think about what you have to offer and give that.

Michelle Steele

Throughout my life, giving hasn’t just been about funding and dollars but giving through love and attention and the gift of time. I've always loved the generosity of giving and how you can show it in so many ways.

Jill Reichstein

I believe that having great women around the table has given us a creative edge because our trustees have always been prepared to take risks and push the boundaries of what we fund.

Anna & Lily Ainsworth

It’s my responsibility to use my good fortune to give back in whatever way I can.

Ross Kelly

Ros Kelly

I think it’s important to realise that you don't need to give in huge amounts. Even little bits can bring people so much joy.

Julia Burton Taylor OAM & Peita Burton Taylor

In terms of ambitions for giving in Australia, I would like ‘giving’ to become as natural as sport, to the fabric of who we are as a country.

Christine Christian

Christine Christian AO

I have come to the view that if you are in a position to make the world a better place you should.

Leah Armstrong

Leah Armstrong

I’m driven by the opportunity that I have to play a significant role in breaking down barriers of disadvantage and creating community wellbeing and investment.

Cathy Scalzo

Cathy Scalzo

There's so much evidence that whatever you give to women, they will return it in spades.

Tracy Norman

Tracy Norman

At the end of the day, that feeling you get from getting alongside people beats retail therapy a billion times over.

Nayomi Kannangara

Nayomi Kannangara

Now is the time for Australia to stand strong on our commitment to gender equality.

Kerry Gardner AM

Kerry Gardner AM

For me, it doesn't start with the giving, it starts with engagement.

Div Pillay

Div Pillay

The kickback of giving is knowing that it made a tangible difference; that’s what will drive me until my last day. When people ask me how much longer I will do this work, my answer is that I’ll stop when inequality is no longer there.

Hannah Doherty

Hannah Doherty-McMillian

If we want philanthropy to continue and expand, we have to engage and educate the next generation as they will be the key financial decision-makers in time.

Maggie Seale

Margie Seale

I'm driven by the need to support creative people in Australia who have such a tough time. We are not a country that is particularly supportive of musicians or writers, which tend to be the two things I support the most.

Francesca Beddie

Francesca Beddie

I support causes around education, refugees and poverty alleviation. They're issues that I feel our governments should be doing more about, so in that sense my giving is driven by frustration, but these issues also very much align with my career interests and more broadly my societal ones.

Nicole Beyer

Nicole Beyer GAICD

Even with a few small grants like this, our children feel like they can continue that legacy and they're going to be more aware of what the needs are in the world and hopefully share that with their own families and friends.

Leonie Bell

Leonie Bell

I am inspired by the many people I meet through philanthropy, mainly women, who see a problem and think to themselves “I can do something about this”.

Sue & Jocelyn Evans

Sue & Jocelyn Evans

With a family foundation, it’s really important to go through the process of understanding what your shared values are and to have a direction.

Shweta Khan

Shweta Khan

I think it’s all about a collective impact, because if everyone gives a little bit, then there is a lot more available to help those people in need.

Audette Exel AO

Audette Exel AO

We need more awareness, and we need more courage; to talk about our giving and to give against the currents of what is trendy. It’s about taking the time to find your thread in the beautiful tapestry of social change.

Diane Balnaves

Diane Balnaves

As with most foundations, we want to see a better world. We want more opportunities for more people

Bec Cole

Bec Cole

It’s amazing how those extra resources, even if they’re small, can shift the dial for someone. And the real lesson is that although you might feel like it's not significant, it really is.

Anne Pang

There's so much we can learn from women’s giving, but so much of it is silent and invisible. It needs to have a louder voice so it can inspire more people to do the same.

Rabia Siddique

My inspiration and motivation, until I draw my last breath, will be to do my part and add whatever small value I can, to ensure that work gets done.

Deborah Barlow

Every person has the power to help create a world that works for everyone.

Julie Kantor AO & Belinda Duarte AM

Sometimes the grand gesture that doesn't look like a grand gesture is the seed of change that we won't see until those that come after us.

