The beautiful bougainvillea archway blooming brightly on Southbank, Brisbane.
15 SEPTEMBER 2026. BRISBANE. Conference theme: Mobilising Generosity, Shaping the Future
Earlier this month, we attended the Philanthropy Australia Conference — three days of sharing conversations and ideas with funders, community leaders, researchers and young changemakers from across Australia and beyond. Here’s a few insights that stayed with us.
Belonging matters more than we think
Perhaps the most human insight of the conference: people who feel a genuine sense of belonging and connection are three times more likely to give. It's a reminder that generosity isn't just about capacity — it's about connection, community, and trust in one another.
Trust is the new currency
One theme ran through almost every session: philanthropy works best when funders let go of control. Speakers from the Bush Foundation (USA) to Draper Richards Kaplan spoke about multi-year, unrestricted funding — giving organisations the flexibility to spend where the need actually is, rather than where a grant agreement says it should be.
Measurement doesn't have to mean micromanagement
A recurring myth we heard challenged: that untied funding means no accountability. In practice, the funders doing this well are co-designing simple, meaningful measures with their grantees — often just a handful of questions a year — and leaning on stories and relationships as much as data.
Young people are already leading — the funding just isn't following
A striking statistic surfaced more than once: less than 1% of climate philanthropy funding reaches youth-led organising. Several sessions, including a panel entirely presented by young people, made the same point in different ways — young people don't need to be spoken for, they need to be funded, resourced, and given a genuine seat at the table.
First Nations knowledge and reparative practice
From a dedicated First Nations perspectives panel to funders sharing their own decolonising journeys, there was a strong thread around what it looks like to fund in ways that are reciprocal and community-led, rather than imposed from the outside.
Thinking beyond the next few years — and beyond the cheque
Futurist Trista Harris challenged the room to think in 30–50 year horizons rather than the usual 3–5, arguing that organisations with a truly long-term vision often achieve more of it, sooner. Elsewhere, funders spoke about the value they bring beyond capital — networks, credibility, governance support, and capacity-building — as being just as important as the money itself.
We left the conference with plenty to think about — inspired to continue improving our own grant-making approach at Coolaroo Foundation.
