Eve Mahlab AO Retires from Women Donors Network

Philanthropist and business woman, Eve Mahlab, has retired as Chair of the organisation she founded in 2009 as an advocacy and education organisation to catalyse philanthropic investment in women and girls – the Australian Women Donors Network.

Mahlab is also a former President of Philanthropy Australia, her family is part of the Jewish Funders Network and her daughter Karen Mahlab AM is the founder of Pro Bono Australia.

Her past experiences include being a Solicitor at Family Law, a public company director of Westpac and a Not for Profit board member at the Walter and Eliza Hall Institute.

In 1988 she was awarded the Order of Australia (AO) for services to government, business and the community, especially women. In 1997 she accepted an Honorary Doctorate of Laws from Monash University.

The CEO of the Australian Women Donors Network, Julie Reilly, said the organisation owed a huge debt of gratitude to the powerful leadership Eve Mahlab had provided since the Network’s inception six years ago.

“Eve’s unflinching dedication to the advancement of women and girls through philanthropy is legendary,” Riley said.

“Her stewardship has resulted in broad recognition of our Network, our purpose and aims, and we know through many testimonials has also influenced the way funders see women and girls.”

Riley said Mahlab had driven the development of tools and resources to support best practice through the integration of a gender lens in philanthropic funding.

“Her vision for a better world for everyone through increased investment in women and girls continues to energise our Board, staff and our growing community of supporters,” she said.

Eve Mahlab spoke about the organisation’s successes at the recent Annual General Meeting.

“To counter this historical discrimination and to move towards a world where, equally with men, women contribute to and benefit from all aspects of productive society (economic, political, social and familial) requires that a much larger proportion of philanthropic investment and funding reaches women and girls,” Mahlab said.

“Through the advocacy of our respected CEO, Julie Reilly, we have spread awareness of unconscious bias, acceptance of the Gender Lens and understanding of Genderwisdom. This is knowledge central to maximising the effectiveness of all philanthropic giving.

“There is still much to be done but I leave the Board confident that our strategy of building a better world through the leadership of the philanthropic sector is correct.”

Mahlab’s successor is current Board member, media entrepreneur, company director and philanthropist, Deanne Weir, who has more than 20 years experience in media and communications.

Weir is a member of US based Women Moving Millions, which is an international network of women and men who have each donated more than $1 million to women.

Weir chairs the boards of four private companies including award winning production company Hoodlum, and Ai-Media, a global innovator in speech-to-text services for broadcast and education.  

Weir and husband Jules Anderson also established the WeirAnderson Foundation, a Private Ancillary Fund with a particular emphasis on projects that will improve the lives of women and girls.  

Weir is a Member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.