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Give More, Give Smarter, Give Better, Give Now!

Parenting:How to Raise Giving Kids Page 6

GirlPower:Giving to Women Page 10

EDITION5,2010The official news fromwww.givenow.com.au

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GivingseasonhasbeguninAustralia,withthousandsofdollarspouringintohelpsupportthehundredsofcauseslistedwithAustralia’smostuser-friendlynot-for-profitonlinegivingservice,GiveNow.com.au.

This year is shaping up as a record-breaker for GiveNow.com.au, with the impending end of financial year providing an incentive for donors seeking last-minute deductions.

Already, donors have broken records during May, using their credit cards to hand over close to half a million dollars to GiveNow-listed causes, making it the biggest lead-up to the end of financial year on record.

And for the first time in Australia, donors using GiveNow.com.au now have access to a donation-tracking service that collates donations throughout the year and sends a consolidated tax receipt on the first day of July.

The free My Giving function is designed to make life much easier for the 64% of Australians who donate to a community group who don’t claim a tax deduction at the end of the financial year.

The tax receipt issued by GiveNow.com.au lists all donations made during that year – specifying which of those are eligible for tax deductions (not all not-for-profit groups can offer a tax deduction).

“Donors can log on to their My Giving page at GiveNow.com.au any time to view their donations history,” said GiveNow.com.au director Hannah Schwartz.

“That means no more storage of receipts for a whole year, no more little bits of paper – just one receipt, from one place, listing all of your donations, sent through to you at tax time, right when you need it.”

Start your own My Giving listing now at

t www.givenow.com.au/mygiving

Weallwanttogive,butsometimesit’shardtoknowhowtogetstarted.

GiveNow.com.au is Australia’s most user-friendly giving portal – a place where you can put your dollars to work to start building the kind of world you want to live in.

No money? No worries! Through GiveNow.com.au you can also find out how to give time, blood, clothes, blankets, computers, mobile phones, bikes, even corks!

Log on to find the tools, ideas, inspiring stories and practical tips you need to convert your good intentions into action.

GetReadyforTaxTime

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GiveNow.com.auAboutUs:GiveNow News is the official newsletter of GiveNow.com.au (proudly supported by ) dedicated to helping Australians give more, give smarter and give better. GiveNow.com.au is an initiative of the Our Community Foundation, a not-for-profit foundation established by Our Community to catalyse funding for Australian community groups and to transform the community sector through greater efficiencies and effectiveness. This newsletter has been produced with the support of the Liberman Family Foundation.

Publisher:Our Community Foundation National Headquarters 51 Stanley Street West Melbourne VIC 3003 Australia(PO Box 354 North Melbourne VIC 3051 Australia)Telephone (03) 9320 6838 Fax (03) 9326 6859service@givenow.com.auwww.ourcommunity.com.au/foundationISSN 1441-8947

EditorialContent:Mind Film and Publishing www.mindfp.com.au Telephone 0409999529

Copyright:© Our Community Foundation.This is a free newsletter and we would like it to be distributed as widely as possible. Please feel free to send it on. If you want to use the individual articles, however, you’ll need to ask our permission (we almost always give it). Email your request to service@givenow.com.au The articles in GiveNow News do not necessarily reflect the views of the Our Community Foundation, its staff or members. The purpose of this publication is to provide ideas, inspiration and best practice examples. We are not responsible for any actions taken by, or losses suffered by, any person on the basis of, or in reliance upon, any information in this newsletter, nor for any omission or error.

Wewelcomeyourinput:We welcome your article ideas, input and feedback. Email service@givenow.com.au

Productionschedule:GiveNow News is distributed monthly via email. This Issue Published: June 2010

OurCommitmenttoCorporateResponsibility:In line with the Australian Institute for Corporate Responsibility (AICR) model actions for achieving environmental sustainability, this publication is produced for online distribution. Where a hard copy is requested, we use 100% recycled paper.

