It's a regular topic of discussion in Australian philanthropy: how much do Australia's wealthy give - and is it enough?

In the 2011 BRW Rich 200 issue, Dick Smith suggested that Australia should have a 'giving list' as well as a rich list. So we decided to compile one. This is a list of over 100 Australian donors (and some non-Australian donors to Australian causes) who have given over $1m.

We’ve only included people and families whose philanthropy has been mentioned in the public domain – either with a firm figure or with an estimate (we’ve put firm dollars ahead of estimates, even where it’s likely that the estimated figures are underreported).

We’ve provided links to the sources we’ve used for each person’s giving. We’ve drawn on previous lists such as the list BRW put together in 2006, Crikey’s philanthropy list from the same year, and Philanthropy Australia’s major donations list. And we’ll revise the list over time – if you have a suggestion for an update, email us.

NB: not all of these links are set to open in a new page yet, so if you want to check out one of the links but keep the list open, use 'right click>open in new tab' to open them

Known giving over $100m

• Chuck Feeney – c. $500m in Australian giving via Atlantic Philanthropies

• John Kinghorn – Established Kinghorn Foundation in 2005 with $300 million,   $25m to Garvan Institute (2009)

• Talbot Family – Bequest from Ken Talbot to Talbot Family Foundation of c. $300m (2010)

• Myer Family - $16m in 2009-10, $156m in total giving, via the Myer Foundation

• Estate of Sir Ian Potter – $14.2m in 20$14.2m in 2009-1009-10 and over $150m in total giving since 1964

• Clive Palmer - $100m for medical research and remote WA communities (2008), $6m to Duke of Edinburgh Awards Program (2010)

Known giving over $50m

• Fairfax family – over $90m in total giving via Vincent Fairfax Family Foundation since 1962; Tim Fairfax gives over $3m per annum through Tim Fairfax Family Foundation

• Andrew Forrest – c. $80m in company shares to Australian Children’s Trust (2007), $2m to the launch of the Australian Employment Covenant/Generation One initiative on indigenous employment, and a further $50m in shares to various charities in 2011 plus a further $5m in shares to Murdoch University and four WA performing arts organisations, and a $3m cash donation to complete the Art Gallery of WA's $25m campaign
  

• Greg Poche - $40m to melanoma research (2005) and $20m to indigenous health (2008, 2010)

• Gates Foundation - over $50m in Australian giving, including $12.4m to UNSW (2008), $9.7m to Murdoch University (2004), $8.7m to George Institute (2007), $5m to Australian International Health Institute (2004), $4.4m to QUT (2009), $2.9m to QUT (2008), $2.9m to Walter and Eliza Hall Institute (2007), $2m to University of Queensland (2008)

• Lowy Family – $10m to UNSW for the Lowy Cancer Centre (2007), c. $15m to sport and Jewish causes in 2005, $30m to create Lowy Institute for International Policy (2003)

Known giving over $10m

• Murdoch Family - $10m to the Murdoch Children's Research Institute in November 2011 from Rupert Murdoch and various members of the Murdoch and related families
  

• Packer Family - Kerry Packer’s known giving included $30 million to cancer research, $10 million to the Children’s Hospital at Westmead, $2.5 million to the NSW Ambulance Service; Ros Packer $1m+  to National Gallery of Australia; James Packer $2m to Generation One

• Steve Killilea – donor to overseas aid projects; established The Charitable Foundation with about $45million in 2000

• Eve Kantor and Mark Wootton - $10m to Climate Institute of Australia (2005), estimated $42m in total giving in the 12 years to 2009

• Estate of Marjory Edwards - $37m to 12 charities (2004)

• John Kaldor - $35m gift in kind to Art Gallery of NSW (2008)

• Michael Hintze – an estimated $35 million in total giving, including a Chair in International Security at the University of Sydney, Dorothy & Michael Hintze sculpture gallery at the Victoria & Albert Museum, and refurbishment of the Vatican’s Pauline Chapel

• Kerr and Judith Neilson - $30m to Neilson Foundation, fund White Rabbit gallery (2008)

• Chau Chak Wing - $25m to UTS business school (2010)

• Ralph Sarich - $1m to Salvation Army (2004), $20m to the neurosciences wing of the Queen Elizabeth Medical Centre in Nedlands (2008)

• Anonymous US donor - $18m gift in kind of a Picasso painting to U. Sydney (2011)

• Estate of George Henderson and Margaret Doyle - $16m to Conservatorium of Music (2005)

• Smorgon Family - $15m to National Gallery of Victoria (2008), multi-million dollar donation to Jewish Care’s Aged Care Facility (Gary Smorgon Centre) from the Jack and Robert Smorgon Foundation (2009)

• Simon and Catriona Mordant - $15m to MCA (2010)

