Strategic philanthropy means you can have a more significant impact with your giving. Ensure that every single dollar you donate – now, next year, even after you’re gone – helps support the people, causes and communities you care about.
How do you do that?
Make a difference
When you look at the world, what do you see that you would like to improve? Maybe your family has been affected by an illness that could be fought with deeper research? Do you know an organisation that does great work with the homeless, disadvantaged or disempowered? Want to fight for a fairer and safer world? Structured charitable giving is one way you can share your success with the communities you care about.
Pay it forward
An inheritance is a gift of love, passed across generations. Using some of your inheritance to set up a charitable trust or foundation means you pass that gift to others. If you use an ‘impact philanthropy’ approach to that trust or foundation – manage the capital intelligently and distribute to quality organisations – you can do good not for years but for generations.
It's a family thing
There are few better ways to bring a family together than uniting them behind a charity or cause. Get your children (and grandchildren) involved in decisions about who to help – and how. You’ll teach them the value of money and create a habit of giving that is good for your family, and for the communities you care about.
Do good, after you're gone
We all want to leave the world a better place. What better way than by investing some of your wealth to give to a charity or cause via your will, a charitable trust or foundation? With the right choices, structure and management you can leave not just a good legacy but a legacy of good.
Give more in a tax effective way
You give as much as you can after looking after those who rely on you. But with some expert advice and thoughtful planning you can ensure your giving is done in a tax-effective way – by giving with your head as well as heart.
The power of giving
Find out what drives a person or family to get involved in philanthropy – and some of the surprising benefits.
Life after work
For philanthropist Peter Falvey, structuring his finances with Perpetual now means he spends more time making a difference in developing countries. Listen to his story.
From the heart – the Myrven and Judith Muir Memorial Endowment
Myrven Muir set up a Perpetual Foundation endowment to honour his wife’s legacy. It’s an endowment that provides predictable funds to support long-term research – the kind of giving that really makes a difference in the research space.
The remarkable impact of long-term giving
Here’s a look at how one woman’s commitment to long-term philanthropy – and the dedication of researchers and scientists – has helped save lives and change the world.
Exceptional financial advice to protect and grow your wealth. That’s our enduring commitment to you backed by an investment philosophy that has stood the test of time.
A post-work paradise takes careful planning. We can help you to structure your finances effectively and create an investment portfolio that protects your wealth without jeopardising your lifestyle.
From the creation of your estate plan through to tax-effective giving structures, our team can help you to create a legacy for the people and causes closest to your heart.
Whether you’re an individual or family philanthropist, involved in a foundation, or working with a not-for-profit or government agency, your grantmaking can be more effective with the help of the expert services of Perpetual’s philanthropy specialists.
Our grantmaking consulting service gives you the opportunity to leverage our skills, experience and best practice processes. Utilising our IMPACT Philanthropy Application Program, or designing a bespoke end-to-end grant making strategy, we can help you get the best outcomes from your grantmaking while reducing your costs in time, worry and workload.
We provide a range of packages to make it easy to choose the right level of support for your foundation or organisation. Above all, when you engage us, we give you the breathing space, time and peace of mind to focus on granting with maximum impact.
“Since enlisting Perpetual to manage our grant rounds, FightMND has been able to extend our reach to a greater range of organisations who support people living with MND in different ways, whilst still supporting our longer-term partners in the sector. This has laid the foundations for greater collaboration across the MND community so that together we can improve the lives of people with MND in Australia.”
Dr Fiona McIntosh – CEO, FightMND
How to giveThere is no one, right way to give. What matters is that you make informed, thoughtful decisions so your giving has the most impact. And that you enjoy and learn from the experience of being a philanthropist.
Finding your focus
Perhaps the first, but often overlooked question is – why do you want to give? Being clear on why you want to give will create a better sense of how to give – and to whom.
Once you’ve clarified your motivations you can move onto identifying the issues and organisations you want to support. This should involve a wide range of research – about the focus, quality, structure, management and effectiveness of the NFP or charity. This sort of deep research is what Perpetual specialises in – and where we can really help.
Remember, there’s many ways you can help make the world a better place. Supporting organisations and programs that help people is one, more traditional, way. You can also invest your philanthropy dollars in ‘systems change’. This article has more on how philanthropy can change the systems we live within.
How do you want to live your philanthropy?
Some philanthropists organise their philanthropy into cycles – build a three or five-year giving plan and use that time to test how their philanthropy ‘works’. They then revisit and adapt their plan. Perpetual often works with clients to calibrate this cycle, tuning it to their financial position, the results of their giving – and their enjoyment of the process.
Giving through your will
Some people like to see the impact of their philanthropy during their lifetime while others prefer to leave a legacy through their will. This article has more on the different charitable bequest options available. Whatever your preference, as both financial advisers and philanthropy specialists Perpetual can help you plan your giving in a way that delivers the most benefit.
You may also be interested in Passing on wealth.
Setting up a charitable trustAt Perpetual, we can help you calculate a ‘philanthropy budget’ so you can integrate your philanthropic goals into your broader financial planning. Then we help you identify the structure that best suits your personal, financial and philanthropic objectives.
For many people, the key to tax-effective giving – and giving with impact – lies in a charitable trust structure. There are some variants – but the principle is the same.
Private Ancillary Funds
A Private Ancillary Fund is your own charitable foundation. Your funds are invested and your foundation distributes to charities or causes of your choice.
Minimum donation amount: $500,000
Perpetual Foundation Endowments
Perpetual runs a Public Ancillary fund called the Perpetual Foundation. Your donation creates an endowment within the Perpetual Foundation. The Foundation funds are invested and distributions paid to organisations you recommend.
Minimum donation amount: $20,000
If you have an existing Perpetual Foundation endowment and would like to update your preferred grant recipient/s, please download the Perpetual Grant Recommendation form.
View an example legal clause that can be inserted into your will to enable the establishment of a Perpetual Foundation endowment.
Perpetual Philanthropic Services and advice
Perpetual Philanthropic Services and advice are provided by Perpetual Trustee Company Limited (PTCo) ABN 42 000 001 007 AFSL 236643. PTCo is the trustee for the Perpetual Foundation - Endowment Fund and Private Ancillary Funds. The information brochure for the Funds, issued by PTCo, should be considered before deciding whether to invest.
Fees and charges
The schedule of fees and charges for estate planning, administration of deceased estates, trusts, philanthropic trusts and Health and Personal Injury clients are outlined in our Financial Services Guide please click here
For many people, philanthropy starts with a gift of money – but becomes so much more. Whilst many prefer to receive help with the day to day admin – structuring their trust, tax management etc – there is a lot of satisfaction to be gained from two key areas of giving.
Finding your organisation
Once you’ve established your philanthropy plan you can choose who to support. Perpetual’s philanthropy specialists and access to our philanthropy application program (which matches our clients’ wishes with suitable organisations) can help you find organisations and projects that align with your values.
Making and tracking gifts
Once you have selected charities to support, you are ready to make a gift.
Again, you can control your involvement to make sure it fits in with your overall financial plan and interests. You can choose to:
At each step of this process Perpetual can provide specific, personalised advice.
