Get started with giving

Making a difference doesn’t take millions: Linh Do

Linh Do is not the type of person who splashes in the shallows. Her climate activism began in a very public way at age 16 when she initiated the Change a Million Light Bulbs campaign. Since then, her personal and professional focus has not wavered from three colossal pillars: social movements, climate justice and systems change. 

One of her guiding philosophies is to learn while doing. 

“Taking action is the best antidote to any form of paralysis. That’s why my answer to anyone who’s unsure about what they can do about the climate crisis or how to start giving is always, ‘Just start’. 

“I’m not someone who has gazillions of dollars, and I also don’t think that money will solve absolutely everything. But there is something about knowing that I’m able to make a difference. 

“My parents came to Australia as refugees and growing up, they taught me that there was always something we could be doing to help other people.” 

Linh’s structured giving journey with Australian Communities Foundation began with a Gumnut Account, which she has grown over time to become a Named Fund. 

“For me, working with Australian Communities Foundation has been super useful,” Linh says. 

“At the bigger picture level, it has helped me think more strategically about my giving decisions rather than being a bit ad hoc. At the smaller picture you can’t overlook the administrative benefits of having a structure to participate in that guides you along.” 

How we make an impact with our giving: the Milgroms

Bec Milgrom and her siblings Adam and Jake run Tripple, a 100 per cent private investment company using capital as a force for good. They do this through a combined effort of investments and grantmaking. 

When it comes to grantmaking, the Milgroms focus most of their efforts on systems change and seek impactful and innovative approaches to philanthropy. For them, ACF’s Impact Fund is a great ally in finding high-impact funding opportunities that they are unlikely to find without it. 

“ACF staff’s expertise and sector knowledge gives us a high level of trust in their funding recommendations,” says Bec. “That’s especially true when it comes to making our grants work meaningfully in high-impact areas like advocacy and movement building.” 

Bec credits the Fund with amplifying the impact of her family’s giving. 

“Working together with other funders through the Impact Fund builds energy around important issues that are often harder to find and fund, and provides additional confidence by being a part of a collective. 

“Importantly, the Fund simultaneously takes some fundraising pressure off organisational leaders, leaving them to focus their energy on getting the work done while introducing them to donors who they might not have otherwise had access to.”

“It’s not about big dollars”: Phillip and Mercedes Slater on their giving journey

Phillip and Mercedes Slater began their giving journey by “just writing cheques for the same charities” and donating clothes to opportunity shops – that is, until they discovered structured giving.  

With the support of Australian Communities Foundation, Phillip and Mercedes became more strategic around their giving and established a Named Fund: the Initiate Action Community Fund, named after their ethos and “mindset of getting stuff done and making a change in the world,” Phillip explains.

Eleven years since the Fund’s inception, the couple have well and truly found their footing, giving to a range of causes, including supporting health and wellbeing, homelessness and housing, and Indigenous communities.

In this recent conversation, Phillip and Mercedes Slater reflect on how their giving has changed over time, share the advice they’d give to people starting their giving journeys, and discuss what they wish more people knew about philanthropy. 

How did you get started with structured giving?

Phillip: We were looking at estate planning. We wanted – after our ultimate demise – whatever assets we had to go on and do something. So, the idea was, ‘what if we set something up now that provides a home for whatever assets are going into it?’ 

Mercedes: We didn’t know what our intent was, we only had a vague idea. When we joined, the team helped us play in the sandbox for a while and work out our interests. Over time, we developed a strategy; we like to measure and build capacity.  

How have your giving interest areas evolved over time?

P: We started out with themes around education and women and girls. Our backstory is that we were the first people in both of our families to go to university.

M: Education is a powerful tool. If you don’t have a lot of education, you struggle. So, we were looking at helping kids finish high school.

“Hopefully we can help lift someone up and then that person might lift someone else”

P: Our ethos evolved; we now look at how we can build capacity for individuals to do more on their own. So, for people who might be reliant on others or on the social systems, how can we help? We support organisations that are doing things to help people be more independent in their lives.  

What is it that you enjoy most about giving?

P: It’s the satisfaction of seeing or knowing the change that’s happened. It’s about being able to say to ourselves ‘we’ve done something good here’.  

M: Everyone should have an opportunity to be the best they can be. You can actually see people’s lives improve. It sounds like a cliche, but everyone has a right to feel fulfilled and happy. 

What are some of the best things that have come from being part of a giving community like the one at Australian Communities Foundation? 

M: Learning Circles have been very helpful – like-minded people get together and one would have an idea, and then the other would share something that worked for them. You learn through that.

P: It’s the cliche of community – being able to join in those forums and hear about issues where otherwise we would’ve had to try and research and find experts … but you can come along and hear someone talking about various issues and get that information.  

“It’s helpful for us to be able to meet the right sorts of organisations”

One of the things we’ve always taken advantage of at Australian Communities Foundation is the resources. We’ve made sure the team understand our ethos and what drives us, the sort of things we’re looking for. The team will come to us and say, ‘hey, have you heard about this?’, then they help make a connection. It’s helpful for us to be able to meet the right sorts of organisations.

How has Australian Communities Foundation supported your way of giving?

P: We don’t have to deal with any red tape. It also separates when you make a donation and when you grant to an organisation. This means that you can put money into the fund when you’ve got some cash, and then find the right opportunity later.  

That changes the equation for us in terms of being able to look for things. We can say, ‘here’s an organisation that needs some help’ and we can commit to three years of help because we know the fund can grant, and it doesn’t matter what happens to us in the meantime. That’s part of the administrative benefit – we don’t have to try and manage the cash flow around giving. 

What’s something you wish more people knew about philanthropy?

P: I think that most people think about philanthropy as being for the very wealthy in society.  

M: [But] you don’t have to come in with a million dollars. It’s not about big dollars.

P: You can start a Gumnut Account with as little as $2,000 a year, and then incrementally increase that until you get to a Named Fund. A lot of families can afford that. Regular people like us can afford to make something happen. You just take a little time to build it up. It compounds and before you know it, you’ve got something worthwhile. 

When all’s said and done, what do you hope your giving has achieved?

M: To make people’s lives better. Sometimes it only takes a little bit of money to improve someone’s life or someone’s environment. Hopefully, with our small contributions, we can help lift someone up and then that person might lift someone else. That’s what it is. 

What advice would you give to people starting their philanthropic journeys?

P: The advice we’d give to anybody is to just start and make some small grants and see how it works, and see where your passion leads you.

M: If you wait for things to be perfect… that perfection doesn’t exist. You just have to get into the sandpit, get a bit dirty, make some mistakes, and keep going.

P: It’s all a learning journey. You’ll get in and not know how it works or whether that’s the right sort of organisation or how you’re going to choose an organisation. You really can’t learn it until you’re doing it. Our advice would be to just start giving, whether you start with a Gumnut or move on to something bigger.