The Giving Academy

The Giving Academy is a collaborative project that aims to develop and deliver world class short courses designed with and for the Australian philanthropic sector.

The goal? To elevate philanthropic practice through the development of a long-lasting, wide-reaching program, which caters to all levels of knowledge and all stakeholders (including grant makers, grant seekers and advisors).

From learning the fundamentals to mastering advanced concepts, the program will be piloted at two levels in 2025 to test course formats and refine content with practitioners. This pilot phase allows us to shape a program that engages with both current and emerging philanthropic practices in Australia and globally.

Throughout its development, the program will be guided by deep consultation and collaboration with philanthropic sector stakeholders, ensuring it becomes a lasting, accessible, and transformative resource for the field.

What does The Giving Academy aim to achieve?

The Giving Academy aims to elevate the knowledge and practice of all participants in the philanthropic sector at a time when there is a strong desire for the sector to fully unleash the transformative power of philanthropy in Australia.

Australia’s philanthropic landscape is vibrant and rapidly growing, with tens of thousands of paid staff and hundreds of thousands of volunteers involved in grant-making charities nationwide. Despite this growth, to date there has been limited access to, and investment in, learning and development resources that combine global best practice with the Australian context.

The Giving Academy aims to fill this gap.

It is intended that The Giving Academy will:

• Identify the professional development needs of the philanthropic sector in Australia through broad consultation with a comprehensive range of stakeholders.
• Curate a range of knowledge and expertise, from within Australia – including the perspectives and knowledge of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples – and internationally.
• Foster peer learning, support networks and further collaboration within the sector.
• Improve accessibility to cutting-edge academic and practical insights.
• Use the learnings from the pilot program to develop and provide a sustainable, accessible and continuously evolving resource for philanthropic sector learning and development, which caters to grant makers, grant seekers and advisors at all levels of experience.
• Improve the collective impact and outcomes of the Australian philanthropic sector.

This initiative seeks to further elevate philanthropic practice, strengthen connections across the sector, and empower Australian philanthropy to reach new heights. It is not just about increasing giving—it’s about advancing how giving is practiced and growing its positive on communities.

Why now?

While there has been significant progress made by many in the philanthropic sector over the past decade in developing philanthropic practice, there is an emerging opportunity to build on this progress, taking it to the next stage of development.

The Centre for Social Impact, as Australia’s leader in social impact education, has received support from Paul Ramsay Foundation, the Minderoo Foundation, and an anonymous funder, to bring this vision to reality. Commencing with a program of research and consultation with the sector, it will be followed by the development and delivery of an initial pilot program, designed to test and trial course inclusions.

The Giving Academy Advisory Committee

Over 150 sector experts representing a diversity of expertise from across Australia responded to our call for Advisory Committee members. We are thrilled to announce that our Advisory Committee is now in place:

Antonia Ruffell (Chair), StartGiving

Maree Sidey, Philanthropy Australia

Leah Bennett, First Nations Foundation

John Chambers, Anonymous Trust

Liz Yeo, Paul Ramsay Foundation

Jodi Kennedy, Equity Trustees

Judith Fiander, Australian Philanthropic Services

Lisa George, Macquarie Bank Foundation

Sarah Hardy, Ross Trust

David Sloan, Wesley Research Institute

Claire O’Rourke, Australian Environmental Grantmakers Network

Kristen Stevenson, Minderoo Foundation

Leeroy Bilney, International Funders for Indigenous Peoples

The Advisory Committee will support the success of The Giving Academy pilot project. The Committee’s role is to:

• Offer strategic insights and guidance into program development, including content, format, and market demand
• Provide guidance, expertise and recommendations at key stages of the project
• Champion the project within professional networks and the philanthropic sector.

The Giving Academy Expert Curriculum Committee - Essentials Course

Anna Marinovich

Genevieve Timmons

Georgia Mathews

Krystian Seibert

Leah Bennett

Dr Madeleine McKinnon

Heather Lord

Dr Michael Moran

Dr Elizabeth Branigan

The Giving Academy Expert Curriculum Committee - Advanced Course

Leah Bennett

Dr Madeleine McKinnon

Heather Lord

Dr Michael Moran

Jane Hunt

Charlotte Siddle

Dr Elizabeth Branigan

The Giving Academy Content Contributors

Jo Taylor - Lead Content Expert

May Miller-Dawkins

Genevieve Timmons

Anne Robinson

Murray Baird

Georgia Mathews

Jessica Bulger

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