What guides your giving?
In the first instalment of our new Good Giving Tips video series, Gabby Lam, Philanthropy Lead at Australian Communities Foundation, explores two of the most powerful exercises in the ACF Good Giving Toolkit: the Values Tool and Giving Principles Tool.
Launched in 2025, the ACF Good Giving Toolkit brings together decades of ACF’s grantmaking experience in one practical resource. The Toolkit features 17 worksheets designed to help donors build or refine their giving framework. It has already been downloaded hundreds of times and we’ve heard from many of you how the exercises have helped bring greater clarity, confidence and focus to your giving.
While it’s common to focus first on what to fund, these tools encourage a different starting point: why. The Values Tool helps you identify the beliefs and motivations that sit at the heart of your philanthropy, providing greater clarity about the change you want to see in the world and the role you want your giving to play.
Once you’ve identified your core values, the Giving Principles Tool helps translate them into practical guidance for your philanthropy. Together, they can support more intentional decision-making and provide a consistent framework for your giving.
Whether you’re giving individually, with family members or alongside others, these exercises can spark meaningful conversations and help strengthen your giving over time.
Watch the video to learn more, and revisit the full Good Giving Toolkit to explore all 17 worksheets designed to help you build a thoughtful and effective giving framework.