OurCommitmenttoAccessibility:We are committed to ensuring our resources are accessible. This newsletter is available to subscribers in alternative formats on request. Email service@givenow.com.au

GiveNow

Hannah Schwartz, GiveNow.com.au

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GivingTip:SHOPETHICAL!In theory, it’s easy to be an ethical consumer. You simply have to buy positive (in favour of ethical products), avoid products you disapprove of (eggs from battery chickens, for example) and avoid supporting unethical companies. In practice, it is a confusing and sometimes overwhelming minefield.Enter the Shop Ethical! iPhone app. With a touch of your phone, this handy tool allows you employ the “fully screened approach” as you wander down the supermarket aisle. With information based on assessment gathered from the work of more than 25 organisations, including Greenpeace, Friends of the Earth and Choose Cruelty Free, this app gives the low-down on the environmental and social record of companies behind common brands in Australian supermarkets.Browse through the different product categories and discover ethical products (and those to avoid) or use the search bar to find information about a product you are specifically interested in.Shop Ethical, a collaboration between the not-for-profit Ethical Consumer Group and Outware mobile, asks that consumers uphold five principles:

1. Ask yourself – do I need it?2. Remember – every choice

makes a difference3. Don’t be overwhelmed –

learn about the issues behind your shopping but tackle one issue at a time

4. Go for the best buy – based on your values and availability

5. Make new habits – as you learn more, put your decision into action every time. And give the shop or manufacturer your feedback.

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What’sNot:ROYALMONEYMISSING:A 49-year old former official at Prince Charles’ Foundation for Integrated Health has been arrested on suspicion of fraud and money laundering. The arrest follows a police investigation into $500,000 unaccounted for in the organisation’s books. Prince Charles and his foundation promote homeopathy, herbal remedies and other complementary treatments.

What’sHot:AIDARENA: Just like eBay with a twist, Aid Arena is a new Australian website that allows you to auction goods online and nominate a charitable organisation to receive the proceeds. There is no cost to the donor or the buyer and everyone gets the satisfaction of knowing the purchase is supporting a good cause.

t http://www.aidarena.com

JUNE:

21/6:MotorNeuroneDiseaseGlobalAwarenessDayt GIVENOW

20/6-26/6:RefugeeWeekt GIVENOW

27/6:GlobalHIVTestingDayt GIVENOW

JULY:

4/7-11/7:NAIDOCWeekt GIVENOW

12/7-18/7:DiabetesWeekt GIVENOW

MOREEVENTS:

t http://www.ourcommunity.com.au/calendar/

What’sOn?W

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Problematic hearing aids, shaky hands and inoperable troubles with his left knee do not prevent Eugene Veith from

powering on towards his 95th birthday.

Eugene has dedicated his life’s work and earnings to helping those in need. Over the past 50 years Eugene has given in excess of $23 million to worthwhile causes.

And he has no plans to stop. “I always intended for my work to go on after I die,” he says.

A director of Mission Enterprises Limited (MEL), an organisation that he established 50 years ago, and its new off-shoot Entrust, Eugene channels funds to worthy causes in Australia and all over the world.

Beneficiaries include agricultural programs in Uganda that aid children orphaned by AIDS; micro-enterprises in the slums of Bangkok; anti child-trafficking education in Cambodia; and sewing classes in Mozambique.

Born in Melbourne, Eugene, who as a young man became bald as a result of alopecia – and subsequently coined his own nickname “Curly” – grew up in a poor household in Gippsland.

Around the time of the Great Depression his father Charles, a butcher, went broke. Eugene took

CreativeCrusader

the business’ sole remaining asset, a truck, and used it to make deliveries for a Flinders Lane company called Scott Brothers. He soon turned that business into Veith Transport, Melbourne’s largest parcel-delivery company, sporting 175 trucks and 1500 clients.

Rather than fattening up his own pocket, Eugene chose to put his first profits towards financing a mission in India. “I didn’t wait till I was rich to start giving to others,” he says.

“I have never been rich in my life. Now I have enough to bury myself that’s about all.”

When Eugene sold Veith Transport in 1986, much of the profit went to Mission Enterprises Limited.

One of the first local projects Eugene supported, women’s shelter

Benwerren, is still operating just a few kilometres away from Eugene’s home in a Doncaster East retirement village.

Entrust CEO Richard Beaumont, who has known Eugene for more than 30 years, says the enterprise is success-ful because it offers direct support to communities and people who would otherwise have no access to western aid. Entrust leverages the capital established by Eugene through MEL to fund other projects and relies on donors to help carry the load.

