What the Philanthropy Australia conference reminded me about Community Foundations

I left Brisbane after the Philanthropy Australia Conference last month a little ‘over-stimmed’ (as my kids would say), but inspired. Three days, 1,200 people, and more good conversations than any one brain can properly process.

There was a real sense of fun and celebration at this conference. That’s not to say there wasn’t deep reflection on the work that needs to be done to shift outdated philanthropic structures and ways of working, but it’s starting to feel like we have the structures and the right people listening to make these shifts.

A few weeks on, as I reflect on the learnings, I’m feeling affirmed in the direction of our Foundation SA strategy and the commitment we’ve made to communities leading and resources flowing.

Community was front and centre the whole time. Words like relational, trust, community-led, belonging and place matters came up in almost every session I went to. It was affirming to hear. I found myself constantly thinking, ‘we do this every day in community foundations’. Sometimes it takes a conference like this to remind you that the everyday work is the work that matters.

One point that’s really stayed with me came from Maree Sidey, CEO, Philanthropy Australia, who opened with a provocation centred on Belonging, noting that people with a strong sense of belonging are three times more likely to give. It’s a heartening statistic and one that matches exactly what we see play out here in South Australia, every day.

First Nations voices weren’t confined to a single session but felt like the heartbeat of the whole week. Young people were everywhere, on stages, on panels, in the room, a reminder that you can’t talk seriously about shaping the future without them at the table. And underneath it all was one word that kept surfacing: connection. As Trista Harris put it when talking about trust-based, community-led philanthropy: ‘It’s not that deep. Just hand over the money.’

5 key takeaways I’m bring back to Foundation SA:

First Nations-led giving – a recurring call to back solutions that already exist within community, rather than designing them from the outside. For us, that means looking for genuine opportunities to support First Nations-led initiatives and trust community leadership to shape the way forward.

Engaging youth at every level – young people aren’t just the philanthropists of tomorrow, they’re already leading today, particularly on issues like climate and gender equity. The opportunity is to involve them properly: as grant partners, on teams, and around Board tables, not just as future beneficiaries.

The advisor opportunity – accountants, financial planners and lawyers play a growing role in connecting clients to giving. There’s real energy in the sector around how community foundations can work more closely with professional advisors and I’m keen to explore how South Australia can be a leader in this space.

Strengthening belonging – this needs to be a deliberate, ongoing focus for funders, grant partners and philanthropic teams. Finding real ways to connect donors to community, share the work happening on the ground, and build genuine connection, not just transactions.

Change with communities, not to them – this theme came up again and again across the conference. It’s a simple idea but a genuine discipline: real impact comes from working alongside community, not directing from above it. This is something I want to make sure shapes how we operate, not just something we nod along to.

💡If any of these ideas spark something for you, as a donor, a grant partner, or an advisor – I’d love to hear from you.