You are currently viewing Donor Insights, which explores how and why individuals in this country give.
Use the toggle below to switch to Charity Insights and view the landscape from the perspective of social purpose organisations.
You are currently viewing Donor Insights, which explores how and why individuals in this country give.
Use the toggle below to switch to Charity Insights and view the landscape from the perspective of social purpose organisations.
Australians are generous people who want to help and make a difference. In 2025, two-thirds of Australian respondents took some form of pro-social action, exceeding the global average of 61%. Australians are motivated primarily by a desire to support causes they care about and create positive change, as well as to strengthen their local communities. Compared with many parts of the world, giving in Australia is less often driven by religious obligation or a sense of duty, and more often reflects personal values and choice.
This points to an important feature of Australia's giving culture. Generosity is not simply expressed through financial donations but through a broader desire to participate and contribute. More than a quarter of Australians actively take opportunities to make a positive difference when they can. At the same time, many people want to be more involved but either do not know how or struggle to find the time. This suggests there is significant potential to create more pathways for people to connect, participate and contribute to the causes and communities they care about.
Across all forms of giving, Australians donated an average of 0.8% of their income in 2025, compared with a global average of 1%. Australians are more likely to direct their generosity through charities than through religious organisations or direct giving to people in need. This reflects a giving culture with strong confidence in organised forms of social action and a desire to create impact through trusted institutions.
At the same time, Australia presents an interesting paradox. While it is one of the world's wealthiest nations, affordability remains the most commonly cited barrier to giving, with 65% of respondents saying they could not afford to donate, compared with 39% globally. This highlights the pressures many Australians continue to experience, but also points to a broader challenge. Building a more generous society is not only about asking people to give more. It is about creating the conditions in which generosity can thrive: strong communities, meaningful opportunities to contribute, and a shared belief that every act of generosity, big or small, can help shape a better future.
How often did you give money away in 2025, either to charity, a person or family in need, or to a religious organisation?
The average proportion of income people gave to each of the three donation routes, and overall.
What would you say are the main reasons that you gave / did not give money away in 2025?
Which cause(s) did you donate to / do unpaid voluntary work for in 2025?
Of the total value of your donations to charities in 2025, approximately how much went to each of the following?
To what extent, if at all, have charities had a positive or negative impact in your local community, or have they made no difference?
For the last charity that you gave money to, how did you first find out about them?
How trustworthy do you tend to find each of these types of charities?
How could charities encourage you to donate in 2026?
Of the xx% that did unpaid, voluntary work in 2025 that benefitted people other than their family or friends, how many shifts did they do?
Think about the opportunities you have to get involved in making positive changes to society (whether locally or further afield). Which best describes your perspective?
"The Government encourages people to give to charity." Do you...
For more than 50 years, Philanthropy Australia has been strengthening the practice of giving towards a more generous, just and sustainable future.
Our role is to collaborate with funders and changemakers to support and grow the ecosystem of giving. We bring people, ideas and resources together so generosity can flow with purpose and impact.
We do this by:
- Convening connecting and engaging members.
- Amplifying insights and knowledge exchange to enhance practice.
- Influencing the use of diverse resources to create impact.
- Advocating for policy outcomes that strengthen the ecosystem.
For more than 50 years, Philanthropy Australia has been strengthening the practice of giving towards a more generous, just and sustainable future.
Our role is to collaborate with funders and changemakers to support and grow the ecosystem of giving. We bring people, ideas and resources together so generosity can flow with purpose and impact.
We do this by:
- Convening connecting and engaging members.
- Amplifying insights and knowledge exchange to enhance practice.
- Influencing the use of diverse resources to create impact.
- Advocating for policy outcomes that strengthen the ecosystem.
