She Gives – MONA Hosts Roundtable on Women’s Philanthropy

In a move to address Australia’s growing social and environmental challenges, a national campaign called “She Gives” is spotlighting the vital role women play in philanthropy.

The campaign recently hosted a roundtable bringing together leading women from the philanthropic and charitable sectors to discuss how to grow giving and prepare for the anticipated intergenerational wealth transfer.

The discussion, led by MONA’s own Kirsha Kaechele, delved into the motivations, decision-making processes and potential barriers that shape women’s giving.

“With women poised to inherit up to two-thirds of Australia’s projected $3.4 trillion wealth transfer over the next two decades, the time is right to focus on their catalytic potential,” according to She Gives.

The claim that women are expected to inherit up to two-thirds of Australia’s $3.4 trillion wealth transfer comes from a report by JBWere titled “The Growth of Women and Wealth.” The report, in partnership with CoreData, estimates that Australian women will be the custodians of more than 65% of the country’s wealth transfer, which it projects to be nearly $5 trillion.

The reason for this is primarily because women tend to live longer than men, which means they often outlive their partners and are then responsible for managing the family finances and inherited wealth.

Kaechele, First Lady of MONA and founder of Material Institute, which runs food education programs (24 Carrot Gardens), social enterprises and community events – shared some of her thoughts about philanthropy ahead of the roundtable.

“Being a successful philanthropist is about putting yourself out of a job,’ she said.

“If you happen to be in that lucky sliver of society, the .01 percentile, then you have an enormous duty to attend to the multitude of problems that stem from the inappropriate distribution of wealth.

“As philanthropists, we’re the beneficiaries of that concentration of wealth, and we don’t deserve to just laze around enjoying it. I’m very hedonistic, but I’m also actively building the society I wish to live in. The fact that philanthropists exist is evidence of a broken system – I want to invest my energies in redreaming it and instilling a new one,” said Kaechele.

Campaign founder Melissa Smith said the research roundtables had highlighted the depth of women’s giving around the country and the need to keep sharing stories of giving to inspire greater engagement.

“Through art, MONA makes you think about the world, and there’s no better place to have a thought-provoking discussion about giving and the kind of world we want to live in,” she said.

“We’re very excited to have so many amazing women come together in Tasmania to discuss how we can collectively drive change and unlock the catalytic potential of women’s giving.

Women are a driving force in philanthropy, and it’s time their contributions are recognised and celebrated so we can grow giving further.”

The Tasmanian roundtable is part of a broader series of facilitated discussions designed to inform a comprehensive research report on women’s giving in Australia. This landmark report, a partnership between the She Gives campaign and the Centre for Social Impact at the University of Western Australia, is scheduled for release in early 2026. The research aims to go beyond just how much women give, to explore the deeper motivations behind their philanthropy.

The She Gives campaign’s mission aligns with the Commonwealth Government’s ambitious goal, supported by Philanthropy Australia, to double giving in Australia by 2030. By sharing stories and raising the profile of women’s contributions, the campaign aims to inspire a more widespread culture of giving.

She Gives Advisory Group

The She Gives campaign is guided by a distinguished advisory group of prominent leaders in philanthropy and social change.

• Clare Ainsworth Herschell: Founder of Groundswell.
• Georgina Byron AM: CEO of the Snow Foundation, Chair of Sydney Women’s Fund Advisory Group, and Co-Chair of Deadly Hearts Limited.
• Natalie Egleton: CEO of the Foundation for Rural and Regional Renewal.
• Caitriona Fay: Managing Partner of Perpetual Private’s Social Investment businesses and ESG Strategy, and a founding board member of GiveOUT.
• Tanya Hosch: Executive General Manager, Inclusion & Social Policy – AFL.
• Michelle Lin: CEO of Vermillion Foundation.
• Paula McLean: A founding trustee of the McLean Foundation.
• Amanda Miller OAM: Co-founder of Impact Generation Partners and Co-Chair of Philanthropy Australia.
• Professor Kristy Muir: CEO of the Paul Ramsay Foundation.
• Carol Schwartz AO: Founding Chair of both ⁴the Trawalla Foundation and Women’s Leadership Institute Australia.
• Melissa Smith: CEO of Noble Ambition & Founder of She Gives.
• Deanne Weir: Founder of WeirAnderson.com and WeirAnderson Films.