Kim Downes is a senior fundraising strategist with a passion for understanding the motivations behind women’s giving. She wrote the research report, The Role and Influence of Women in Australian Philanthropy in 2021.
I've been involved in fundraising and philanthropy for my whole career. I grew up in the US where it was ingrained in me as a little kid that you always do stuff for the community. A lot of things there are tied to giving. For example, when you apply for university, they want to know how much community service you have done and what you have done for the community. It never feels like a burden. It’s a privilege to be able to help others. When I moved to Australia, it gave me another perspective on things. The culture of giving in Australia is different to the US. It’s not wrong, but it’s different.
What drives me to give is that ingrained sense that there is always somebody that needs it more than I do, even if that’s just giving someone a smile when they're down and out. I’m very discerning in where I give. I have tried all different methods. The way I like to give is that I like to get to know an organisation by researching them and watching how they treat their donors and their volunteers. I was part of a giving circle for a while and although it was lovely, none of my votes ever got picked. I felt like I was making donations to an organisation that was worthy, which was fantastic, but not to an organisation I would have picked. I now look at organisations that affect my family and friends emotionally, ones that I know are doing good things for their community and making a difference and having an impact. I don’t grill the organisation on impact. I'm picking an organisation that I have faith in to do the right thing.
I've learned to develop a philanthropy plan that aligns with my values and to adapt to the priorities I see changing within the community over time. When my kids were in school, education was big on my priority list, and it still is, but there are other things that have taken precedence because of the direction our lives have gone in. I've learned to examine where my priorities are each year.
Additionally, one of the things that surprised me most about speaking with women here in Australia is that they don't talk about philanthropy. They're quiet and humble, which is absolutely beautiful, but when you ask them, ‘Where do your parents or your siblings give? What organisations do they volunteer for?’ they don't know because they don't talk about it. They talk about it with their immediate family around the dinner table, but that's as far as it goes. Their friends don't know what they give to unless they're volunteering together. So, it’s normal for them to be very quiet and humble but there are so many people doing so many wonderful things and we just don't talk about it. This inhibits the growth of giving in Australia because if we don't celebrate it, people sit back and say, ‘Oh, well, I can't ever do anything like that.’ If you celebrate it, people will then say, ‘Wow, I had no idea you volunteered for that organisation. What's it like? Do they need more volunteers?’
I would love to see Australians celebrating philanthropy and being proud of the culture of giving that we have here. I think there are a lot of challenges facing women both within Australia and in a broader global context, but what's really holding us back here is that women still aren't seen or recognised as the breadwinners or the ones making the decisions behind philanthropy. Women are focussed on community, their focus tends to be more on questioning, ‘What can we do?’ And further, ‘What can we do with the extra money we make?’ As women earn more, they're giving more away. We know single women give more than single men. In families, it seems to be the eldest daughter or the girls in the family. And maybe it's related to gender and a focus on community and taking on the responsibility of the next generation of giving because they're watching their mothers volunteer, giving their time, and support organisations.
With over 30-years’ experience in fundraising, philanthropy and management, Kim Downes is a recognised and accomplished senior fundraising strategist. She has served on several NFP Boards and is currently Co-Chair of the Australian Pituitary Foundation and on the Advisory Board for Big Group Hug. She is a member of Business in Heels and G100. She is also a specialist consultant for Giving Connect.
She has done extensive study on creating a culture of philanthropy and the motivations behind women’s giving. She wrote the research report, The Role and Influence of Women in Australian Philanthropy (2021) and is co-author of the book, Rise Above, Beyond Ordinary.
