Fiona AtkinsonA 2% decline on the year before, but still worth $942 million – what the AFR Philanthropy 50 List tells us about Australia’s mega-giving.
The latest Australian Financial Review (AFR) Philanthropy 50 List is here, sharing Australia’s top 50 givers of FY20/21. And what’s clear is that those who give big continue to fill the gap left by declining mass-market giving.
Philanthropists and corporates have expanded their generosity in response to the catastrophic weather events of Summer 2019 and the pandemic that swiftly followed, says the report’s creator, John McLeod of JBWere Philanthropic Services.
“The really pleasing aspect of the past two years has been how both large-scale private and corporate giving has stepped up, firstly during bushfires and then COVID-19,” says John. “The doubling in giving since our first list six years ago and the 13 new names this year, including five large bequests, shows the growing spread of philanthropy and hints at the potential for much more.”
Let’s first explore the top-level insights before we unearth the new additions to the pack.
Top of the tops
The total value of donations given by the top 50 is $942 million, a 2% drop on FY19/20’s $964 million.
The minimum donation needed to make the list was $4.4 million, slightly higher than 19/20’s $4 million, and 20 donations were worth more than $10 million.
The largest philanthropic support of $143.1 million came from the Paul Ramsay Foundation. Joining them in the top three are the Minderoo Foundation with $109.7 million and the Yajilarra Trust with $104.1 million. The latter organisation was founded by MYOB founder Craig Winkler and his occupational therapist wife, Di, who increased on their giving of $81.3 million in the previous year.
Noble newcomers
Martin and Loreto Hosking, the founders of online art marketplace, Redbubble, gave $12 million to Monash University and $10 million to Melbourne University via their Three Springs Foundation.
Also new to this year’s list is Allan and Gill Gray Philanthropy Australasia, which has grown its giving towards education support from $1.6 million to $7.8 million.
Other newcomers are the Besen Family Foundation ($4.4 million), Corbett and Yueji Lyon ($5.4 million), Harry Triguboff Foundation (6.2 million), Peter Freedman ($5 million), Peter Griffin and Terry Swann Foundation ($5 million), Profield Foundation ($5.6 million), and the Estates of Alexander Cambitoglou ($6 million), John Perrett ($19 million), Julianna Lowy ($25 million), Olga Tennison ($45 million), Patricia McDonald ($7 million).
Bequests contributed an incredible $102 million, or 11% of the total value of the top 50 list, and were, of course, led by the, aforementioned, Olga Tennison who died in January 2020, leaving a $45 million gift to La Trobe University for autism research.
A recap on key stats
- $942 million – the total value of the 2022 Philanthropy 50 list
- $143.1 million – the largest amount of philanthropic support, from the Paul Ramsay Foundation
- $4.4million – the minimum gift amount needed to be included in the 2022 Philanthropy 50 list
- 13 newcomers, contributing $133.6 million and 14% of the overall total
- 5 bequests, contributing $102 million and 11% of the total
The Top 50 in full
Here it is, the complete list of Australia’s top 50 most generous philanthropic donors in FY20/21:
| Rank | Philanthropist / Organisation Name | Donation value FY20/21 ($M) | Area of support |
| 1 | Paul Ramsay Foundation | 143.1 | Breaking the cycle of disadvantage though early childhood and school learning, transition to employment, thriving communities |
| 2 | Minderoo Foundation | 109.7 | Fire & flood resilience, plastic waste, cancer collaboration, flourishing oceans, early childhood, walkfree/modern slavery |
| 3 | Yajilarra Trust | 104.1 | Australia’s First Nations people, climate change, disability, Christian faith |
| 4 | Lowy Foundation and family | 69.8 | Lowy Medical Research Institute and Lowy Institute for International Policy |
| 5 | Estate of Olga Tennison | 45.0 | Autism research at La Trobe University |
| 6 | Ian Potter Foundation & Cultural Trust | 28.8 | Arts, community wellbeing, early childhood, environment, health and medical research, sector support |
| 7 | Pratt Philanthropies | 28.4 | Food security, mental health, arts, education, cancer care, Jewish life, environment, bushfires, COVID-19 |
| 8 | Kinghorn Foundation | 26.2 | Medical research, poverty and Australian youth |
| 9 | Estate of Julianna Lowy | 25.0 | JewishCare Foundation for support of JewishCare, Sydney |
