More than money: fostering trust and hearing voices is essential if we are ever to shift poverty

Australia is one of the wealthiest nations globally, boasting high median and mean household incomes and significant net worth. Yet, despite this prosperity, one in eight people, including one in six children, live below the poverty line. The statistics, drawn from the University of New South Wales and the Australian Council of Social Services' 2022 report on poverty in Australia, and remaining consistent since this report in 2022, are a stark reminder that wealth does not necessarily translate to widespread well-being.

September 5 marks the International Day of Charity, a day dedicated to raising awareness and mobilizing people, NGOs and stakeholders worldwide to encourage volunteerism and philanthropic activities. It’s a day that serves as a global call to action, urging everyone to contribute to ending poverty. This year, the theme "Global Solidarity to Eradicate Poverty" is particularly poignant, reminding us that poverty is not confined to distant places — it exists in every corner of the world, including here in Australia.

Households experiencing joblessness, sole-parent families, and individuals living with disabilities are among the most affected. Indigenous Australians, in particular, face disproportionate levels of poverty and disadvantage, with the Australian Parliament highlighting that they are "the most socially and economically deprived" group in the country.

But what happens when these factors intersect? This is a question that remains largely unexplored in mainstream reports and discussions. The complex reality of poverty cannot be reduced to simplistic solutions like "getting a job" or "moving to a city." Such statements ignore the deep-seated historical and systemic barriers that have created and perpetuated poverty, particularly among Indigenous communities.

The role of philanthropy

So what can philanthropy do? The answer lies in reimagining the way in which we work to be better funders and better partners. It requires a shift in perspective to value Indigenous ways of knowing, being, and doing, and to reconcile these with the broader worldview on poverty and wealth. But who should lead this reimagination? The answer is clear: First Nations Australians — those who are most impacted by change but remember what it was like to be locked out of wealth building —can and will break entrenched poverty if given the tools, the insights and the partnership to achieve this.

Philanthropy can play a vital role in driving this change. It has the potential to address community needs in ways that larger funders, like governments, often cannot. The flexibility of philanthropic giving allows for a rapid response to pressing issues, which is crucial in building trust and fostering innovation. Unlike government funding, which is often hindered by bureaucracy and silos, philanthropy can act swiftly, take risks, and experiment with new approaches that have the potential to create meaningful, long-term change.

Moreover, diversity in philanthropy is not just a buzzword; it is a necessity. By bringing a wider range of perspectives into the conversation, philanthropic organizations can ensure that the solutions they support are as varied and nuanced as the communities they aim to serve. For me, I am only one of few First Nations people working in philanthropy here in Australia but we could do with more, because already you can see the impact this has not just in my organisation but more broadly across the sector. When we value lived experience, we value and live diversity, equity and inclusion. And it is an ongoing journey, not just in our giving but in the way we act, because the impact of philanthropic work is amplified when there is a focus on continuous learning—learning from both successes and failures to improve and sustain efforts over time.

For me, I have seen how this can benefit. I am proudly the recipient of a generous bequest by Chuck Feeney and the Atlantic Philanthropies in one of their last big bets: an investment into seven Atlantic Fellows programs. Each program is distinct and grounded in Fellows’ local contexts, but they share a common purpose of advancing fairer, healthier, more inclusive societies – through mobilizing leaders. We are around 1,000 change leaders across the globe connected to change, through connection and challenge. It’s about fostering trust, amplifying marginalized voices, and paving the way for a more just and equitable future, with the most trusted on inbuilt networks across the globe. As a Global Fellow I have the privilege of representing the Atlantic Fellows for Social Equity on the Global stage as a co-chair of the Global Fellows Advisory Board. But, I am more privileged for being able to sit in a room where I am challenged, where I grow with every conversation, and importantly where we are learning ongoing for a better tomorrow.

Through this amazing mobilization of people came one of my most favoured passion projects, the Walking the Talk for Dementia initiative, generously supported by the Atlantic Institute, where walking the Camino de Santiago we are breaking down the narratives, challenging perceptions, and putting those living with dementia at the front of what we can do, not what we think we cannot.

So on this day, the International Day of Charity, I ask each of us to reflect on what opportunity can we provide or participate in to create a better world where everyone has the opportunity to thrive. Because around the corner are the people, the networks, the organizations, the philanthropists who will be there to support.