Australians Investing In Women (AIIW) have released findings from the second annual State of Gender-wise Giving Survey, providing an important benchmark for philanthropy, corporates, not-for-profits, and policymakers to better understand the degree of gender-focused philanthropic giving in Australia.

Launched in 2023, and piloted in 2022, the survey reviews the philanthropic efforts of the ‘AFR Top 50’ corporate and philanthropic organisations in relation to gender equity and giving, providing an annual snapshot of philanthropic investment in women and girls. The survey offers Australia’s leading giving organisations the opportunity to benchmark their gender-wise giving strategies against an emerging sector standard.

The results of the 2024 survey were launched at Perpetual Limited by, Julie Reilly OAM, CEO of AIIW alongside research partner Garreth Chandler, Founding Partner, The Evolved Group, and Belinda Jennings, Managing Partner, Evolved Thinking, who revealed an increased awareness of the importance of applying a gender lens to giving.  The results also highlight several challenges preventing the broader adoption of gender equity into philanthropic practices.

Business and finance journalist, Madeleine Morris, led a robust panel discussion featuring Janet Liu, Head of Social Impact and Community Partnerships at  ANZ , Cat Fay, Managing Partner, Community, Social Investment & ESG, Perpetual Private and Dan McLennan, Founder and Co-CEO, Local, who reflected on their philanthropic work and several key trends evident in the 2024 survey results.

While the survey sample does not cover the entire AFR Top 50 (with two key completion barriers identified as competing priorities and lack of data to measure), the 28 leading organisations that took part in the research represented more than $1.031 billion in the reporting period, including cash donations, grant programs, in-kind products, services, and volunteering. Data provided by those who participated, and those that didn’t, provides key insights into the state of Gender-wise giving practices in Australia and clearly highlights a ripe opportunity to improve on the reporting and analysis of the beneficiaries of Australian philanthropy.

2024 key findings:

• High Awareness of Gender Lens: The survey reveals that almost all respondents are aware of the term ‘Gender Lens’. Both corporate and philanthropic respondents report increasing awareness of the need to apply a gender lens to giving, recognising its importance not only in initiatives specifically focused on women and girls but also across broader initiatives such as homelessness and healthcare.
• Increased Focus on Gender-wising Giving: 3 out of 4 corporate and philanthropic respondents apply a gender lens to at least some of their giving. They demonstrate a greater knowledge and awareness of applying a gender lens to their giving programs.
• Limited Data on Gender-targeted giving:  Some of the organisations surveyed were unable to report where their giving is directed, a quarter indicating a lack of systems to capture gender-disaggregated data. 1 in 2 corporate respondents cannot estimate how much of their funding is directed to women and girls.
• Committed to gender equity in HR and organisational leadership: The majority of corporate respondents are committed to gender equity in HR policies and practices and organisational leadership; however, this is not yet reflected in the application of a gender lens to their giving programs and investment in communities. In philanthropic respondents findings showed that the application of a gender lens in HR, leadership and giving programs is consistent.
• Co-design in giving programs: A new finding revealed that corporate and philanthropic respondents are engaging women and girls with lived experience in the co-design of their giving programs. 1 in 3 corporate respondents and 1 in 2 philanthropic respondents are actively involving these communities in shaping their giving programs ensuring their voices are heard and that their needs are directly addressed. This inclusive approach not only empowers women and girls but also leads to more effective and meaningful outcomes.
• Increased Recognition of Australians Investing InWomen (AIIW): The 2024 survey also indicates a 41% increase in awareness among corporate and philanthropic respondents about the work of Australians Investing In Women

2024 identified key challenges:

While awareness is high, many respondents continue to face significant barriers in implementing gender-wise giving effectively:

• Political Sensitivity: Trustees’ individual interests and the part-time nature of their roles can make it difficult to align gender-wise giving with broader organisational strategies.
• Trustee Knowledge Gaps: Trustees often lack the necessary training and insights to prioritise gender equity in their organisations’ giving strategies.
• Influence of Founder and Family Interests: Family foundations continue to be influenced by the wishes of founders or family members, influencing the focus (or lack of) on gender equity in giving decisions.
• Lack of Formal Tools and Processes: Many respondents, particularly those in the early stages of their philanthropic efforts, lack the formal tools, systems, and processes to confidently measure and track gender-wise giving.
• Appetite to Implement: Some respondents are concerned that imperfect assessment is worse than no assessment.

