Looking for the latest sector news? Catch up on what’s happening across the world of funding, philanthropy, and research with the latest updates from Team SG’s busy research team.

The research team at Strategic Grants spend hundreds of hours every month reviewing newsletters, funder sites, LinkedIn and many other resources to find funding and grants to update in our Grants Expertise Management System (GEMS), ensuring our clients have a strong pipeline of funding prospects.

We also share relevant articles with the rest of Team SG as our commitment to keeping up-to-date with what’s happening across the sector here at home in Australia and New Zealand, and across the globe.

As we celebrate 15 years of Strategic Grants, here are 15 of our favourite sector highlights from the last year.

Latest sector news

Profit’s not a dirty word for not-for-profits

The Centre for Public Value’s Professor David Gilchrist has spoken about the difference between surplus and profit and how it applies to charities and the not-for-profit sector. This article and webinar is similar to the Pay What it Takes initiative by stressing that there are costs involved in running any organisation that need to be paid for.

“Everyone’s talking about how not-for-profits and charities need to report on their performance and their impact,” said Professor Gilchrist. “All of that costs money and all of that money needs to come out of the profit generated by the organisation.”

Pay What it Takes – New Perspectives on applying PWIT principles in Australia

Strategic Grants are strong supporters of the Pay What it Take principles and applying them in funding practices. This report aims to grow the philanthropic sector’s understanding of the Pay What It Takes (PWIT) initiative, PWIT principles as they are evolving, and how they are being practically applied in an Australian context.

Driving the conversation around philanthropy by Susan Chenoweth – Head of Elston Philanthropic Services

This research shows the importance of why discussions around philanthropy and giving by those in the financial services industry and investment sector is needed with the inter-generational transfer of wealth that is going to occur in the next 10-20 years. These discussions will also help create structured financial giving within Australia.

Giving Journeys: The Role of Private Foundations

“This research adopts a theory of philanthropic identity narratives using a journey metaphor, and explores the role and journeys associated with establishing a giving structure in the form of a private foundation.”

This recent academic research conducted by Alexandra Williamson and Belinda Luke delves into philanthropic giving from a different perspective.

How can you challenge the power and practices of philanthropy?

This is presented in both text and podcast form for easy listening or reading based on your preference. The two speakers, Farra Trompeter, co-director at Big Duck, and Lisa Pilar Cowan, vice president of the Robert Sterling Clark Foundation in New York, talk about the concepts of trust-based philanthropy and ways some funders are working with nonprofits. They go into how providing multi-year general operating support grants can free up time for planning and the service delivery rather than the fundraising.

Four pieces of advice for participatory grant-makers in Aotearoa New Zealand

Participatory Grant-making is “about learning from, and building relationships with, those who have the most experience with the issues you are funding.” This article delves into this growing movement in Aotearoa New Zealand.

She Gives

She Gives is a movement that seeks to highlight women’s giving at any scale, to any cause, accelerating positive social change. Their ambition is to celebrate, share, and inspire women’s giving in Australia.

Their recently launched paper explaining their campaign, rationale and research agenda. You can download the paper here.

The growth of women and wealth – A closer look at Australia’s growing cohort of high-net-worth female investors

Not specifically philanthropy or funding based, JB Were reports on the increasing number and value of high-net-worth women in Australia, which hopefully in turn, will increase structured philanthropic giving. A mind blowing statistic they reveals is that women are set to inherit AUD$3.2 trillion in the next decade, with the largest wealth transfer Australia has seen.

Helping philanthropic funders to understand impact (New Zealand research)

Last year, Foundation North commissioned the Centre for Social Impact (CSI) to gain a better understanding of what impact means to the foundation as well as to the funders it provides services to. We often see reports and advice around measurement and impact for charities and how to report on them, but not for funders.

11 trends in philanthropy for 2024

Always wanting to know what is happening around the world in philanthropy and funding, this article helps to understand giving in the USA.

Insights from First Nations leaders on best-practice giving

A great 1-page guide developed by the Australian Communities Foundation after a Learning Circle about Investing in First Nations Advocacy for self-determined futures. The guide will support their funders and gives eight recommendations to consider.

To reframe overhead, collective action is required

A common topic among not-for-profits and charities all across the world is the narrative around overheads. This research found that, 94% of fundraisers agree there is a problem with how not-for-profits represent and/or are funded for their overhead costs.

Read more and sign the pledge here: https://reframeoverhead.org

Koda Capital – Rising Tide: How non-profit & philanthropic investors approach responsible investing

With responsible investing on the rise, this research sets a benchmark for comparison in future years in relation to the for-purpose sector and how it invests funds. With a strong response of over 120 non-profit, charitable and philanthropic investors 96% reported their entity has some focus on responsible investing.

Why isn’t no-strings funding more common?

Following on from the theme of reframing overheads, comes this article by the Stanford Social Innovation review. The final paragraph in this article says it all: “So what are funders waiting for? The challenges and problems are clear, and the people and organizations closest to them have the solutions. They know how to use the money. And they need it now.”

Philanthropy 50: Which Australians gave away the most in 2023?

This is a list that is read by many to see who has donated the most funds in the last 12 months. Funding was given to a variety of causes and spending was up (when compared with the top 50 from 2022) by 12%. The article mentions how the intergenerational wealth transfer should boost philanthropy as well as highlighting some of the newcomers and returnees into the list. Now don’t get out your phone and start calling them, they won’t all align to your cause, and more importantly you might want to check how they made their millions and if that matches your organisations vision and mission (and in case you missed our blog post on key strategies for navigating (and securing funding!) from Trusts & Foundations: https://www.strategicgrants.co.nz/2024/05/13/trusts-and-foundations/).

2024 marks 15 years of Strategic Grants. Find out more here, including how to get 15% off your customised GEMS calendar development fee.