NEWS & VIEWS
TFN Australia takes part in major collective giving study. But is the UK missing out?
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TFN Australia has contributed to Giving Together, a landmark report from Philanthropy Australia that provides the country’s first comprehensive national picture of collective giving.
The research shows just how large and vibrant Australia’s collective giving movement has become. The 55 groups studied have involved more than 11,000 people and distributed $76.6 million between 1999 and 2025.
It would be fascinating to see comparable research for the UK. With a population around two and a half times that of Australia, an equivalent number of collective giving groups per head would be close to 140. We do not know how many such groups currently operate here, but the limited information available suggests that the UK may still have considerable ground to make up - and may therefore be missing out on many of the benefits collective giving can bring.
The report also examines what helps collective giving flourish: accessible ways to participate, compelling human stories, investment in organisational capacity, and support for grassroots organisations that extends well beyond funding alone. Its findings strongly echo our own experience at TFN in the UK.
TFN Australia was established in 2012 as part of TFN’s international work, through which we shared our model with organisations seeking to foster philanthropy and collective giving in their own countries. Since then, our Australian colleagues have adapted and developed the model into a significant force in the country’s philanthropic landscape.
We hope this important research will inspire similar work here, helping us understand the scale and potential of collective giving in the UK — and what could be achieved by investing in its growth.
Read Giving Together:
The Power and Potential of Collective Giving in Australia.