“We offer these projects to businesses, corporations, other foundations or high net worth individuals who say ‘I want to give but because of the Global Financial Crisis I don’t want to throw the money into some pot and never hear from it again.’ They want to give in a way that they know the money is going to get to where it’s meant to go,” he says.

For Eugene, who regularly attends Entrust board meetings and is up-to-date with all of the enterprise’s activities, there’s no room for self-congratulation.

“I don’t give myself the glory,” he says, “I am a Christian. I believe god has in-spired me to do this, but it’s his work.”

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EUGENEVEITH

FounderandDirectorofMissionEnterprisesLimitedandEntrust

“Ididn’twaittillIwasrichtostartgivingtoothers.”Eugene Veith

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UncharitableThoughtsACupboardfulofCoats

capital for expansion, some feel that divine providence wills that it go to the sect leader. These goals are distinguishable, and we certainly shouldn’t regard members’ willingness to sacrifice as evidence of the value of the goals of the organisation, or the truth of its beliefs.

It’s a little disturbing, though, that the most generous people all seem to be involved with the most stigmatised organisations. Why can’t the rest of us divert just a little of that – well, what do you call it? fanaticism? dedication? sacrifice? altruism? – to the things we care about, sort of, in a kind of a way? The best lack all conviction, while the worst are full of passionate intensity, as W.B. Yeats commented (placing himself and his readers comfortably on the ‘best’ side of the line, to be sure).

At this point I must declare an interest. I myself have more than two coats – hell, I have more than two coats even after putting to one side all the ones that have worn out at the elbows or grown too tight or become fashion outcasts. And I haven’t been looking very hard for the people who have none. I’m really not up for the hard stuff.

It’s not always easy to distinguish between a religion and a cult. Australian tax law, for example, doesn’t even try, giving that

status to virtually any sincerely held set of beliefs. If you look, though, at the kind of groups that get called cults in the media, they do seem to have one thing in common – they’re very good indeed at fundraising from their members. So good, in fact, that this is taken as proof of their evil and antisocial nature, proof that they’re shearing their sheep.

Devotees give 10%, or half, or all of their income to the sect. They sell their homes to be able to give more. They live on scraps and wear rags. And they do this voluntarily – under pressure, yes, but not under duress. Those of us not under the influence of cult leaders look on with horror at this deviant behaviour.

Which is in some ways odd, because the kind of behaviour that we regard as anywhere from deluded to borderline insane is rather close to what most religions actually suggest is a good thing. There we find a value structure where the default setting isn’t “I keep everything I need and give away what’s left over” but rather “I give away everything and keep what I need to sustain life.” John the Baptist, for example, said firmly “Whoever has two coats must share with anyone who has none.” Most people today look at that and say “Well, that doesn’t apply to me – I have three coats. Completely different scenario.”

You might, perhaps, grade organisations on what they do with your coat when you give it up. Some give it out to the poor, some feel it should be sold to provide

“It’salittledisturbing,though,thatthemostgenerouspeopleallseemtobeinvolvedwiththemoststigmatisedorganisations.”

I’m going to end this piece, in fact, with the usual wishy-washy compromise – if we all do a little more, blah blah. Because I don’t have the conviction, or the fanaticism, or the courage, to flip the default switch over to “Sell all that you have and give to the poor”, and I thus can’t ask you to.

But that’s the alternative. It’s always sitting there, just out of our direct vision. And bringing it up now may push some of us to lift our giving a little, just to push it a little further into sight. And that’s a good thing, right?

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CAUSEANDEFFECT

It sounds obvious, but when we explain how their actions can help others, kids can ‘own’ their choices and therefore feel empowered to do good. By describing how buying a well for an African village can help stop the spread of deadly diseases, or how cleaning up the beach can protect local wildlife, they will see the benefits and may feel motivated to act.

TALKFEST

Open communication is vital for young people to voice their opinions and engage in meaningful discussion. It’s also an opportunity for them to listen to and respect others’ views. Current affairs, world news and issues like homelessness, poverty or environmental degradation can all be addressed at age-appropriate levels. Don’t underestimate your kids’ ideas; a dialogue that starts around the family dinner table can create powerful and positive change.

