On caring for the carers and turning ripples into waves

My earliest memories are of compassion. I grew up in the city, but both my parents came from farms, so we were out in the country visiting grandparents regularly. I think this instilled in us a strong sense of community. My parents were decent people who cared about others. I remember my mother always having something extra for people who needed it, and my father was a Mason — which is a bit unusual — but very community-involved.

My younger years were spent at cake stalls and fundraising for organisations I didn’t need a direct connection to, because it was simply about doing things for the community.

My rock-solid knowledge that generosity brings change. It's one of those ancient, enduring facts of life: generosity brings change. I became a volunteer with the Leukaemia Foundation relatively young because a friend’s husband had it, and it was there I saw the power of community. I realised that I could donate money or make cakes for a stall — but when that was multiplied by others through a great charity, those small ripples became waves. 

I love the idea of a movement, when everyday people are “infected” by generosity, care and compassion. What drives my giving is knowing how it changes people and how it can become so central in their lives. It’s not just acting on your values; it’s building your values. Giving shows me what’s really happening in the world, far beyond media reports.

In my early days at the Leukaemia Foundation, seven out of ten adults died. I had the aching privilege of meeting young mums facing impossible choices: whether to have chemo or learning they wouldn’t survive and someone else would raise their child. That’s not a fundraising story — that’s their life. Understanding the depth of what can go wrong at a young age taught me that life is tough, but it can be less tough because of people’s generosity. That knowledge changed my life.

Unequivocally,  it’s important to give money — and  the amount should be a little sacrificial, not tokenistic. Some people in my life don’t understand why I would want to give hard-earned dollars to charity, but for me, that sacrificial side of giving is part of the joy and authenticity. I think true generosity is an essential part of character and community. It’s a tangible statement of your beliefs and life priorities.

I also believe strongly in giving time. This has led me into some of my most joyful experiences across different organisations — giving lectures or workshops, stepping up as secretary of the soccer club or school committees, or serving as a chairperson. I’ve used my skills to make a difference, and I’ve learned new skills and met amazing kindred spirits. I’m still involved with several charities. It’s a life learning curve being in direct contact with people with particular  needs and opportunities. 

I’m also an ongoing monthly giver because, having worked on the nonprofit side, I know charities need predictable income.

I’m a foundation member of our giving circle here in Queensland, Women & Change, and that’s a lifelong commitment. I love that each year my small – but sacrificial - donation becomes part of something much bigger, and that I get to meet amazing emergent organisations. I’m also on the Benefolk Foundation board, which is particularly important to me because giving and wellbeing have a strong nexus — and nonprofits don’t always prioritise wellbeing and staff and supporters can and do burn out.

The final way I try to give is through knowledge. When you retire, you reflect on what you achieved, didn’t achieve, and what you might still have time to do. I hope the stumbling steps I took into this emerging field of studying and teaching giving in Australia have made an impact. I like the idea that knowledge and understanding are central to good results. We can save so much time and money if there’s good research — whether that’s about fundraising techniques, philanthropy or governance. We also need to stop reinventing the wheel and respect that across the world really good studies have been done. This kind of evidence-based practice is essential for instance for medicos with great effect and it can supercharge changemakers’ work too. 

I’ve learned the joy of giving, and that fundraising is about enabling people to act on their values – a quote from US nonprofit leader Kay Sprinkel Grace.. Those two things are crystalline for me because giving is not a transaction — it’s a deep, personal experience that needs to be nurtured and appreciated. We all have moments in life when a small act of kindness carries us through. I learned young how tough life can be for people around us, and how wonderful it can be made because of people’s willingness to give in so many ways.

 I’ve also learned how hard it is to sustain organisations that rely on giving — and how much better we could all be. Sometimes people are given opportunities and squander them. It comes down to individuals, at all levels of leadership, who have the ability to create movements and start ripples. It brings to mind that oft-cited Margaret Mead quote: “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it's the only thing that ever has.”

You can’t work without a goal. I was never a big fan of saying “let’s double something,” but I’ve always understood the power of a rallying cry and a clear target. So, I’m very hopeful we can double Australia’s philanthropy — but it’s not just about more giving. It’s about better, more effective giving. We need to stop people repeating mistakes or becoming stuck in environments where they can’t thrive. I’m hopeful for a stronger sector with a consistent voice, particularly at government level — one that can draw on the depth of knowledge and talent within our sector. We need to recognise the power of effective organisations because they can energise giving; they’re good at sourcing it, managing it and applying it smartly.

And finally, I want to see a greater commitment to wellbeing in this sector. There are a lot of very good people who have given far too much of themselves for too long. I hope to see more uptake of free initiatives like the Benefolk Foundation’s Community Well and wellbeing governance policies that don’t just sit on an agenda. In a space that’s all about the wellbeing of others, it’s vital that we take care of the carers.

I really admire that this is a professional and comprehensive effort to do outreach and research, and to build as much momentum as possible. I love that this campaign is reinforcing how much women count — women are such a vibrant giving community that has not traditionally been celebrated widely. Statistically, women have the power to do a lot more in the future and are more likely to do it collectively. I think the pace and nature of giving change that will occur is quite different to what we’ve seen in the past.

In terms of the research, this campaign has made every effort to ensure the results are authentic. This is not a five-minute survey by a consultant. It takes time to provide the kind of good, valid data that can inform and generate real insights — and this is what we need to grow women’s giving.

But what I really love is that this is a celebration, and it shows that fun can lead to impact. I think it has unlocked so much possibility, especially the power of constituencies — think about women who care about the arts or medical research or the environment or curbing domestic violence. Women enjoy being around other women, and a shared passion about a cause or issue is a very powerful tool. For organisations, there’s real opportunity to build on this campaign strategically. I’d love to see more roundtables of women leaders in different areas, lifting both women in their sub-sector and women in general. It’s the idea that, together, we can really do things, better, quicker, bigger

She Gives is a platform for women to build on. I love how it has captured women leaders in philanthropy as well as in nonprofits, and there’s an opportunity to extend this to other types of women leaders. For organisations that channel giving, especially through boards, there’s potential to create these micro-groups that, once warmed up and empowered, could really encourage others within their network to be more tuned into giving — both collectively and individually. The potential and possibilities here are endless.