1 in 10 Australians are employed by charities
60,000 charities support people in Australia

Current state of the sector

Thriving charities are crucial to the future wellbeing and productivity of Australia. Charities:

  • educate our children
  • care for people who are sick
  • provide housing
  • advocate for a more just society
  • provide emergency relief for people who are not eligible for government support programs

Even when they are stretched thin, charities step up to help people and communities in need.

We need strong and healthy charities to support, connect and strengthen Australian communities.

Our vision

Charities are the lifeblood of our society. They provide essential services that many in our community depend on. SVA is committed to working towards a thriving and vibrant charity sector that can support people in Australia when they most need it.

Charities and Social Sector

Our work

Together with our partners, we’re driving change across the social sector in Australia.

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    Impact at Scale

    We explored how charities can transform local solutions to wide-spread impact.

  • Charities icon
    Partners in Recovery

    We investigated the capacity of charities to respond to financial and operational shocks.

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    Paying What it Takes

    We looked at the true cost of creating change in our society.

Our impact

Our innovative research and support of hundreds of clients each year have contributed to the health and sustainability of the charitable sector. This means charities can continue to provide vital support to Australian communities.

We know what works

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SVA’s Partners in Recovery collaboration has provided critical information to philanthropy during the COVID pandemic. It has been a very challenging time for the charitable sector. Lord Mayor’s Charitable Foundation has relied on the Partners in Recovery data, insights and consultations as part of key information to feed into decision making about where our support is most needed.” Dr Catherine Browne OAM • Former CEO, Lord Mayor’s Charitable Foundation

Get involved

We’re looking for partners to help us drive positive and lasting change. Find out how you can get involved as a program partner or funder.

Get involved Consulting enquiries

Related information

  • Charities and social sector
  • News
Impact at Scale

Impact at scale is a goal that many organisations in the social purpose sector strive to achieve. We will continue engaging in conversations about impact at scale, shaping how we collectively work.
  • Charities and social sector
  • Case Study
Paying what it takes report

This collaborative report from SVA, CSI and Philanthropy Australia explores the true cost of creating change in our society and the need to remedy Australia’s grantmaking approach.
  • Charities and social sector
  • Quarterly Article
Are charities beyond the crisis?

Financially, charities fared better than feared during the pandemic thanks to prudent management and much needed financial support from governments and philanthropists.