In her July blog, The Ross Trust CEO Sarah Hardy discusses the importance of volunteering, and humility as she looks towards next month’s Philanthropy Australia conference.

The first half of the year has flown and there has been a lot happening for both The Ross Trust and philanthropy generally. 

In May, we announced we are one of four Victorian philanthropics to join forces in a $5 million partnership with the Foundation for Rural Regional Renewal which will strengthen the capacity and resilience of Victorian communities over the next five years.

The funding will enable local not-for-profits to become more confident and collaborative in their approach to improving and sustaining vibrancy, resilience, and liveability, especially during times of natural disasters.

The funding recognises that volunteers are often the backbone of most NFPs. Unfortunately, the rate of volunteering through an organisation or group has declined recently, particularly since the pandemic. According to Volunteering Australia (see fact sheet below) rates of volunteering have been gradually declining from around one-third of adults in 2002 to around one-quarter in 2022. Both men and women are volunteering at lower rates.

From my experience, I believe philanthropy has much work to do to build its collective and individual humility. Volunteering and placing ourselves outside our comfortable bubble and spending time talking to others with diverse views that challenge our own values is critical. 

A huge amount of humility can be earnt through volunteering. It’s not for us to say we are humble; it’s for others to make that decision, based on our actions, involvement and ability to listen and accept others as they come. Mature leaders accept that vulnerability and adaptability are part of modern leadership practice. 

As I wrote in a blog last year, I have been pleased to see an emerging narrative celebrating humble leadership. 

I’m delighted that The Ross Trust is bringing author, researcher and columnist Kirsten Ferguson to the Philanthropy Australia annual conference next month. I will be introducing Dr Ferguson’s keynote address, Leading with impact: mastering the art of modern leadership, and encourage delegates to attend on Tuesday 6 August to hear her inspiring views and experiences of modern leadership.

I look forward to meeting and chatting with others at the conference about humility and leadership, whether they agree with me or not. Let’s keep the conversation going.

FACT SHEET: Key Volunteering Statistics – March 2024