“What if we all just gave $5 a week?”
That simple question sparked a movement.
Five Bucks is a giving circle hosted by Australian Communities Foundation (ACF) that’s redefining what it means to be a philanthropist. Founded by Brianna Kerr, the initiative invites everyday Australians to contribute just $5 a week, proving that generosity doesn’t have to come with a big price tag to make a big difference.
In its first year, Five Bucks has grown into a vibrant community of 500 members, including several ACF Fundholders. Together, they’ve contributed to high-impact organisations working across climate, education, and living standards. In June, the group celebrated its first major milestone: four $15,000 grants awarded to Seed Mob, Environmental Justice Australia, The Jilya Institute, and Eat Up Australia.
For Fundholders looking to expand their philanthropic reach or engage younger generations in giving, Five Bucks offers a compelling model of collective impact.
As climate advocate, ACF Fundholder and ‘buckaroo’, Linh Do, puts it: “What’s awesome about Five Bucks is that it really does democratise everyday giving that could snowball into so much more. And it’s exciting to be part of a community with others wanting to contribute, however they can.”
Community is a huge part of what we’re building. Five Bucks presents an opportunity to come together, to be stronger than the sum of our parts.
In this conversation, founder Brianna Kerr shares the story behind Five Bucks and how a Collective Giving Fund helped turn a simple idea into a growing movement.
What inspired the idea of Five Bucks?
Five Bucks was first inspired by chatting with my peers about their giving habits. They obviously cared about a variety of issues, but many of them felt ‘philanthropy’ wasn’t a space for them yet. So, I wondered: was there a way for them to get started by doing something as simple as chipping in $5 a week with a bunch of other people? A way to feel the power that comes from doing things with others rather than on your own?
Australian Communities Foundation felt like a natural partner because of their focus on democratising philanthropy
Why did you choose to partner with Australian Communities Foundation?
Australian Communities Foundation felt like a natural partner because of their focus on democratising philanthropy and making it accessible to everyday Australians. It’s in the name, you know, it’s about community and giving people access to give in a way that feels accessible.
How did you go about understanding young people’s attitudes towards giving?
In June 2024, after those initial chats with my peers, I conducted a bigger piece of research into young people, their attitudes towards giving, what they cared about, and what was holding them back when it came to giving. One thing I learned was that they wanted to give, but more importantly, they felt like they had the capacity to give more than they were.
When it came to the reasons they weren’t giving, there were things like compassion fatigue, decision fatigue, general overwhelm, a little bit of cynicism and distrust. So, I thought, what if I got people to give just $5 a week, and then together they could vote on where that money went, with a bit of help from people who have experience working in impact.
It was the perfect solution to test something that, at the beginning, was really an experiment, but now has the structure to support us growing into the future
How did you move from idea to action?
I wanted to get started really quickly. And so, I was asking people: How do I do this without having to set up some big independent organisation? They said: Start a fund in a foundation. I was lucky enough to be connected with ACF at the time. And within two weeks, everything was up and running, and we were good to go. In the first month, we got 100 members – the next few months, we doubled. It was the perfect solution to test something that, at the beginning, was really an experiment, but now has the structure to support us growing into the future.
What role does community play in Five Bucks’ model?
Community is a huge part of what we’re building. Five Bucks presents an opportunity to come together, to be stronger than the sum of our parts. I love that members have dubbed themselves ‘buckaroos’, and I’m keen to see more people identify with being someone that chips in, plays their part, someone who wants to be part of something that’s bigger than themselves, someone who wants to be part of the collective rather than feeling like they have to do everything on their own.
Support Five Bucks
If you are interested in helping Five Bucks support social and environmental change, you can donate to the Five Bucks Collective Giving Fund.
If you are interested in learning more or becoming a ‘buckaroo’, head to the website and get in touch: fivebucks.au
Learn more about how we support collective giving here.
