Jesuit Social Services was pleased to contribute a submission to the Productivity Commission’s Inquiry into Philanthropy – an opportunity to analyse motivations for and grow philanthropic giving in Australia, in line with the Federal Government’s goal to double philanthropic giving by 2030.
Philanthropic giving is essential to our work towards a just society. It drives a range of innovative programs and initiatives deemed critical but risky, including our child sexual abuse prevention program Stop it Now! Australia; our pioneering place-based disadvantage research series Dropping off the Edge; our specialist therapeutic school for teenaged boys involved with the criminal justice system; and our long-running music and art program, Artful Dodgers Studios.
Our submission affirmed the critical role of philanthropy in enabling such work, and more broadly in supporting a robust civil society: philanthropic support is innovative, nimble, localised, and often has a greater appetite for risk than other funding sources. It fills gaps other funders can’t or won’t, and helps us deliver work that makes a meaningful difference.
Yet government support remains crucial. Our submission reiterated a targeted doubling of philanthropic funding must not come at the cost of decreased government support – each plays an important role that must be preserved and matched.