| 10 | Three Springs Foundation | 22.0 | Monash Uni Centre for Consciousness and Contemplative Studies; University of Melbourne Contemplative Studies Centre |
| 11 | Judith Neilson Foundation & charitable trusts | 20.6 | Arts , education, international aid, Judith Neilson Institute for Journalism and Ideas |
| 12 | Graham and Louise Tuckwell | 20.0 | Part of $100m for two halls of residence at Australian National University, partners the Tuckwell Scholarship Program |
| 13 | Stan Perron Charitable Trust | 19.3 | Disadvantage and youth particularly in Western Australia, improving children’s health, cultural enrichment |
| 14 | Estate of John Perrett | 19.0 | Royal Melbourne Hospital Department of Nephrology |
| 15 | Gandel Foundation | 14.0 | Arts, education, COVID-19, health and medical research, youth at risk, Jewish identity, Indigenous, poverty and disadvantage |
| 16 | Terry Snow and Snow Foundations | 13.9 | Canberra Grammar, biomedical research, homelessness, domestic violence, disadvantage, Indigenous health, ageing, disability |
| 17 | Peter and Lyndy White Foundation | 12.6 | Homelessness & disadvantage, youth, family and aged care |
| 18 | Myer Foundation and Sidney Myer Fund | 11.8 | Arts, sustainability and environment, water security, poverty and disadvantage, mental health, rights and justice, education |
| 19 | Neilson Foundation | 11.5 | Arts, universities and welfare |
| 20 | Vincent Fairfax Family Foundations | 10.3 | |
| 21 | Planet Wheeler Foundation | 9.3 | International development focused on health, education and human rights, refugees and climate change |
| 22 | Sylvia & Charles Viertel Charitable Foundation | 8.6 | Health and medical research |
| 23 | R E Ross Trust | 8.4 | Educational equity and biodiversity conservation in Victoria |
| 24 | Stafford Fox Medical Research Foundation | 7.8 | Medical research, public hospitals and universities |
| 25 | Allan & Gill Gray Philanthropy Australasia | 7.8 | Education support |
| 26 | Miller Foundation | 7.3 | Health and medical research, social services, environment |
| 27 | Scanlon Foundation | 7.2 | Improving social cohesion particularly for the transition of migrants into Australian society |
| 28 | Susan McKinnon Foundation | 7.1 | Effective government, international leadership and obesity prevention |
| 29 | Estate of Patricia McDonald | 7.0 | Australian Museum Foundation for First Nations knowledge systems research and grants program |
| 30 | Packer Family Foundations | 6.9 | |
| 31 | Eldon & Anne Foote Trust & sub fund in LMCF | 6.8 | Environment, health, education, social causes, medical research, arts |
| 32 | Ernest Heine Family Foundation | 6.4 | Medical research and social services |
| 33 | Harry Triguboff Foundation | 6.2 | Health and medical research |
| 34 | Shine On Foundation | 6.1 | Social services, economic, social and community development |
| 35 | Andrew Thyne Reid Charitable Trust | 6.0 | Arts, higher education, medical research, welfare |
| 36 | Hansen Little Foundation | 6.0 | University of Melbourne; part of $30m for hall of residence and scholarships, arts and medical research |
| 37 | Estate of Alexander Cambitoglou | 6.0 | University of Sydney for Australian Archaeological Institute at Athens |
| 38 | Tim Fairfax Family Foundation | 5.7 | Arts, education & community initiatives in rural, regional and remote communities of Queensland and the Northern Territory |
| 39 | Lang Walker Family Foundation | 5.6 | Macarthur Medical Research Centre with Western Sydney University |
| 40 | Profield Foundation | 5.6 | Education, poverty, health |
| 41 | Baker Foundation | 5.6 | Health and medical research |
| 42 | Corbett and Yueji Lyon | 5.4 | Mainly artworks for Lyon House museum |
| 43 | Collier Charitable Fund | 5.2 | Welfare, public hospitals, education and religion |
| 44 | Peter Griffin and Terry Swann Foundation | 5.0 | University of Melbourne, Chair in Economic History |
| 45 | Peter Freedman | 5.0 | Sydney Festival |
| 46 | William Buckland Foundation | 4.8 | Vulnerable Victorians through housing, health, employment and education and regional communities |
| 47 | Noel and Carmel O’Brien Family Foundation | 4.8 | International aid and education |
| 48 | JO & JR Wicking Trust | 4.7 | Wellness and quality of life for the aged and those with or at risk of Alzheimer’s disease |
| 49 | McCusker Charitable Foundation | 4.4 | Medical research and advancement of science, conservation/environment, education, arts |
| 50 | Besen Family Foundation | 4.4 | Health and welfare, Jewish interests, arts |
To see last year’s Philanthropy 50 List, click here.