GivingBootcamp

TAKEPRIDE

Praise is important but showing pride in your child’s generosity is even better. Tell them why you’re so proud; it builds their self-esteem and affirms that doing good things not only helps others, it makes them feel worthy.

RESPECTINDIVIDUALITY

They may look like you, but don’t expect your children to think like you. While their unique take on the world may draw them to causes you might never have considered, it’s still important to support your child’s passion for the things they care about. You can sponsor their fundraising efforts, help them write a letter to a decision maker or encourage their grand plans for a school fundraiser. And if they decide to ask for donations in lieu of gifts for a milestone celebration, help them to facilitate that course of action through GiveNow.

RAISINGGIVINGKIDSIt’sonlynaturalthatparentswantthebestinlifefortheirkids.Manyspendtheirworkinglivesmotivatedbythisverygoal.Partofthataim,formostofus,istonurtureourkidstobecomecompassionate,givingcitizensoftheworld.Sowhatdoesittaketofosteraphilanthropicspiritinourchildren?It’sinyourhands…

DOLLARSANDSENSE

The question of whether or not to pay pocket money for household chores, especially to younger children, is a fraught debate. As they approach their teens it becomes easier to see the merits in teaching kids financial responsibility… and the social responsibility that goes with it. A US survey (see below) found that teenagers who had paying jobs or helped their neighbours were more than twice as likely to be “givers” than those that didn’t. If children are earning money – in whatever capacity – help them set goals to save and spend it wisely. Even if it’s not going to a cause, they’ll soon learn that there’s nothing like spending their own money to appreciate its worth; and they’ll understand what it feels like when it’s gone.

Child-friendlygiving

Money doesn’t need to rate a mention when even your youngest child can:

• Regularly sort and pass on toys and clothes ready for someone else to enjoy

• Collect unperishable foods for meal-providing organisations like FareShare

• Donate a gift they have received to a collection for others less fortunate: many national causes run these around Christmas time

• Engage with people who are collecting or asking for money: there’s nothing wrong with children asking where the money will go or what it’s needed for – it helps them understand how giving helps others

RaisingFuturePhilanthropistsA major American research study conducted in March-April this year examined the connection between daily parenting practices and charitable or “giving” teenagers. The Poll on Raising Future Philanthropists found that while 90% of all parents said it was important to raise children to become charitable adults, the majority didn’t appear to know how to do this.

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ABOOKADAY

It’s a well-known fact that reading to children from infancy has countless emotional, developmental and educational benefits. As children grow and continue to be read to daily, their exposure to characters, stories and other worlds gives them the tools to empathise, understand how their actions affect others and develop their own values. In the same US poll mentioned above, teen “givers” were much more likely than others to have been read to daily as a child, and almost twice as many givers than non-givers said that being read to by their parents helped them believe they could make a difference.

WALKTHETALK

Make an example of yourself by not just teaching your children about giving, but living out your own giving philosophy. Live generously. Give habitually. Demonstrate kindness. Volunteering for a working bee, cooking a meal together for someone who needs a little TLC or suggesting your kids make a card for someone in hospital are practical ways to involve children in giving as part of daily life.

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“Don’tunderestimateyourkids’ideas;adialoguethatstartsaroundthefamilydinnertablecancreatepowerfulandpositivechange.”

In The Altruistic Personality (1988), Oliner and Oliner found that rescuers of Jews in WWII Nazi Europe were motivated by “values learned from their parents which prompted and sustained their involvement”.

YOUTHACTIVISM

Youth activism is alive and well in Australia. Check out these hubs for fresh ideas on giving:

OAKTREE FOUNDATION: young Australians working together to end global poverty

FOUNDATION FOR YOUNG AUSTRALIANS: improving the learning outcomes and life chances of young people

Youth on board – 14 Points to Successfully Involving Young People in Decision Making is a handbook for working with young people in decision-making roles. Contact PHILANTHROPY AUSTRALIA

ACTNOW: information on important issues for young Australians: “the more you understand, the more you’ll feel empowered to do something about it”

SCHOOL AID is a national schools-based philanthropy network empowering kids to help kids in crisis. The Kids Helping Kids Awards is SchoolAid’s inaugural celebration of the philanthropic and fundraising efforts of Australian primary school children and their teachers. Entrants are invited to showcase their fundraising activities and demonstrate how, as a school, they “walk their values talk”. Awards honoring innovation, fundraising, community projects, sustainability, individual teachers and heroes will be announced in November.

