The Productivity Commission has been asked to analyse motivations for philanthropic giving in Australia and identify opportunities to grow it further. The Commission’s draft report proposes an overhaul of the system that determines which charities can receive tax-deductible donations as part of a package of proposed reforms.

This draft report analyses trends in giving and shows that while the overall amount donated to charities has been increasing, fewer people are donating. Volunteering is widespread in Australia, but the formal volunteering rate has declined over the past decade.

The inquiry also recommends the Australian Government support the establishment of an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander philanthropic foundation that would facilitate new collaborations between philanthropy and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities that support their ambitions.