A common pitfall in philanthropic giving is the belief that donors should be the ultimate experts on where their funds will have the greatest impact or who the best recipients are.
“The fact is,” says Genevieve Timmons, author of Savvy Giving: A Roadmap for Contemporary Philanthropy in Australia, “we can accumulate some expertise and engage people to take our giving forward, but whatever we fund, we need the people who have first-hand experience of the ideas and challenges we are focused on to make sure our money is spent well.
“When it comes to community philanthropy, the people with lived experience know how best to turn our dollars into social value.
“For example, communities recovering from natural disasters can tell us how the floods or bushfires are affecting their region, and where the next opportunity is [for money] to help recover and rebuild their communities.
“First Nations people can lead out with the latest approaches that build allyship and advance the progress of their communities and all Australians … People with disabilities have the expertise we need to keep up with national policies and programs, making sure we have up-to-date information and relevant ideas to optimise where our funding lands,” Genevieve explains.
Community foundations in Australia are uniquely positioned as socio-economic platforms for local and national giving, bringing forward a range of services and skills, including lived experience. They are ideal structures for the growth of community philanthropy, which has recently been strengthened by newly minted legislation, says Genevieve.
“We can now tap into the expertise of these contemporary giving organisations that are there to back up effective giving – they are the destination experts.
“Organisations like Australian Communities Foundation make it their business to be connected with communities and leaders, and watch the trends and opportunities to keep everyone informed about the most relevant giving.”
From First Nations justice, education and international development, here are three case studies from Genevieve Timmons’ book Savvy Giving, highlighting how success is inextricably linked with lived experience and community knowledge, essential components for impactful giving.
Fellowship for Indigenous Leadership
The Fellowship for Indigenous Leadership is a powerful partnership between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians, dedicated to empowering Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander leaders in Victoria.
It was founded by a group of donors who recognised that true, lasting change comes when Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people are given the opportunity to lead progress within their own communities.
This approach acknowledges that the most meaningful and sustainable solutions come from those with lived experience or deep knowledge of the issues at hand.
“We realised that change was needed to remove barriers and accelerate progress by investing in real social change work that Indigenous leaders were already driving,” says Maree Davidson AM, Director and Founding Chair.
The Fellowship was inspired by the impactful work of Paul Briggs AO, a Yorta Yorta man, whose leadership demonstrated the importance of supporting Indigenous leadership in a way that respects their expertise. In 2025, Paul is powering on with a groundbreaking initiative: the Goulburn Murray Regional Prosperity and Productivity Plan.
By amplifying Aboriginal voices and prioritising the decisions of Indigenous leaders, the Fellowship has delivered meaningful outcomes in health, education, cultural preservation, and social justice.
Small Change Foundation
Improving public education has always been Ellen Koshland’s passion.
She is wholly committed to equity for all children, and believes high-quality public education is vital to a democratic society.
This is why, in 1989, she co-founded the Small Change Foundation to provide financial backing for teachers to implement projects they knew would make a difference for their students.
At a time when public schools were largely seen as the responsibility of the government, Ellen sought to inspire other donors and foundations to invest in public education.
As co-founder Margaret McCaffrey recalls, “We began with the philosophy of supporting classroom teachers because they were the ones equipped to know what works best for their students.”
Small Change eventually became part of the Education Foundation, which for nearly 21 years generated fresh ideas and strategic alliances to ensure quality learning for all young Australians.
“Philanthropy is about seizing the chance to make a real impact where it counts the most,” says Ellen, “and education is the foundation for everything else.”
Adara Development
Founded by Audette Exel AO, The Adara Group combines business and philanthropy to improve the lives of people living in extreme poverty, delivering health and education services in some of the world’s most remote regions.
A key lesson in Adara’s approach to international development has been the importance of listening to local communities and incorporating their feedback into projects.
One early example of this came from a waste management project in Nepal.
Adara had worked to improve sanitation in a remote district, but upon returning to the site, they discovered the toilets were being used for purposes far from their original intention, such as pickling turnips and sheltering livestock.
“This was an opportunity to learn from our mistakes,” says Exel.
Rather than viewing this as a failure, Adara recognised the importance of understanding the community’s priorities and cultural context.
The experience prompted Adara to rethink its approach, embracing a model of co-design and consultation.
“We recognised the significance of feedback loops and open communication,” Exel explains.
By engaging directly with local communities, Adara ensures that projects meet real needs, fostering trust and creating sustainable, impactful solutions.
Get more great insights by purchasing your own copy of Savvy Giving
No matter your role or the amount of money you can give, Savvy Giving is an essential read for anyone committed to shaping a better world with philanthropic dollars.
Building on the best-practice insights and tools in the 2013 original, author and philanthropy expert Genevieve Timmons offers fresh ideas and perspectives for effective contemporary giving.
The publication of this new edition was made possible through the generous support of many donors, including ACF Fundholder Ede Horton.
“Savvy Giving provides the guidelines and tools for anyone to think more about how to give, and understand what is needed to make sure money is well directed,” says Ede. “This information is important, because it hasn’t been available or accessible until Savvy Giving was written, and it locates us in our own Australian context.
“An important encouragement in Savvy Giving is to listen deeply and learn about what your money can do from people who understand the distinct value of philanthropic money, and can bring it to life with relevance and impact. The expertise of Australian Communities Foundation in helping to do that has been invaluable, plus the personal connections with various grantees along the way has also been essential.”
Learn more or order your copy here: savvy-giving.com
Attend the Atlassian Social Impact Bookclub in May to hear more: Social Impact Book Club #4 – Savvy Giving by Genevieve Timmons
Top Image: Genevieve Timmons in November 2024 at the ShiftThePower Summit and National Community Foundations Forum Week on Bunjalung country, hosted by Community Foundations Australia with the Northern Rivers Community Foundation in Ballina, NSW. Right to left: Dr. Martua T. Sirait from the Samdhana Institute (Indonesia), Sita Supomo from Indonesia untuk Kemanusiaan (Indonesia) and Siti Maimunah from the Mama Aleta Fund (Indonesia), with Genevieve Timmons, Philanthropic Executive and author.
