The 2026 State of Gender-wise Giving Survey is designed for Australian corporate and philanthropic funders. This includes companies with corporate giving or community investment programs, trusts, foundations, private ancillary funds, community foundations, and other structured giving entities. The survey is not intended for grant-seeking community organisations or service providers unless they also manage a structured giving program.

The Australian Financial Review’s Top 50 corporate givers and Top 50 philanthropic givers continue to form the survey’s established benchmark cohorts, enabling AIIW to track change over time. In 2026, participation has expanded to include a broader range of funders of different sizes, structures, focus areas, and levels of experience with gender-wise giving.

Each response should be completed on behalf of an eligible funder by someone with sufficient knowledge of its giving approach and activities. If a respondent represents more than one separate giving entity, each entity may submit its own response.

While the AFR Top 50 corporate and Top 50 philanthropic givers represent an important group of Australia’s largest reported givers, they do not reflect the full diversity of corporate and philanthropic funding.

Expanding participation will help us to understand how funders of different sizes, structures, focus areas, and levels of experience approach impact, and where gender fits into their thinking and practice.

We want to learn from organisations that already apply a gender lens, those beginning to explore it, and those that do not currently consider gender in their giving. This will provide a fuller picture of current practice, the factors that enable or constrain gender-wise giving, and the support funders may need.

The AFR Top 50 corporate and Top 50 philanthropic lists will continue to be analysed as distinct cohorts so that we can track change over time.

Organisations included in the Australian Financial Review’s Top 50 corporate and Top 50 philanthropic giving lists will receive a unique survey link sent to an identifiable contact. Other corporate and philanthropic funders can participate using the published survey link.

Because the survey is being shared through multiple networks, someone from an organisation appearing on the AFR lists may also use the published survey link. If this applies to your organisation, please be aware that a colleague may already have received a direct invitation.

All respondents are asked to provide their name, email address, and organisation so that responses can be validated. If more than one response is received for the same giving entity, we and The Evolved Group will review the responses and may contact respondents if clarification is needed. Separate giving entities within the same wider organisation may each submit their own response.

The survey should take between 5 to 30 minutes to complete, depending on your organisation and your responses. Larger or more complex giving programs may take longer.

You can download the survey questions as a PDF before you begin. This will help you identify any information you may need to have available or colleagues you may wish to consult.

The 2026 State of Gender-wise Giving Survey closes on Monday 16 November 2026.

By participating, your organisation will contribute to a stronger national evidence base on whether and how corporate and philanthropic funders consider gender in their giving. This will help us to understand current practice, identify the factors that enable or constrain gender-wise giving, and develop resources and advocacy that support more effective and equitable giving.

Each eligible participating funder will receive a confidential individualised report showing how its responses compare with the emerging sector-wide benchmark for gender-wise giving. The report can support internal reflection, strategy, governance, and discussions with boards, staff, and external stakeholders about gender and impact.

The research will also help demonstrate how considering gender alongside existing funding priorities can strengthen outcomes for women and girls and benefit the broader community.

Survey responses are analysed by The Evolved Group, AIIW’s independent research partner. Respondents are asked to provide their name, email address, and organisation so that AIIW and The Evolved Group can validate that each response has been submitted on behalf of an eligible funder.

Public findings are reported only in aggregate. Results may be analysed across different participant groups, including the AFR Top 50 corporate givers, the AFR Top 50 philanthropic givers, and the broader group of participating funders. Individual respondents and organisations will not be publicly identified, unless they have provided their consent.

Eligible participating funders will receive a confidential individualised report comparing their results with the emerging sector-wide benchmark for gender-wise giving.

AIIW will use the findings to strengthen the evidence base for gender-wise giving, develop practical resources, inform its advocacy, and support sector learning. Findings will also be shared at a special launch event exploring emerging practice and opportunities to strengthen the impact of giving.

Gender-wise giving is a term we use to describe giving that considers how sex and gender shape people’s experiences, needs, and access to opportunities, and uses that understanding to inform giving decisions. We also refer to this as applying a gender lens.

We know that programs intended to be gender-neutral can affect women, men, and gender-diverse people differently. Without gender analysis, giving may unintentionally overlook women and girls, underserve some groups, or reinforce existing disadvantage.