Insights from the Survey Participants:

Corporate and philanthropic donors participating in the survey recognised the value of using a gender lens in giving.

One corporate donor shared:
“AIIW’s work has raised our awareness that there are both benefits to incorporating a gender-lens to giving, and pitfalls to not incorporating a gender-lens (beyond the organisations/programs we support that are specifically focused on women/girls).”

As one philanthropic donor noted:
“Some of our programs support general health programs and arts events for the wider community so don’t focus specifically on women and girls, but they are designed generally to support those cohorts.”

Another philanthropic donor commented:
“…the need to use a gender lens for all giving e.g. homelessness, health to better understand the gender-balance and impact of your giving.”

Looking Ahead:

The findings of the State of Gender-wise Giving Survey serve as a call to action for organisations across the corporate and philanthropic sectors to better integrate gender equity into their strategies and operations.

While the results highlight some progress, with 62% of corporate organisations including some measures of gender in reporting outcomes and 1in 2 philanthropic organisations engaging women and girls with lived experience in the co-design of their giving programs, there is a clear need for improved data systems, greater trustee education, and stronger tools to design and track the gendered impact of giving.

Evolved Founding Partner, Garreth Chandler highlighted how the results showed progress but also highlighted the need for continued advocacy. “The key metrics of success for AIIW are all moving in the right direction. You can see there is now a core of committed and engaged donors.  This group can be expanded by communicating to the whole giving community the importance of applying a gender lens and how it actually amplifies benefits across all interest groups.”

Reflecting on the research and survey findings Julie Reilly OAM, CEO Australians Investing In Women said “As we face the reality indicated by the World Economic Forum that it will take 134 years globally to achieve gender equality, we must act urgently to ensure future generations inherit a fairer, more inclusive world. In Australia, we still rank 24th on the Global Gender Gap Index. Despite being a modern and sophisticated economy, harmful gender norms persist, limiting equal power and opportunities in both domestic and professional spheres. This inequality hinders individual and collective progress.”

“A gender lens is not just a tool; it is a critical inquiry that uncovers unconscious bias and addresses harmful gender norms, enabling us to design research and programs that truly advance gender equality. I often say that a gender lens and a climate lens are foundational. Everyone has a gender identity that shapes how they experience the world, just as we all share the experience and responsibility living on this planet. Beyond these, there are many other vital considerations—such as age, ability or disability and ethnicity —that are critical to understanding and addressing systemic issues. However, gender is a powerful starting point. In philanthropy, people often talk about systems change, and gender is one of the most defining systems. You can’t drive meaningful systems change without addressing gender.”

“We look forward to building participation in this important annual survey in the years ahead and supporting private and corporate donors to apply a gender lens to their giving through evidence informed research, education and practical tools and resources.”  Said Julie Reilly OAM.

While the results are published only in aggregate, survey respondents will receive an individualised report that allows them to benchmark themselves against their peers (see examples following):

The State of Gender-wise Giving Survey was produced in partnership with The Evolved Group and leverages research by John McLeod, JBWere Philanthropic Services and Jarrod Miles, Strive Philanthropy and GivingLarge. We thank them for their support as well as the members or the Survey Steering Committee whose input has helped refine our approach.

We would also like to thank all survey respondents, especially ANZ who kindly recorded a video to share insights on their approach to gender lens giving, measurement and reporting. Watch the video