About Giftwell

Giftwell is an information guide about charity gifting in Australia. It explains how charity gifts, gift registries, fundraising pages and workplace giving work, and describes the kinds of causes people choose to support.

It is not a charity. It does not take donations, sell vouchers or gift cards, or run accounts. Check any charity you are thinking of supporting on the ACNC Charity Register.

Vision

Connecting people with the charities and causes closest to their hearts, whether that is children overseas or a soup kitchen down the street, so that charitable acts become part of everyday life.

What We Cover

Ways to support a favourite charity are explained here, along with the questions people ask before they start.

Charity gifts. A charity gift is a donation made in someone else's name, often chosen instead of a physical present. Examples range from school supplies to clean water to medical research.

Gift registries. Couples and families can ask guests to support charities in place of presents for weddings, birthdays and anniversaries.

Fundraising pages. Individuals and teams set up a page with a goal, photos and updates for a marathon, a challenge or a birthday, and share it with friends and family.

Workplace giving. Employers set up programs, including matched giving, so staff can support charities through their workplace.

Volunteering. People can also give time and skills to a charity, and many organisations list skilled volunteering projects.

Philosophy

We believe that "what goes around comes around". If we look after our staff, they will look after us. If we support other charities, they will support us. It's really that simple.

Inspiration

Each year over $1 billion is wasted on unwanted gifts that end up in the closet, in storage and ultimately in landfill. Imagine a gift that could save a child, protect a forest, find a cure, educate a mind, aid the arts or perform countless other wonderful acts. That is the idea behind charity gifts.

Board

The board sets policy and strategic goals that guide the project's direction.

Ashley worked in advertising before founding the project. The idea began with an engagement party invitation: what about giving the happy couple a goat in Africa? But what if they preferred saving forests, rescuing animals, finding cures, education or the arts? That question led to the idea of charity gift vouchers.

Denis is a consultant with expertise in IT sourcing, IT contracts, professional services management, manufacturing and team and organisational improvement. With over 30 years of experience, he can be a "wise old man" for organisations of all kinds.

Leeora established a corporate social responsibility consultancy in 2003 to help organisations become more socially responsible. With over 20 years of experience developing evidence-based solutions to complex organisational issues, she has developed and implemented strategies for global corporations, not-for-profit and community-based organisations and government. Her work focuses on analysing and solving complex CSR issues and building organisational CSR capacity and strategy.

Nick studied Graphic Design and majored in Advertising, then worked for 11 years at major advertising agencies as an Art Director, producing award-winning work for local and international brands. In 1999 he started an online agency and spent ten years growing it into one of Australia’s most accomplished digital businesses, before leading the digital team of a major agency group. Today he heads a new start-up.

Chris is in-house counsel for a health and wellness business. Previously he was an associate at law firms and a commercial litigator with experience in various jurisdictions, guiding clients through all aspects of resolving commercial disputes across telecommunications, consumer products, information technology, engineering and financial services. Chris also spent time as an international volunteer.

Advisors

Dion is Head of Australian Equities at a global asset manager, responsible for the Australian equities team and investment process. Earlier he was a fund manager and analyst overseas, and before that worked in financial and quantitative analysis and project and client account management for a global consulting firm.

Judith is CEO of a children's charity that supports children who are victims of violent crime or sudden family loss and runs programs to address bullying in schools. She holds numerous directorships, is Chair of an animal welfare organisation, and has an MBA. She has been named Australian Business Woman of the Year and was awarded a centenary medal for service to Australian society in business leadership.

John was Communications Director of a major Australian charity for 15 years until his retirement in 2006. For 27 years before that he worked in advertising and public relations, as a managing director and as a founder and joint owner of a public relations firm. He sold those businesses to work full time in the charity sector, bringing together his two great interests: working for the alleviation of injustice and poverty, and the communication of ideas.