On the legacy of family values and the art of difficult conversations.

Some of my earliest memories come from conversations around our family table. Dad has always involved us in his giving and one of the first charities I remember supporting was SecondBite, an organisation that was reducing food waste by distributing it to people in need. Dad took us to see their warehouse and all the trucks and the refrigeration process, so we could understand how it all worked. 

Both he and my aunt Rose have been super transparent about the Dyson Bequest and how my great uncle and aunt, Bruce and Jane, came to set it up. I was about six years old when they passed, so I don’t have a lot of memories of them other than playing in their garden, but with the recent 25th anniversary of the bequest, we’ve been talking a lot about why they created it and why they chose to give. 

I think we're just really lucky to be in a position where we can give. 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. I’d say that’s my main driver. I believe that giving back in any capacity is important, whether it’s time, skills, assets or money. It’s not about giving in one particular way, it's about doing whatever you are willing and able to do, to make a difference.  

We like to support causes that connect us as a family to our values, and we're lucky that our values have aligned across three generations; which I know not every family can say. Bruce and Jane’s legacy created a few unofficial pillars like environment, women in STEM, medical research, and education. Both dad and Rose have supported these areas, and now my sister and I, as the third generation, will do the same.

However, as we’re gradually stepping into the Bequest, we’re bringing in both our lived experiences and that of our generation. So, I think a strong focus for us will be supporting projects around consent, mental health and continued backing of startups, social entrepreneurs and community leaders to better help the causes they’re working on. Philanthropy will always be the approach we take, but we want to double down on backing the leaders who are already within these communities and understand the core needs. 

I’ve learned that it's an extremely humbling process and that it can be really hard. Every cause and charity are worthy of support and encouragement but finding the ones where you can connect to both the cause and the founder to build that trust and rapport, is so important. 

Sometimes, as much as we believe in an organisation, it might not be the right time or fit for our family and those conversations are really difficult. Both Dad and Rose have helped us learn how to have these hard conversations with gratitude and grace –just because it’s a ‘no’ from us doesn't mean it's going to be a ‘no’ from everyone else, because all these organisations are doing great work. We do a lot of trial grants, which allow us to see how the relationship will work and whether it is something we want to pursue going forward. 

I also think another big learning is around the importance of professional development. My sister and I have attended Nexus Conference a few times, which really expanded our networks and allowed us to meet other second or third generations and also other people our age who are starting their own family foundations for their future kids – it’s all really inspiring.

That's a big question! It's still such a new space in Australia. Although we have amazing family institutions like the Snow Foundation and Paul Ramsey Foundation that have real legacy and wealth behind them, I want to see smaller families establish their own form of structured giving. I think giving can be moulded more around your own personal circumstances, and I would love to see more women at the helm. 

In terms of our foundation, I want to keep learning and evolving from those who have come before us. I get teary sometimes when I think about the people who we’ve been able to support. We’ve worked with the Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research for 15 years, and as part of our next 5-year partnership, we’re continuing to support female researchers – we’re currently onto our 4th fellowship. I was at an event last year and hearing these women talk about balancing motherhood along with their lab and research work, and how much our backing meant to them, just inspired me to do more and create more opportunities for these women whose research is saving lives. 

Both my sister and I are conscious of the incredible legacy that Bruce and Jane, and now Dad and Rose have created, and we want them to know that it will be left in good hands. We really want to grow the impact that our family can have and in the future that might mean supporting less charities but with a higher financial contribution.  We really want to focus on how we can be better philanthropists and to keep educating ourselves so that we’re always doing the best for the charities we support.