It was originally started in the UK by Dr. Frederick Mulder who wanted to give but also wanted to create a community of people to give with. It was introduced in Australia in 2013 by Lisa Cotton and the late Steve Lawrence who decided to bring the idea here after they were introduced to Dr Mulder.

Around the time Lisa was setting things up, I had just moved from the US where I’d been heavily involved in lots of organisations and had sat on a number of boards. My background is in marketing and PR, so I worked with her on the original pilot events, and it’s been such an exciting journey to watch it evolve from those early days when the big question was whether people would be willing to raise their hand in a room and give publicly. I still remember that first event and how nervous we were!

Originally our goal was to raise $10,000 for each organisation, but fast forward to our event in March 2025, the three organisations each raised a hundred thousand dollars. It’s been amazing to witness how much TFN has grown, but at the same time, it’s still about celebrating every gift; because when you combine someone's $50 with another person’s $100 and someone else’s $1,000, it all adds up to an incredible impact.

Over the past 12 years, TFN has raised $30 million from about 15,000 donors. The number of givers is actually the really exciting part. We really want to stay focused on encouraging more people to give, inspiring them to give to grassroots organisations and to build a community.

TFN events are designed to celebrate the joy of giving and to allow whatever naturally follows to occur. Perhaps most surprising is that the greatest impact often isn't the amount of money raised on the night, but the connections and relationships that form. We have numerous stories of attendees meeting someone who later became the chair of their board, their largest funder, or a dedicated volunteer. These connections truly capture the magic of TFN.    

It all comes down to the power of storytelling. Our rigorous selection process - including shortlisting, extensive due diligence, and a final decision by an independent panel - ensures the organisations chosen to pitch have stories that deeply resonate, inspire action, and drive meaningful impact.    

For us, these events are about sharing stories and creating genuine opportunities for connection. A big difference we’ve found between TFN and other models is the deep bond that develops among the charities themselves - a true case of ‘a rising tide lifts all boats’. Often, charities pitching at our events will also donate to each other, reflecting their mutual respect and support. Some truly remarkable people lead these charities, and seeing them eager to support one another is one of the things I love most about TFN.    

The heart of TFN is about building the capacity of social entrepreneurs and giving them, not just a platform, but the confidence to take their organisations to the next level. And I think that’s why igniting grassroots giving is what manifests for us. For many of these social entrepreneurs, it's a hard and lonely road and the unexpected benefit of TFN is the validation and support to get them to the next milestone.

There’s this incredible statistic that in Australia, the largest 10% of charities receive 94% of all donations and 98% of government funding goes to charities classified as large or extra-large. TFN defines grassroots organisations as groups with an annual turnover of a million dollars or less. We recently analysed our alumni network to highlight how many of these organisations have grown into the large or extra-large category.      

We're proud to have Backtrack, Orange Sky and Happy Paws, Happy Hearts, as part of our Alumni – these are amazing organisations that are now incredibly well known, but when they first pitched at TFN, few people had heard of them.

We pride ourselves on identifying small organisations with significant potential, recognising that for many, overcoming that initial major hurdle is crucial. Our role is to act as both catalyst and amplifier, providing them with the critical support needed to scale that first big obstacle.

One of the biggest things TFN has taught me is that giving is all about connection - people want to share space with like-minded people and to feel like they're making a difference. We all want a sense of community. When you look at what we’ve lost as a result of the way that we live life now, like the local church or sporting ground, people are craving a sense of community wherever they can find it.

We define connection as introducing one person to another person, but it's actually deeper than that – it’s what ties people to place and community. Giving is driven by that sense of wanting to give back, and we’re going to need tons of it, if we want to create a world that we want to be a part of.

I’d really like to see the culture of giving deepen in Australia. As an American, I have a very different sense of giving and it shocked me how less visible it was here. My earliest memories are all tied to giving - selling Girl Scout cookies, ringing the Salvation Army bell on holidays. It was such a big part of my upbringing and when I moved here, I wanted to create that same connection for my kids.

Right now, we have so many young people who are passionate about social change. My greatest optimism is watching them fundraise and how much they want to make a difference. I believe our ability to nurture that passion, is our biggest opportunity. We need to make sure that there are always opportunities to practice giving, so there's never a question around whether you should give. That's what I want to see - giving celebrated in all its forms, whether it’s time, talent, testimony or treasure so it becomes an inherent part of our daily life.

The word ‘philanthropy’ can bring up really outdated stereotypes of a white male saviour and everything that comes with that. But giving is something that everyone can do. The role that women have played in giving is so rich and steeped in history, but it’s so often been overlooked. The question I have is: why have their stories been hidden?" Behind every story of philanthropy, I guarantee you’ll find a woman who has played a role in making it happen and the more we can show that, the better it's going to be for everyone. 

When I think about the organisations and Alumni that we have at TFN, it’s significantly female driven. We know that when you invest in women, you move the entire society forward. And in a lot of ways our events are a microcosm of what we're seeing in the world - a strong female bent and people who are passionate about social change and want to make a difference.