Philanthropy and Indigenous Initiatives: Insights From Australian Donors

Publisher:
Wiley
Publication Type:
Journal Article
Citation:
Australian Journal of Social Issues, 2025
Issue Date:
2025-03-03
Full metadata record
ABSTRACTThis paper draws on a survey and interview data, collected from a group of 180 donors who made monetary gifts to an Australian higher education institution, to better understand what drives individuals and organisations to donate to Indigenous initiatives. The analysis helped to identify five types of donors: the Advocate and Prescriptive donors, the supporter types who donate to Australian Indigenous initiatives and the Constrained, Reserved and Opposing donors, non‐supporter types who withhold from donating to such initiatives. The results show a wide range of motivations, varied attitudes and multiple perceived barriers to donating to Australian Indigenous initiatives. The study reveals that while some donors do engage and reflect on issues around the role of philanthropy in achieving positive outcomes for Indigenous people, others' motivations and barriers to donating confirm the concerns of scholars who have shown how philanthropy can maintain inequality and colonial practices. This paper also provides practical implications for developing a reflexive approach to philanthropy that supports Indigenous initiatives.
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