• Graeme Wood - $15m to University of Queensland (2010)

• Rob and Sandy Purves – $10m to PAF supporting Purves Environmental Fund (2003), $5m (with Jan Cameron and Graeme Wood) to Tasmanian Land Conservancy (2010), family also give via Raymond E Purves Foundation

• Sir William Tyree - $10m bequest and $1m donation to Tyree Energy Technologies Building at UNSW (2009), $1m to engineering labs at University of Sydney (2007)

• Irwin family – estimated $10m to conservation projects (2010)

• Max Carter – donations to Art Gallery of South Australia totalling c $10m including works worth $2.3m in 2006

Estimated giving over $10m

• Bob Bryan – estimated $30m+ to create Bryan Foundation, $2m a year to education and health

• Jan Cameron (with Rob and Sandy Purves and Graeme Wood) - $5m to Tasmanian Land Conservancy (2010), estimated $15million a year to the Elsie Cameron Foundation

• Pratt Family – estimated $12m per annum via Pratt Foundation

• Reid Family – estimated $9m per annum, giving via Thyne Reid Foundation and John T Reid Charitable Trusts

• Harry Triguboff – estimated $9m per annum

• Sylvia and Charles Viertel Foundation – distributes estimated $10m a year (2010) from an original bequest of $60m

Known giving over $1m

• Arun Abey established the Abey Family Foundation in 2003 with $2m

• Kenneth Reed - $1m to Australian Ballet (2005) and $7m bequest to Art Gallery of NSW (2010)

• John Gandel and Pauline Gandel - $7m to National Gallery of Australia (2010)

• Jack Bendat and Eleanor Bendat - $5m to Comprehensive Cancer Centre WA in 2005, $2m to St John of God for homeless children in 2004

• Clive Berghofer –$5m to QIMR plus additional $1m to QIMR in 2010, estimated $3m in giving during 2005

• Allan and Maria Myers - $6m to National Gallery of Victoria (2008)

• Betty Amsden - $5m to Victorian Arts Centre (2009)

• Geoffrey Handbury – donations to RMIT exceed $2m, $3m to MCRI in late 1990s, funded Sheila Handbury Chair in Maternal Fetal Medicine in 2011, estimated total of $2.5m in 2005

• Belgiorno-Nettis family – $4m to Art Gallery of NSW (2007), founders of the Biennale of Sydney, donors to the Australian Chamber Orchestra, also give via Transfield Foundation

• James Fairfax –giving to the arts, medicine, and education, including major gifts of artworks to the Art Gallery of NSW, NGA and NGV, estimated $3m in annual giving for 2005

• Dame Elizabeth Murdoch – estimated $2.5m in 2005, to a wide range of causes

• Tony and Maureen Wheeler - major donors to Opera Australia, funded Chair in Entrepreneurship at London Business School, donors to overseas aid via Planet Wheeler Foundation, donors to Wheeler Centre for Books, Writing and Ideas in Melbourne

• Dale Alcock – total of $5.4 million given via ABN Group and ABN Foundation from 2006-2011

• Thomas Wenkart – endowed Chair in the Endothelium, University of Sydney

• Judith and David Coffey - $4m for Chair in Sustainable Agriculture, University of Sydney

• George Koukis – funds Chair in medicine at St Thomas’s hospital, London, donor to Arthritis UK

• Terry and George Snow – over $3m to Canberra region charities via the Snow Foundation

•  Bill Ferris - $2m to Garvan

•  Margaret Olley – bequest of $1m to Tweed Art Gallery, artworks worth several million to AGNSW

•  James Agapitos and Ray Wilson - gift of art collection to National Gallery of Australia (2008)

•  Brian and Gene Sherman – $2m to COFA (2010), founders and supporters of animal protection organisation Voiceless

•  Kantor family - $2m to Melbourne Recital Centre (2008)

•  Mike Quigley - $2m to Neuroscience Research Australia (2010)

•  Shi Zhengrong - $2m to Sydney Theatre Company for solar technology (2009)

•  Paul and Valerie Ainsworth - $2m to Westmead Millenium Institute (2007)

•  Schwartz Family - $2m in total giving via Schwartz Foundation

•  Dick Smith - $1m per annum

•  John Fitzgerald – c. $1m per annum to education

•  Peter Farrell – gifts of $1m+ to Harvard, Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego, San Diego Foundation, UCSD Cardiovascular Centre, along with substantial Australian giving including $1m+ to UNSW

•  Lady Mary Fairfax – several $1m gifts, including to Australian Ireland Fund and the Victor Chang Cardiac Research Institute

•  Daniel Petre – several $1m gifts, including $1m to Centre for Social Impact at UNSW and $1m to Social Ventures Australia in 2010

•  Salteri Family - the late Carlo Salteri established the Heart Research Institute Salteri Family Research Endowment Fund with an initial gift of $1million (1998), and subsequent gifts of $200K. Sandra and Paul Salteri are Patrons of the Sydney Symphony Orchestra. Tenix have supported a Careflight helicopter and give via the Tenix Foundation.

