05/10/2026
I think it's time "philanthropy" had a rebrand.
The word comes from the Greek philanthropia which = Love + humanity.
The best example of this act comes from Greek mythology, the story goes that Zeus kept fire from humans, because he wanted us to live cold, hungry and in the dark. Prometheus couldn't stand it so he stole fire from the gods and gave it humans who had nothing and then our entire civilization flourished from this one act of kindness.
What he got in return? Zeus chained him to a rock and every day an eagle came to eat his liver.
From where I sit, chasing large-scale philanthropy feels a lot being denied fire (other days it feels a lot like my liver being ripped from my side).
Here's what I keep seeing.
The doors that open are the ones someone is already holding open. A warm introduction almost always seems beats a strong case. The money follows visibility and influence. If you can offer a logo on a big stage, a media moment or a seat at a gala in their honour, hey presto, you're in the conversation. If your impact is to help a mum in a town of 500 who can finally go back to work to feed her family, that's a little too bland for the annual report.
Small organisations burn weeks of unpaid time on applications for funding that often feels decided before the round even opens and if it's not about the glitz and the glam, it's worse, whole thing is starting to feel like a giant tax dodge because the first question im asked is "do youhave DRG status?" not "who will the funding reach?"
$13.98 -- That's what's in my foundation's account as of today. Thirteen dollars and ninety-eight cents, for an organisation working to close the childcare access gap after 2 years of work. Every dollar made to date has been earned and then put back in.
I've done what I was told to do. I show up again and again and again. I've run forums. I've sat with councils, peak bodies and politicians. I've put in submissions laying out the evidence on what inaction costs families and communities.
So here's my challenge.
Look at my page. Look at what Im building. Look at all the evidence I've gathered.
Then tell me it's not worth funding. Tell me it won't have impact. Tell me rural kids' safety doesn't matter. Tell me the women who can't get back to work to support their families don't matter enough. Tell me to give up.
Tell me my cause is BS and that's the reason why no one wants to fund it and I'll eat every word.
I genuinely want to hear from you. Funders, foundations, founders, grant writers:
Have you landed significant philanthropic funding without an insider contact?
What actually moved the needle?
If you're on the giving side, what would make you back an organisation you cant claim a tax deducation from?
Tell me I'm wrong. I'd love to be.
Tell me where the fire went. Tell me how we put it back into humanity.
The link to give is in the comments. The fire is yours to give.
