‘Mother of Giving Circles’ To Tour Australia
17 July 2013 at 12:31 pm
US philanthropic leader and Founder of the Washington Women’s Foundation, Colleen Willoughby will take part in the Australian Women Donors Network’s International Speaker Series tour in August.
The Australian Women Donors Network CEO, Julie Reilly says Colleen Willoughby is described as the ‘mother of giving circles' in America.
“Willoughby will tour Australia inspiring, educating and instructing audiences of donors, trusts, foundations, Not for Profits, fundraisers and professional business and community leaders about the power of collective giving,” Reilly said.
The Washington Women’s Foundation’s mission is to create a new fund of major money from women donors and provide education for those donors to become effective philanthropists.
In nearly 18 years, the Foundation has grown to over 500 members and has invested over $12 million to the community. Another one million dollars will be granted in June 2013.
“Colleen has been instrumental in the establishment of ‘Global Women – Partners in Philanthropy’, which assists women around the world to work together and become effective philanthropists in their own communities utilising the successful model of collective giving developed by the WWF.
“In April 2013 Colleen spent time in China working with organisations actively preparing to launch their own foundations and she recently hosted a Chinese delegation in Seattle," Reilly said.
“Colleen speaks of the incredible capacity of women and how their skills and abilities are not fully utilised as a powerful tool for community betterment."
Reilly says Not for Profit leaders and boards will learn about how to grow support and increase funding for their organisations and causes by increasing donor numbers through the power of collective giving.
“The philanthropic sector including donors, trusts, foundations and existing collaborative giving groups will be inspired to further grow and develop professional practice in collaborative giving in Australia,” Reilly said.
“Colleen Willoughby is certainly an inspirational thought-leader in philanthropy – but she is also a doer," the Director of Asia Pacific Centre for Social Investment and Philanthropy, Swinburne University of Technology (Former Director, Ford Foundation, China), Professor John Fitzgerald said.
"Working with Colleen and her team in China I could see first-hand how she managed, quietly and confidently, to encourage smart and engaged philanthropy among professional and business women in that country.
"And now, what a pleasure have Colleen share her success in Australia. I think she will find that we like to get things done here, too. “
The Australian Women Donors Network’s International Speaker Series Tour Dates are:
- Sydney: Monday 19 & Tuesday 20 August
- Brisbane: Wednesday 21 August
- Melbourne: Thursday 22 & Friday 23 August
- Perth: Monday 26 and Tuesday 27 August
Click here for more information or email info@womendonors.org.au and registration enquiries to Perfect Events 03 9384 1190.
