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Stakes are high for country’s philanthropists

Posted on 06 Aug 2024

By Matthew Schulz, journalist, Institute of Community Directors Australia

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Philanthropy CEO Maree Sidey addresses the 1000-strong crowd in Adelaide. Picture: Sam Oster/Silvertrace.

Australia’s top philanthropists have gathered to tackle the biggest challenges in the nation, with the new chief of Philanthropy Australia declaring “the stakes have never been higher”.

Addressing nearly 1000 delegates at this year’s sold-out Philanthropy Australia conference, the peak body’s new chief executive Maree Sidey – who has been in the role for just three months – challenged the wealthy leaders of the country’s biggest foundations and funds to think carefully about their role, in an era in which the stated goal of the government was to “double philanthropy”.

“Philanthropy is not merely a pastime for the privileged; it is a vital component of a strong democracy and a crucial force for social good.

“And this critical work won't be effective if we continue to use outdated stereotypes. The face of philanthropy in this country is not, and should not be, that of the 1%.

The conference program reflected the “diverse tapestry of people involved in all parts of the work”, and greater attention must be given to smaller investments to allow average Australians to realise that giving was attainable and desirable, Ms Sidey said.

She said every citizen should accept they had a “responsibility that comes with living in one of the most privileged countries in the world”.

“The true measure of our success should be in our collective efforts to grow giving, with the aim of fostering a thriving civil society.”

Hosted for the first time in Adelaide and taking up a big slice of the Convention Centre on the banks of the River Torrens, the event was opened by South Australian Premier Peter Malinauskas and addressed by federal Charities Minister Andrew Leigh.

The biennial event was Philanthropy Australia’s biggest to date, with 170 speakers, 21 sessions and 24 side events.

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Delegates at the Philanthropy Australia national conference. Picture: Sam Oster/Silvertrace
“We are at the crossroads of the biggest ever gap between the haves and have nots, and our sector sits right at the heart of this tension."
Maree Sidey, Philanthropy Australia CEO

Ms Sidey said her work over two decades in the not-for-profit sector would shape her agenda at Philanthropy Australia.

Before recently leaving her role as chief of the Australian Communities Foundation, Ms Sidey worked in family services, mental health, and drug and alcohol support services.

“I have worked on the front line, and I have worked in prevention. I have sat in the room with people who needed immediate relief and support, and I have helped redesign systems that have changed the way we conceptualise and deliver services in this country.

“And it is these experiences that have shaped how I think about wealth, power and privilege, and how we collaborate to tackle critical issues.

“So why is there such an appetite for progress in our sector? I believe it’s because the stakes have never been higher.”

Ms Sidey said the for-purpose sector was faced with “immense challenges, with widespread unmet social needs, environmental crisis, and a shrinking space for civil society”.

But she also acknowledged the fact that philanthropists occupied a fraught position.

“We are at the crossroads of the biggest ever gap between the haves and have nots, and our sector sits right at the heart of this tension.

“Just as we have a strong and proud legacy of generosity, by its very nature, philanthropy is also an outcome of wealth and privilege.”

She said wealthy philanthropists needed to wrestle with that fact and decide how to act.

“The people in this room today have power, real power, and we also have a choice about how we use it.”

Philanthropists must choose to “lean into trust, transparency, humility, truth and ‘paying what it takes’,” she said, referring to the recurring theme of being prepared to fund the real cost of delivering community services.

Ms Sidey called on delegates to be ready to adopt the conference theme – “Shifting perspectives, shifting practice” – and be prepared to change their attitudes and practices if they really wanted to make a difference.

Read her speech in full.

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