We encourage funders to apply a gender lens alongside their existing priorities, rather than treating gender as a separate or competing cause. A gender lens can be applied across any area of giving to improve program design, reach, effectiveness, and impact. It keeps women and girls visible while supporting more inclusive outcomes that benefit the wider community.

We use “giving program” as a broad term for the different ways an organisation contributes funding, resources, or time to create social impact. This may include grants, major gifts, direct donations, in-kind support, community partnerships, workplace giving, and employee volunteering.

For companies, these activities may be described as corporate giving or community investment. We use these terms inclusively in the survey so that organisations can respond according to how they structure and describe their giving.

We use “corporate giving” and “community investment” to describe the ways companies contribute to social impact through financial donations, grants, in-kind support, community partnerships, workplace giving, and employee volunteering.

For the purposes of this survey and related research, our definition aligns with established reporting approaches, including B4SI and the Global Reporting Initiative. It excludes foregone revenue, leveraged contributions, political donations, and payments required under land-use agreements.

We recognise that companies measure and report their giving in different ways, and that there is no consistent reporting requirement that enables direct comparison or gender analysis.

The report, Sharpening Our Focus on Corporate Giving: Keeping Gender Equality in the Frame  developed by the Champions of Change Coalition, in collaboration with Australians Investing In Women, provides further information about applying a gender lens to corporate giving and community investment.

We do not consider commercial sponsorships part of corporate giving. The survey focuses on charitable giving and community investment intended primarily to address social issues and benefit the community, rather than activities principally designed to deliver a commercial or marketing return.

For further information, please refer to page 10 of the report, Sharpening Our Focus on Corporate Giving: Keeping Gender Equality in the Frame.

We based the survey’s funding priority areas on the Australian Charities and Not-for-profits Commission’s (ACNC) program classification system. This aligns the survey with the way Australian charities and not-for-profit organisations categorise and report their programs.

The ACNC system supports consistent classification and helps donors, grantmakers, volunteers, and the public identify charities working in particular areas. It is based on CLASSIE, the Classification System of Australian Social Sector Initiatives and Entities, developed by Our Community for the Australian social sector.

Australians Investing In Women’s purpose is to increase funding for women and girls in ways that advance gender equality and contribute to a stronger, safer, and more prosperous society for all. The survey supports this purpose by building evidence about whether and how funders apply a gender lens in their decision-making and giving.

The survey enables organisations to record giving directed to women and girls, men and boys, and people with diverse sex and gender identities, as well as giving with no specific gender target. In the survey, “diverse sex and gender identities” includes intersex, gender queer, non-binary, and gender non-conforming people.

When we refer to women and girls, we include cisgender and transgender women and girls. We recognise that sex characteristics and gender identity are distinct, and that people may describe and understand their identities in different ways.

This broader information helps us build a fuller picture of gender-wise giving, although giving directed to women and girls remains the principal focus of our reporting.

Yes. You can download a PDF copy of the survey questions and share relevant sections with colleagues. We recommend nominating one person to coordinate and submit the final response on behalf of your organisation so that the answers are complete and internally consistent.

Please answer as fully as you can, but not every question is compulsory. If reliable information is not available, you may leave optional questions unanswered.

If you are unsure of how to interpret or respond to a question, please contact Catherine Noble, Programs and Impact Lead at Australians Investing In Women: catherine.noble@aiiw.org.au

If you experience a technical issue accessing or completing the survey, please contact Joyce Teo, Chief Operating Officer at Australians Investing In Women at operations@aiiw.org.au.

We welcome feedback about the survey and your experience completing it. Please contact Catherine Noble, Programs and Impact Lead at catherine.noble@aiiw.org.au

The survey has been developed by Australians Investing In Women and The Evolved Group with input from Social Ventures Australia, and a steering committee comprising industry experts and sector representatives.

The 2026 questionnaire has been further refined through consultation with corporate and philanthropic funders and other stakeholders.

We are a national not-for-profit working to increase funding for women and girls by embedding a gender lens in philanthropy and broader investment. Our work is funded through philanthropic and pro bono support. Please visit Our Supporters page for more information about the organisations that support our work.

We provide practical tools, resources, research, and education to help funders apply a gender lens to their giving. Visit our Research and Resources page to explore the available materials.

If your organisation is interested in tailored support, including a presentation for your board or a workshop for your team, please contact us directly at info@aiiw.org.au.