Diane Smith

Diane Smith-Gander AO

I think we need to speak about giving more openly and understand the real needs within our community.

Blair Palese

Blair Palese

I see more collaboration starting to happen and there are some great networks of givers that get together and think strategically about who they're going to fund and where the fit is for them within that group. In the future, we need much more of this in Australia.

Melanie Cooper

If I'm in a position to give, then it's simply the right thing to do, because there are so many people and animals who are not fortunate and in need of assistance.

Kim Downes

I would love to see Australians celebrating philanthropy and being proud of the culture of giving that we have here.

Carolyn Vincent

Carolyn Vincent

I realised that I want to be seen because I want to inspire other women to do what I'm doing.

Liz Abrahams

Liz Abrahams

I have stage four breast cancer. It’s really honed my understanding that I want to leave a legacy that’s about the impact I've had on other people.

Jenna Liang Farrell

Jenna Liang Farrell

I’d really like to raise our children to be people who care about the community and their world; to truly see the needs and not turn away from them.

Lucy & Kristie Steggles

It’s a balance between honouring the legacy and causes that our family has supported, while bringing in new areas to support.

Gina Fairfax

Gina Fairfax AC

It is very important to talk and become involved with like-minded people to share stories and experiences to help others realise the benefits of giving.

Courtney Talbot

Courtney Talbot

It is hard to stand up for what you believe in when you're a young female voice just starting out in giving. But every year, the more I give, the more I get involved with organisations, the more my confidence grows.

Peggy Flannery

Peggy Flannery

Starting Peggy’s Place has been my greatest learning experience in giving. It’s shown me how something can grow from a small dream into something substantial. I hope it will have a significant impact on the lives of many women and children.

Alex Dimos

Alex Dimos

Most of our giving goes to South Australia, because it’s our way of giving back to a place that was incredibly generous to us.

Tania Austin

Tania Austin

As soon as people know more, they want to do more. A big part of our work is this story-telling component and involves not just our internal team but our broader teams across our entire store network.

Rebecca Cuthill & Nichola Harris

What’s interesting about intergenerational learning around giving is that the way that our parents give and their thinking around it, is different to what Rebecca and I would be doing. And now we're being challenged by our children about how we do it.

Professor Larissa Behrendt AO

Prof. Larissa Behrendt AO

Giving means different things in different areas of my life. My husband and I give to our extended family.

Tanya Hosch Executive General Manager Inclusion & Social Policy Australian Football League

Tanya Hosch AM

It’s always been the same things: fairness, social justice, the idea of looking after supporting others, as part of being in a community, as part of a healthy society.

Georgina Byron AM

Georgina Byron AM

When I first came into this giving sector, I had so much to learn. I came from the corporate world, so I did a lot of listening and learnt more about humility and the power imbalance of a funder.

Amanda Miller OAM

I think women have a slightly different perspective when it comes to giving. The women I've been involved with are very collaborative. They like to work together; they like to grow together.

Caitriona Fay Managing Partner Community & Social Investment - Perpetual

Cat Fay

We hear a lot of big dollars bandied about in terms of what the intergenerational wealth transfer would look like. I think we should be talking about what we want our communities to look like off the back of that wealth transfer.

Georgia Mathews

The impact of a collective contribution is greater than the sum of its parts and there are so many benefits to giving as a member of a giving circle – they’re engaging, they’re enjoyable because you are giving with other people, and you also learn.

Professor Kristy Muir CEO Paul Ramsay Foundation

Kristy Muir

If we are serious about tackling really complex social, environmental and cultural issues, and being good ancestors of the future, then we have to recognise that complexity can never be solved by one individual, one organisation or one big foundation.

Lyn Beazley AO

Giving doesn’t always have to mean a large amount of money. If you have lots, give lots, but you can give a small amount and then leverage it. I call it the dollar on a string. You put it out there and you get a matching dollar and then you put it out again and get another matching dollar and you just keep building like that.

