Benefits of collective giving unlocked in an Australian-first pilot program

A pilot program trialing workplace collective giving has delivered compelling data indicating greater participation, satisfaction, and more impactful support for charitable organisations.

In partnership with Westpac Group, the Giving Circles at Work trial has been carried out over the past 6 months to determine the effectiveness of collective giving in the workplace as a corporate philanthropy model.

In contrast to traditional individualized giving, Giving Circles bring donors together to pool their joint resources with a ‘cause-led’ or ‘charity-led’ focus. The nature of the program both supports and encourages collaboration in addition to a deeper understanding of charitable organisations and their work.

Lisa Grinham, CEO of Good2Give said the results demonstrated the benefit of fostering a better understanding of charities, the work they do and the important role they play in Australian communities.

“We are encouraged by such overwhelmingly positive results showing there is a real value in companies offering Giving Circles at Work to their people. Workplace collective giving is a significant innovation for corporates on our platform, providing a way to further support donors and charities, particularly meaningful during these challenging times.”

Westpac Group’s Head of Sustainability, Siobhan Toohill, said: “For over twenty years Westpac Group has been supporting employees through its Matching Gifts program, offering dollar for dollar donations for causes and issues they care about.

“We’re really proud to have been able to extend that support through Giving Circles at Work and offer our people even more ways to support the organisations that matter to them, while also exploring innovative and sustainable solutions that could drive a greater impact across the sector.”

Timothy Allen from Peanuts Wellbeing Sanctuary said: “We were delighted to be a part of this trial, found the grant process straight-forward and the Giving Circle members accessible and approachable. The support of a corporate partner like Westpac continues to raise awareness of the work we do and is so encouraging. We’re looking forward to putting our grant towards continuing to bring children to the sanctuary!”

The trial program was funded by the Australian Government Department of Social Services (DSS) with research managed through the Centre for Social Impact (CSI) Swinburne.