Philanthropy in Australia presents a varied picture. On the one hand, Australians like to consider themselves a generous people – we volunteer, and we dip into our pockets to help victims of natural disasters – yet some of our wealthiest citizens, one third in fact, give nothing to charitable causes.
Philanthropist Harold Mitchell recently undertook a review of private sector support for the arts for the Federal Government, the contents of which will likely be revealed early next year. It is already known that the review will emphasise the importance of the arts in Australian society and this is exactly why big business needs to give back.