Inquiry into philanthropy

Background

Government tasked the Productivity Commission with inquiring into philanthropy, with the ultimate goal of putting forward recommendations about how to increase philanthropic giving and enhance social connection through charity. This involves looking into various facets of philanthropy, including giving trends, regulatory challenges, and tax concessions. This work was prompted by the Government's commitment to doubling philanthropic donations by 2030. Stakeholders and the public were encouraged to contribute through submissions, comments, and participation in discussions.

Our submission

GAP collaborated with Effective Altruism Australia to write a submission highlighting existing shortcomings in Australian charity law. The submission focused on how high-impact cause areas – including animal suffering and catastrophic risk – that are currently not fully recognised by statutory frameworks. The submission also explained how the focus of charity law has fallen out of step with the values of younger Australians, ultimately limiting the ability of organisations like Effective Altruism Australia from engaging in effective community building. Finally, the submission emphasised the importance of evidence and evaluation in charity. The overall good that could be achieved by Australian charities could be significantly improved if regulatory frameworks incentivised impact-focused charities.