Maryam Zahid

Maryam Zahid

When women are educated and empowered and given confidence through the right knowledge and the right support, they start to lead in their families as well.

Melissa Smith

Melissa Smith

I believe deeply in the power of the individual to make a difference.

Natalie Egleton CEO Foundation for Rural & Regional Renewal

Natalie Egleton

The motivation behind giving in regional communities is connected to place. It’s connected to a collective desire to make it the best place possible and create the most opportunities for people.

Carol Schwartz AO Founding Chair Women’s Leadership Institute Australia

Carol Schwartz AO

It's important to encourage women to feel financially empowered….women need to acknowledge their financial power and their own ability to give, particularly in areas where they believe they can have an impact and influence change in positive ways.

Deanne Weir Director & Co-Founder Storyd Group

Deanne Weir

There are so many extraordinary people doing incredible things to make the world a better place. Sometimes all they need is a bit of untied funding so that they can get on with implementing the plans that they've got to improve their community or to try new things

Camilla Freeman-Tropper

Camilla Freeman-Topper

Passion, equality, a bleeding heart and an overwhelming desire to give back.

Kerin Hayden

Kerin Hayden

The role I play within my family is that I'm that person pushing the envelope, reminding them and finding opportunities where we can give and share the impact.

Michelle Lin CEO Vermilion Foundation

Michelle Lin

I'd like to think that setting up a structured way of giving was inevitable at some point in my life.

Paula McLean Founding Trustee McLean Foundation

Paula McLean

Empathy is an enabler, and you take away with you much, much more than you give.

Penny Mapp

Penny Mapp

I want my girls to know they can engage with the world and make a difference.

Fiona McLeay

Fiona McLeay

For me, giving is a discipline, a practice. I'm big on these kinds of virtues being things that you just do, in the same way we make sure we eat enough vegetables and get enough exercise.

Cindy Carpenter

Cindy Carpenter

I’ve learned that giving is receiving. This is absolutely, absolutely true, particularly if you give where there's an intuitive and heartfelt connection for you to the cause, something that really speaks to your heritage, the things you care most about.

Collective impact

She Gives aims to shine a light on the power and collective contribution of women’s giving in Australia through inspiring profiles, stories, news and events. Join in our conversations around giving, and help us share and celebrate the incredible contributions of women as agents for positive social change.

Impact100 Melbourne:

Impact100 Melbourne is part of the network of Impact100 giving circles across Australia.

MECCA M-POWER: The beauty of change

MECCA M-POWER is a social change initiative using beauty as a force for good.

IMPACT100 Sydney North: Creating ripples through local, collective giving

IMPACT100 Sydney North is a collective giving circle that is part of the global IMPACT100 movement.

Mparntwe Alice Springs Community Foundation: Amplifying collective action

A small group of locals, led by businesswoman and social investor, Libby Prell, decided to support the creation of a newspaper.

Global Impact

While She Gives is a proudly national movement, we have been inspired deeply by the work being done to progress women' s giving on the global stage. At a time when the need has never been greater, we celebrate innovators and changemakers from across the world who are aligned with the She Gives vision.

The Equality Fund: Powering the future of gender equality

The Equality Fund is one of the world’s most ambitious initiatives to provide sustainable, flexible funding to feminist movements and women’s rights organisations worldwide, particularly in lower and middle-income countries.

Sarah Haacke Byrd

Women Moving Millions: Powering the movement for gender equality

Women Moving Millions is the largest global philanthropic community of high-net-worth women with a shared goal to catalyse resources for gender equality and to improve the lives of women and girls around the world.

Co-Impact: Collaborative philanthropy for systems change

Founded by Olivia Leland, formerly the founding director of The Giving Pledge, Co-Impact is a global model for collaborative philanthropy that funds large-scale systems change.

Philanthropy Together

Philanthropy Together is a global initiative, co-created by hundreds of collective giving leaders.

She Gives acknowledges the Traditional Owners of Country throughout Australia and recognise their continuing connection to land, waters and culture. We pay our respects to their Elders past, present and emerging.