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WHO?Phil Walker, 45

WHERE?Eltham, Vic

WHAT?Volunteer Secretary/3rd Lieutenant Research Fire Brigade

WHY?An IT professional by trade, Phil is one of more than 30 volunteer fire fighters who spend an average of five hours of their week committed to the Research Fire Brigade.

The brigade, which was formed in 1950 and is a volunteer arm of the Country Fire Authority, responds to at least two calls a week for a range of issues including locals who are burning off, car accidents, electrical hazards, rescues and home fires.

WhoGives?PhilWalker

The Research Fire Brigade can be called to an emergency anywhere in or outside of the state, however its usual jurisdiction runs from Lilydale and the Dandenongs to Eltham. Occasionally they may be called to support the Metropolitan Fire Brigade in border areas.

Phil joined the brigade after reading an article in the local paper. He says he is motivated simply by the desire to “do something for the community”. His wife, Christine, is also a volunteer fire fighter with the brigade.

Phil was one of the countless volunteer fire fighters and support crews that were at the coalface on Black Saturday 2009. He was driving Tanker 2, which went out at about 4.30pm. They returned home late on Sunday morning after handing the tanker over to a relief crew from the brigade at Whittlesea.

Phil witnessed the devastation at Kinglake on that fateful February afternoon. “I don’t think I was on my own in feeling helpless,” he says. “Everything was gone in a matter of hours. We couldn’t do anything to save the houses that had gone. All

KEVINCOSTNERhas put his money where his mouth is. He has invested $26 million into his brother’s cleanup solution for major oil spills – a massive centrifuge machine for separating oil and water. As oil continues to pour into the Gulf of Mexico, BP, the owner of the environmental disaster-causing deep water well, has agreed to Costner’s appeal to test the device.

CURTISSTONEDonald Trump has given Aussie celebrity chef Curtis Stone the boot on this season’s Celebrity Apprentice. Curtis was playing for Feeding America, the leading domestic hunger-relief organisation in the US. Curtis said that food has made all of his dreams come true, so it’s a cause close to his heart.

ANGELINAANDBRAD have designed a pair of serpent-inspired diamond and emerald cufflinks, available at British jewellery store Aspreys. The cufflinks retail for $10,000 with 100% of net proceeds going to the Education Partnership for Children of Conflict, a charitable organisation co-founded by Jolie.

CelebsDoneGood:Photos by PR Photos

we could do was support the people that were still there that didn’t have running water or electricity.”

He feels proud to have been able to support those in need during the fires. “You realise why you are there. A lot of your training comes in to use and you understand why you train for what you do,” he says.

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CALLTOACTIONFROMTHEMYERFOUNDATION

In a bid to dispel the myth that “Australian’s are generous” and to grow the philanthropic sector, Peter Winneke, of the Myer Foundation, is writing to prominent members of the Australian philanthropic community to enlist their support.

His letter includes some damning statistics from the Australian Tax Office. In 2007/08, he says:• Australians gave only 0.4% of their income to charities; and • More than 8 million people (nearly two-thirds of taxpayers) did not claim a deduction for a charitable gift.

The letter also quotes research that indicates that high net worth individuals in Australia are giving significantly less than their contemporaries in other OECD countries.

In order to change the culture of giving in this country, Peter writes, “We need a family to step up and establish the first $1 billion dollar foundation in Australia (to get philanthropy on the front page of every newspaper in the country) and we need many champions at the more modest level to step up and encourage others to do so.”

The letter outlines the many benefits that flow from the creation of Private Ancillary Funds (“PAFs”) and their significant impact on the philanthropic sector. But, Peter points out, there are thousands of families in Australia who could create a PAF, but haven’t. He claims that there should not be 800 PAFs in this country; there should be 8000.

He appeals to philanthropists to spread the word about PAFs and the experiences and rewards that they have received from family involvement. He also asks recipients to consider forwarding his letter to friends or colleagues who would be in a position to establish a family foundation, to encourage them to act.

