Invitation to help shape the future of Collective Giving in Australia

Philanthropy Australia and a group of collective giving advocates are conducting an in-depth study of the current landscape of collective giving in Australia. We invite you to share your experiences and insights through this survey.

Collective Giving is a dynamic, powerful philanthropic movement gaining momentum internationally. It involves individuals pooling their resources, knowledge, and networks to support a cause (or causes) collectively chosen by the group. It typically includes shared or democratic decision-making, community connections, learning, and engagement, all aimed at achieving amplified impact and empowering communities. Central to all such giving models is the practice of collective action and the cultivation of trust, where communities unite to effect change using various resources and forms of support. A distinctive aspect of collective giving is that for many groups philanthropy implies mobilizing all 5Ts: Treasure (money), Time (volunteering), Talent (expertise), Ties (relationships), and Testimony (spreading the word).

Your input will help establish a national benchmark and provide the insights needed to grow and strengthen this powerful approach to philanthropy. The results of the research will:

  • Establish a baseline for Australia’s collective giving landscape, enabling us to track progress, growth, and impact over time
  • Identify the infrastructure and operational resources needed for effective collective giving
  • Reveal opportunities and challenges across the sector.

The findings will form the evidence base for a five-year strategy to expand, invest in, and amplify the collective giving movement — with clear, data-driven priorities.

Key terms in the research are defined in the following way:


  • Collective Giving Groups: Made up of participants with a shared philanthropic purpose who pool together their ‘resources’ and jointly decide on where to give their ‘gift’. Groups are sometimes referred to as networks, chapters, giving circles and donor groups

  • Participants: Participate in a collective giving group by contributing their resources, regardless of amount or frequency

  • Resources: The forms that donations take can be 1) Time (volunteering), 2) Treasure (money), 3) Ties (relationships), 4) Talent (expertise), and 5) Testimony (spreading the word)

  • Gifts: Philanthropic in nature and are also called donations or grants

  • Endowment Fund: A pool of money invested to generate ongoing income. The principal is typically kept intact, while a portion of the investment earnings is used to support the group over the long term.

Please participate in this survey if you lead a group that pools philanthropic resources with others and collectively decides how to give them away.


Please ensure that only one leader for your group answers this survey. If you are answering the survey for more than one group, please complete the survey in its entirety for each group.


Time to complete the survey is estimated to be 45-60 minutes. The * indicates a mandatory question and other questions are optional.


Ethics, Privacy and Data Storage

We are committed to handling your information with care, integrity, and respect in accordance with Australian privacy and research ethics standards. All data will be:
  • Kept confidential, unless you give your consent to share the details publicly
  • De-identified, unless you choose to profile it
  • Stored securely on password-protected servers and systems accessible only to researchers
  • Retained for five years after publication or project completion, in line with National Health and Medical Research Centre (NHMRC) guidelines
  • Permanently deleted or securely destroyed after the retention period.

Thank you for your participation.

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