Philanthropy has been a mainstay of The Smith Family's history, with the generous support of donors playing a vital role in transforming the lives of thousands of young Australians through education.
In this episode, our CEO Doug Taylor speaks with Shamal Dass, Head of Family Advisory and Philanthropic Services at JBWere, to explore the world of philanthropic giving and how people can make a meaningful difference in their communities.
Shamal also brings insights from his work as Chair of the Australian Research Alliance for Children and Youth (ARACY), and as Adjunct Associate Professor at the Centre for Social Impact where he teaches a course for not-for-profit leaders on Governance for Social Impact.
“Even though I grew up in Liverpool [in Sydney's southwest], what the kids and families in Liverpool need today, right now, is different to when I grew up,” says Shamal. “And so, we need to hear that. We need to understand the places [where we work] and necessarily challenge our own ideas about what we think works, and then be open to building different types of measurement, different types of governance, different types of support to actually try and make a difference.”
Conversation highlights
Shamal talks to Doug about:
[0:45] His most memorable education moment and what makes a great educator
[4:04] His journey into philanthropic services and what keeps him engaged in this work
[7:34] The current state of philanthropy and key giving trends in Australia
[11:28] Ways to achieve the government’s target to double philanthropic giving
[14:43] Government and philanthropy coming together to tackle disadvantage under the Investment Dialogue for Australia’s Children
[18:10] Key insights for not-for-profit boards to achieve better outcomes
Watch the full conversation below or listen on Apple Podcasts or Spotify.
