Powerful collaboration won the day at the 2018 Philanthropy Awards, with the Purves Environmental Fund receiving the Environmental Philanthropy award on behalf of 28 AEGN members.
By Amanda Martin, AEGN CEO
Powerful collaboration won the day at the 2018 Philanthropy Awards, with the Purves Environmental Fund receiving the Environmental Philanthropy award on behalf of 28 AEGN members. Philanthropy Australia launched this year’s awards night at the Sydney Opera House, where funders and their grant recipients under eight categories were celebrated for their achievements.
It was my great delight to hand the award to Erika Hosoyama from Purves Environmental Fund representing the funders, and Dermot O’Gorman of WWF representing the Tree Clearing Alliance. The selection committee chose this initiative from a strong field of strategic grants, based on the Tree Clearing Campaign’s high levels of leadership, courage and immediate and significant impact on the environment
The Purves Tree-Clearing Challenge
Members who attended the 2017 AEGN conference will recall the excitement when, surprising us all, Rob Purves showed vision and leadership by launching the Purves Tree-Clearing Challenge. Rob’s offer was that he would contribute $1 million to support a comprehensive action plan to end excessive tree clearing in Australia — provided this amount could be matched by other donors. Within six months, the challenge raised $1.5 million in funding from 28 AEGN donors and a further $200,000 has been raised since.
The alliance has enabled groups to share strategy, learn together and use each other’s unique skills and strengths. It also enabled philanthropists to pool their funds to address one of the greatest environmental issues of our times in a strategic and efficient way.
Amanda Martin, AEGN CEO
One of our greatest environmental challenges
The award selection panel agreed that excessive tree clearing — especially in Queensland — is one of the greatest challenges to our environment here in Australia. The statistics paint a grim picture:
- One million hectares — about four times the size of the ACT — have been cleared in Queensland alone between 2012 and 2016.
- in 2016, scientists estimated that 50 million birds, mammals and reptiles were killed each year in Queensland and NSW as a result of tree clearing.
- Tree clearing has increased the sediment load of rivers flowing out to our beloved but imperiled Great Barrier Reef — the largest living thing in the world.
But philanthropy, combined with a group of smart community groups of varying shapes and sizes, came to the rescue. The Purves Tree Clearing Challenge enabled groups to work together on a strategy, knowing that there were funds on the table. The alliance has enabled groups to share strategy, learn together and use each other’s unique skills and strengths. It also enabled philanthropists to pool their funds to address one of the greatest environmental issues of our times in a strategic and efficient way.
Congratulations to all the AEGN members involved
Congratulations to all the AEGN members involved, which includes:
- Carawa Foundation
- The NR Peace & Justice Fund
- Mullum Trust
- Norman Family
- Katherine Barraclough
- Melliodora Fund – ACF Subfund
- Pixel Seed
- Paddy Pallin Foundation Trust
- Morris Family Foundation
- Reichstein Foundation
- The Water Dragon Foundation
- Bokhara Foundation
- Diversicon Environmental Foundation
- Fouress Foundation
- The Yulgilbar Foundation
- The Garry White Foundation
- Debbie Daddon
- Phillip Cornwell
- Josette Wunder
- Madden Sainsbury Foundation
- Diversicon Environmental Foundation
- Edwina Kearney
- Ross Knowles Foundation
A special thanks to Rob Purves and Erika Hoyosama for their leadership and ongoing efforts to build the funder collaboration.
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Rob Purves
Purves Environmental Fund
Tree clearing in Queensland — how the campaign was won
23 September 2019
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