Australians Investing in Women | Learn More About us

About us

Empowering giving for a fairer future

Australians Investing in Women (AIIW) is a leading not-for-profit organisation that advocates for Gender-wise philanthropy.

AIIW encourages all Australians – particularly philanthropic, corporate, and community leaders – to apply a gender lens to their giving and increase investment in women and girls, to help create a fairer and more inclusive society.

We are a growing community of women, men and businesses who understand that investing in women and girls strengthens both economies and societies as a whole. We do not provide grants; we are part of a burgeoning global movement spreading awareness, not only of the benefits in addressing the disadvantage still experienced by women and girls, but of their central role in effecting constructive social change and development.

Our Purpose

To increase philanthropic funding for women and girls that delivers greater gender equality and a better world for all.

Our Mission

To encourage the flow of money to women and girls by embedding a gender lens in philanthropy and across the social sector.

Our Vision

A gender equal world creating a fairer, more inclusive society for women and girls, and a better world for all.

Our Focus

AIIW works to help strengthen society and advance gender equality by increasing investment in women and girls.

AIIW promotes the benefits of investing in programs that combat the existing economic and social disadvantage of women and girls, both in Australia and globally.

AIIW works with Australians, including philanthropic, corporate and community leaders, to embed gender-wise practices in their giving programs, and connects funders to projects that benefit women and girls across a range of social issues, locally and internationally.

Why is gender important in philanthropy?

Effective philanthropy understands that the needs of women and men are different and that in order to treat them equally, their distinct circumstances must be addressed. Most philanthropic giving supports projects that do not differentiate by gender. There is often an assumption that giving to ‘youth’, ‘medical research’ or ‘the arts’ will provide universal benefits, however, research shows women are often under-served and excluded by programs intended to be gender-neutral. As a result, projects become less effective, reducing philanthropic impact.

To learn more, see our Guide to Gender-wise Philanthropy and Gender-wise Toolkit for Grantmakers

Why we exist

Everyone benefits from gender equality.

Strengthening investment in women and girls helps create gender equality, and a fairer world for all.

Australians want to invest with impact, passion and knowledge – and that includes giving with a strategic focus on women and girls.

Investing in women and girls has a proven multiplier effect, with benefits flowing to family and community, and women are often key to leading social change. Investing in women and girls can accelerate progress on a range of social issues.

More and more Australians want to invest with impact, and ensure their philanthropy and giving is aligned with their values.

At AIIW, we encourage philanthropists to ask two critical questions: Do you want your giving to support gender equality? And, how does your giving affect women and girls?

Supporting gender equality is not just about choosing to fund programs for women and girls. It’s also about challenging the assumption that gender-neutral programs benefit everyone equally.

We often see examples of non-gender specific programs that overwhelmingly support men or boys, simply by the nature of the program. This means that supporters may assume they are donating to a program that benefits everyone, when, in reality, women and girls often miss out.

At AIIW, we encourage investors to think about how they want to effect change, to ask the right questions through the giving process, and to test program performance along the way.

We offer practical tools and support to help philanthropic individuals and organisations through that process – because, as we know, gender equality doesn’t happen by accident.