Politicians and philanthropists converge on Canberra for giving summit

Mr Leigh told the Community Advocate the summit was an important forum at which to explore new ideas with a “who’s who” of the philanthropic sector, as the federal government works on its strategy to boost giving across Australia.

“There’s a plethora of thoughtful philanthropists, not only thinking about how we can meet the government’s target to double philanthropy by 2030 but also about how we can improve the quality in giving,” said Mr Leigh.

“One of the things that I really enjoy about the conversation with the philanthropic sector is that it is a group of people who are keen not to appear to be doing good, but to actually be doing good.”

One at session at the summit was devoted to discussion of the pioneering Investment Dialogue for Australia’s Children.

Philanthropy Australia said the initiative represented a powerful way for government and philanthropy to work together to drive social impact by helping to “create an Australia where all children get a great start in life, and an equal opportunity to thrive.”

“What we’re planning to do is to boost philanthropy not so government can do less but because we realise that for many social challenges, a partnership approach works best,” said Mr Leigh.

“And you can see that in the investment Dialogue for Australia’s Children where the federal government is working with philanthropists on place-based initiatives.”

When asked what outcomes he would like to see from the summit, Mr Leigh said: “New ideas, new connections, and a new sense of enthusiasm.

“One of the hallmarks of this government is that we don’t believe we have all the wisdom, which is why an event like Philanthropy Meets Parliament is so valuable.”