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GIVINGBIZZABCGoodStart

It’s a compelling, David and Goliath-style tale. The GoodStart syndicate, made up of two Christian and two secular welfare agencies, last year outbid private equity company Archer Capital to win control of 678

ABC Learning Centres.

When the cheques were handed over last month, GoodStart officially became Australia’s largest childcare provider, dedicated to providing thousands of Australian children with affordable, quality childcare.

Foresight, passion, audacity and goodwill have been credited with the success of this incredible chapter in Australia’s corporate history.

The demise of the ABC Learning Centres created an opportunity that visionaries, dedicated to the not-for-profit sector, could not ignore. With the help of a committed group of bankers, lawyers, accountants, tax experts and business identities, many working free of charge or for very reduced success fees, a consortium was formed between Mission Australia, the Benevolent Society, the Brotherhood of St Laurence, and a small group called Social Ventures Australia.

A new investment model was developed that allowed donors to invest $1 million or more in unsecured eight-year notes for a return of 12% a year. It’s an inferior return to a profit-driven venture but investors also get the benefit of knowing that they are supporting a business dedicated to social good.

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Foundation, the United Nations Foundation, the Coalition for Adolescent Girls, the White Ribbon Alliance for Safe Motherhood and the Global Business Coalition are all championing the rights of young girls around the world

• Initiatives include those that put resources into the hands of girls, break poverty cycles, build sustain-able careers and provide education

• When a woman in the developing world is healthy, her community’s health will improve as maternal mortality and child malnutrition drop and HIV rates decline

• Research has shown that bolstering a girl’s health, education and prosperity will build prospects for her family and her country’s economic prosperity

THEMYTHS• Women excel in the domestic

domain but are not capable of wielding real power

• Woman can look after their families but are not good at understanding the big picture or looking after the interests of a country

• Complex and deeply held attitudes and traditions that leave girls in the developing world unsupported, vulnerable and trapped in cycles of poverty are immutable

GivingDoctorQ:“Iliketheideaofgivingaidtowomenbutisthatdiscriminatory?”

For decades, pundits have criticised foreign aid efforts for trapping the poor in a cycle of welfare dependency,

entrenching dictators, destroying the entrepreneurial efforts of locals or dissipating donations into bureaucratic costs.

Increasingly, aid organisations around the world have been responding by establishing initiatives that target females – adolescents in particular – to ensure more even distribution of food, education, income and healthcare.

In the wake of the devastating earthquake in Haiti, the world learnt a valuable lesson about this emerging ideology. The United Nations World

Food Program (UNWFP) made a policy decision to prioritise women at food distribution sites because women and children are most vulnerable and generally get pushed aside by the men.

Relief workers distributed women-only food coupons to be redeemed at 16 sites around the Haitian capital Port-au-Prince, in the belief that food is shared more fairly by women. Instead of violent, loud and chaotic crowds clamouring for food, with men trampling women and children to get to the front of the queue, women began forming polite and orderly lines at women-only sites.

GIVINGTOWOMEN–ANEMERGINGTREND• In Australia, the new Women

Donors Network is a growing community of women and men that promotes investment in women and girls. The network works to encourage the funding of projects which invest specifically in women and girls and to embed gender awareness into mainstream grantmaking so that it addresses the circumstances and needs of women and girls, which are often different to those of men and boys.

• Internationally, aid organisations and donors including Plan International, The Nike

WOMENFORWOMENINAFRICA(WFWIA)–ALOCALINITIATIVE

Established by Melbourne-resident Marguerite Ryan seven years ago, WFWIA aims to empower the women and children of Kibera, Nairobi.

Kibera is the second largest urban slum in Africa. More than 1 million people live in an area roughly 10 times the size of the MCG. Without proper streets, electricity, gas, garbage collection or water, Kibera is also one of the most dangerous places to live for an adolescent girl.

Ryan’s organisation has provided educational opportunities to more than 1500 girls since its inception. Today WFWIA supports approximately 300 primary and secondary school students.

