Women & Change has been making high impact giving accessible in Queensland since 2014.
As Queensland’s first giving circle and with more than 100 members ranging in age from 18 – 80+, the group’s giving community has created powerful connections and networks that extend beyond its annual grant rounds.
Co-founder, Genevieve Fraser, whose own personal giving journey includes a family PAF and a prior role in Rio Tinto’s community partnerships, says the goal of Women & Change since its earliest days has been to create a place where people can come and experience philanthropy.
“We sometimes use the term ‘democratising philanthropy’ because we can't all start with millions of dollars,” Genevieve says, “but we know our contributions add up and collectively we can make a bigger difference.”
Many years ago, the Australian Women Donors Network [now Australians Investing in Women] held an event that brought Colleen Willoughby, the ‘godmother of giving circles’ across from the US. Fiona Maxwell, who was QLD State Manager for Philanthropy Australia at the time, knew several of us were inspired by Colleen so she pulled us together and we all said, “Yes, we need to make this happen here.”
So, we had Leslie Ray who had just finished a PhD on giving circles; Lesley-Anne Houghton who was chair of Act for Kids; Heather Watson who was a legal partner who specialised in charities; Jo Garner from Strategic Grants; Fiona Maxwell and myself. It was the right combination of people at the right time.
We all wanted to create a way for women to experience high impact giving because historically Queensland didn’t have the same tax incentives or giving infrastructure as the southern states. Our focus is unapologetically on Queensland-based projects that help vulnerable people.
Our research shows 95% of members were introduced by an existing member who was either family, a friend or colleague.
Many of our members are busy professionals who tell us, “I know there are problems because I see them, I just need someone else to identify the right charities so I can give a significant amount and make a difference.”
In terms of the model, members contribute $1,000 annually, or there is an entry point of $500 for younger members under 35. Members also pay an annual fee of $45 to support the Women & Change operations which are 100% volunteer led. All donated funds are held in a dedicated sub-fund of People First Bank Foundation (previously Heritage Bank Charitable Foundation) with 100% of funds donated each year.
Each July, we launch the grant round which attracts between 40-70 applications. Then, a group of 20 of us will go through a due diligence process and narrow them down to 10. The Committee has over 100 years of experience in high impact grant making and members are involved too so they can see our process first-hand. Only 10 finalist charities need to complete the full application and three to four are shortlisted and mentored before they deliver their Voting Night pitch in November.
On Voting Night, our members come together and hear the charities make their case. Members cast their vote on the night or can vote by email if they can't be there. None of the four charities walk away empty handed. The last couple of years, two charities won $50,000 grants and the others received a small donation of the balance of the funds raised that year.
Our point of difference is every dollar donated is put to work that year. We all understand the value of accumulating a corpus but the reality is that this giving vehicle is about maximum impact in real time. This resonates with people and is a large part of the attraction for many members (and grant recipients).
Last year, one of our $50,000 grants funded the expansion of Little Wings which provides medical services for children in rural and regional areas into Queensland. That provided 5,000 children with access to GPs, allied health and medical specialists, which is quite a big impact.
Our other winner last year, Fight4Balance, received funding for Queensland's first inclusive and adaptive gym for adolescents with a disability. We funded equipment, from special flooring and lights to colour-coded weights. We learnt through the application process the huge social benefits for these teenagers to be able to go to the gym like their peers - something many of us take for granted. It’s very inspiring, helps the whole family and involves other teens as peers and mentors.
Pooling our connections, our skills and our intelligence is just as powerful as pooling our funds. I probably underestimated the intellectual firepower and the connectivity of the women involved. What I mean by that is people have joined Women & Change because they wanted to give $1,000 and then they've gotten involved in a board or they've sourced enormous in-kind donations or helped secure grants. Our members are like minded community people who drive collaboration between charities and other organisations.
The community of support that sits around our charities was something we didn't know was going to happen but it's possibly the best thing about what we do.
The next thing for Women & Change is to move from 100 to 150, and then 200 members. We’re very conscious that we've created an engaged and connected community and we need to be able to continue to service that the way we have in the past. So, we're trying to grow sensibly and well and not lose what we have.
We’ve had several Next Gen members join us at age 18, including my own daughter, which has been wonderful because Women & Change is a great place to hand down the DNA of giving. Seeing that second generation come through tells us we're doing something right because they're engaging and they're staying.
Queensland is an innovative place, maybe because it is the most decentralised state in Australia. We’ve got lots of vulnerable people spread further apart than any other state. We've got to be creative, and Women & Change will be part of that. Watch this space.
Interview was conducted with Amy Colli