•  Lee Ming Tee and family - $1m to University of Sydney (2004), additional giving to children's charities, medical research, Great Barrier Reef scientific projects, education and the arts

•  Fred Street - $1m to Bundanon Trust (late 1990s), donor to Opera Australia and other arts causes

•  Neil Balnaves - $1m in artworks to Mosman Art Gallery (2010), $1m+ to UNSW

•  David and Michelle Coe – $1m+ to Sydney Children's Hospital, major donor to Sydney Law School, major arts philanthropists

•  Malcolm and Lucy Turnbull - $1m+ to Sydney Children's Hospital, major donor to Sydney Law School

•  Jill Reichstein – c. $1.3m in 2007-08 via Reichstein Foundation

•  Geoffrey and Frances Tyler - $1m donation plus artworks to University of Tasmania (2011)

•  Armati family - $1m+ to Sydney Children's Hospital

•  Warwick Negus - $1m+ to UNSW

•  Robin Crawford - $1m+ to UNSW

•  Michael Crouch - $1m+ to UNSW

•  Gary Johnston - $1m+ to UNSW

•  Trainor Family = $1m+ to UNSW

•  David Gonski - $1m+ to UNSW

•  Ruth Kerr - $1m+ to State Library of NSW

•  Chris Cuffe - $1m to Social Ventures Australia

•  Elias Jreissati - $1m to National Gallery of Victoria (2002)

•  Pat Corrigan – Artworks worth over $1m to Gold Coast City Art Gallery

•  Ian Landon-Smith - $1m to Bush Heritage (2007)

•  May Perkins - $1m in cumulative donations to Westmead Millenium Institute (2009)

•  Harold Mitchell – giving via Harold Mitchell Foundation including $500k to Musée du Quai Branly, Paris (2006) and support for NGA purchases including Freud’s After Cezanne

•  Peter and Heather Howes - $1m to QUT (2010)

•  Stan Perron – donor to over 100 different organisations; gifts include $500k to Association of the Blind in WA (2004)

•  Kevin Seymour - $500k per annum to welfare charities in Brisbane

•   Kerry Stokes  $2m to the Australian Employment Covenant/Generation One intiative on indigenous employment
  

Estimated giving over $1m

•   Peter Scanlon – estimated $4m per annum in 2005, gives via ScanlonFoundation

•   Albert Family – estimated $4m per annum in 2005

•   Michael Buxton – estimated $3m in 2005

•   Besen Family – estimated $2.5m in 2005

•   Philip Cornish – estimated $2m in 2005

•   Rino and Diana Grollo – estimated $1m in 2005

•   Peter and Joan Clemenger – estimated $1m in 2005, founders of Clemenger Contemporary Art Award

•   Nelson Meers – giving to the arts via Nelson Meers Foundation, estimated $1m in 2005

•   Laurence Freedman – estimated $1m in 2005

•   Soheil Abedian – gift (amount not known) to Bond University to establish School of Architecture (2010)

•   John Schaeffer – major arts philanthropist

•   Geoff and Vicki Ainsworth – major arts philanthropists, supporters of Art Gallery of NSW

Estates distributing over $1m a year:

•    Estate of Helen Macpherson Smith – estimated annual distribution of $7m in 2005

•    Estate of Clem Jones - $6m distributed to multiple projects in 2010

• .  Estate of William Buckland – estimated annual distribution of $4.2m in 2005

•    Estate of Roy Everard Ross – estimated annual distribution of $4.2m in 2005

•    Estate of Jack Brockhoff – estimated annual distribution of $4m in 2005

•    Estate of Alice, Annette, and Edith Collier – estimated annual distribution of $3.1m in 2005

•    Estate of John Wicking – estimated annual distribution of $3m in 2005

•    Estate of Percy Baxter – estimated distribution of $2.6m in 2005

•    Estates of Fred Archer and Eric Storm – estimated distribution of $2.3m in 2005

•    Estate of Harry Moss – estimated distribution of $2m in 2005

•    Estate of Alfred Felton – estimated distribution of $1.7m in 2005

•    Estate of Hugh Williamson – estimated distribution of $1.5m in 2005

•    Estate of Clive and Vera Ramaciotti – estimated distribution of $1.4m in 2005

•    Estate of Ralph Lachberg – estimated distribution of $1m in 2005

About us:

Fundraising Research & Consulting (FR&C) is an Australian consulting firm specialising in information gathering, research and strategic analysis for major gift fundraising.