Ryan staunchly supports the decision to put aid relief in the hands of women. “If you help one woman you help a whole community,” she explains. “Women are the hearts of their families. They look after their children, they want to do everything they can to make sure their children have a chance in life, have an education, have a chance to make something of themselves.”

t GIVENOWTOWFWIA © 2010 Women for Women in Africa

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SOMEFACTS• There are 600 million adolescent

girls in the developing world and less than two cents in every international aid dollar is directed to them

• An adolescent girl in the developing world is more likely to be uneducated, a child bride or exposed to HIV/AIDS

• Approximately one-quarter of girls in developing countries are not in school

• 75% of 15-24 year olds living with HIV in Africa are female, a figure that has risen 62% since 2001

• When 10% more girls go to secondary school the country’s economy grows by 3%

THEGIRLEFFECT–ACASESTUDY

Created by the Nike Foundation, with the support of the NoVo Foundation, the United Nations Foundation and the Coalition for Adolescent Girls, the Girl Effect is establishing programs for adolescent girls in developing countries around the globe. The organisation believes adolescent girls are uniquely capable of raising the standard of living in the developing world.

The Girl Effect has established programs in countries including India, China, Brazil, Ethiopia, Kenya and Bangladesh. The organisation believes in the “ripple effect” – the powerful social and economic change brought about when girls have the opportunity to participate.

In Bangladesh, the development organisation BRAC has provided training in life skills, income generation and microloans to approximately 50,000 girls. Many of them are going on to start small businesses, stay in school and support their families’ needs.

The men in Bangladesh are sitting up and taking notice; women with money are good for villages. They are also leasing land to girls, providing them with unprecedented economic opportunities.

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• When an educated girl earns income she reinvests 90% in her family, compared to 35% for a boy

• Joblessness among Ethiopian women costs the national economy $125 million

• Kenya would gain $27 billion in potential income per generation if its female secondary school dropouts continued their education

• 86% of India’s 84.6 million girls aged 15-24 are jobless. If adolescent girls were employed at the same rate as males their age, India could add $53.2 billion to its GDP

• Medical complications from pregnancy are the leading cause of death among girls aged 15-19 worldwide. In the West African

Investing in women and girls is the new smart economics! And the Women Donors Network is seeking to spread this message to all corners of Australia by:• Presenting the facts about gender

disadvantage and the effectiveness of funding women and girls

• Leveraging the influence of women – they brief, talk, share, support, encourage, connect, advocate, network, catalyze and circulate news and learnings

• Raising the profile of women’s funds and projects which empower women

• Presenting opportunities for connection and action

Some recent initiatives include:• Promoting Gender Lens For Inclusive

Philanthropy workshops• Kick-starting the Australian Women

Mobilising Millions campaign• Touring leading philanthropic and

legacy advisor Tracy Gary to Australia in September this year

• Developing an Online Project Hub which will showcase the various projects (existing and start-ups) that assist women and girls around Australia and globally

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country Niger, a woman has about a one-in-seven lifetime risk of dying from pregnancy complications

• Tens of thousands of young woman in Africa and Asia are suffering from obstetric fistulas, childbirth injuries that leave the mother incontinent, sometimes paralysed and with severe infection. These women, whose conditions could be rectified with a simple and inexpensive operation, become social pariahs because of the terrible odour associated with the condition

• In Australia, woman are 2.5 times more likely to live in poverty in their old age

Source: UNICEF & Women Donors Network

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GIVINGSTATS

TheGenerousGenderDebate

100%

89.5% of women made a donation

compared to 84.1% of men

100%

Compared to Men who gave $477

Women gave $377

25%25%

22% of women were regular volunteers

compared to 19% of men

Source: Giving Australia, FAHCSIA and ABS (2004-2006)

TwoGreatCausesMOLONGLOCATCHMENTThe pressures of urban expansion and climate change present a risk to the future viability of the vegetation in the Molonglo River, Queanbeyan River, Burra Creek and Jerrabomberra Creek regions, as well as the local rural communities. Donations are sought for projects that raise community appreciation and knowledge of environmental values, that protect and enhance the environment and that encourage sustainable land management practices.

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CAREGOONDIWINDIASSOCIATION–EMERGENCYACCOMMODATIONAPPEALGoondiwindi has no emergency accommodation for people who are homeless, escaping domestic violence, or experiencing some other personal crisis. Donated funds will be used to rent two caravans for a period of 12 months to provide emergency accommodation to people and families in crisis.

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Landholders at Carwoola identifying native grassland species

© Mongolo Catchement Group