The philosophy of philanthropy

Knowing why philanthropists want to give to the arts instead of to other sectors can help you leverage their support.
[This is archived content and may not display in the originally intended format.]

Image: The Thinker, Auguste Rodin

As government support for the arts slowly contracts, organisations are increasingly turning to the philanthropic sector for support. But before engaging with philanthropists, it’s helpful to know how they think and why they give to the arts instead of to other, equally deserving sectors.

A panel on the first day of the 2015 Australian Theatre Forum saw three philanthropists – Este Darin-Cooper, Phillip Keir and Andrew Leece – discuss this topic in a conversation hosted by Philanthropy Australia’s New Generation of Giving Manager, Caroline Vu.

Unlock Padlock Icon

Unlock this content?

Access this content and more

Richard Watts is ArtsHub's National Performing Arts Editor; he also presents the weekly program SmartArts on Three Triple R FM, and serves as the Chair of La Mama Theatre's volunteer Committee of Management. Richard is a life member of the Melbourne Queer Film Festival, and was awarded the status of Melbourne Fringe Living Legend in 2017. In 2020 he was awarded the Sidney Myer Performing Arts Awards' Facilitator's Prize. Most recently, Richard was presented with a Lifetime Achievement Award by the Green Room Awards Association in June 2021. Follow him on Twitter: @richardthewatts