In a 22 May 2012 PerthNow interview, John Poynton described philanthropy as a response to good fortune: people can help others with money, time or skills, while choosing causes that matter to them. He also offered practical questions donors could ask about a nonprofit’s governance, purpose and communication. His comments are a historical account of his views at the time, not a guide to current Australian giving patterns or his present-day roles.
Why Poynton connected giving with good fortune
Poynton said he felt lucky to have been born where and when he was, and saw looking after others as part of building a better society. In the interview, he put it this way: “I think we can have a better society if people are looking after each other in whatever way that means.” That is his personal rationale for giving, rather than a claim that everyone should give in the same way.
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Giving can mean money, time or skills
Poynton described philanthropy broadly, including volunteering and sharing professional abilities as well as donating money. “We’ve talked about time, treasure and talent,” he said. For people who cannot or do not wish to give money, this framing makes participation possible through practical help or expertise.
Workplace giving as a shared practice
He also discussed workplace giving as one way to make charitable participation part of an organization’s culture. His point was about creating an avenue for people to contribute together; the interview does not establish a particular current program or platform.
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Choosing a cause is personal
Poynton said donors support a wide range of causes and argued against prescribing which one a person should choose. As he put it, “It doesn’t matter what the cause is – it’s more that they want to help a cause.” A donor’s own connection to an issue can therefore be a meaningful starting point, alongside practical questions about the organization receiving support.
Questions donors can ask about a nonprofit
Poynton raised accountability as a consideration for donors deciding whether they feel comfortable supporting an organization. The points below are questions to explore, not a formal certification checklist or a guarantee of impact.
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Governance and financial reporting
- Does the organization have an established board?
- Are its accounts audited, and are accounts made available regularly?
Purpose, plans and communication
- Is its purpose clear, and does it have a plan for its work?
- Does it communicate with people who give to it?
Overlap and efficiency
- Is the organization’s work duplicated elsewhere, and does that overlap affect how resources are used?
- Would greater coordination or consolidation improve efficiency without dismissing the value of the work being done?
Poynton supported efficiency and some consolidation among nonprofits, but cautioned against treating size as a measure of merit. “So yes, there should be some consolidation amongst the not-for-profits,” he said, while also making clear that “big is better” is not a rule. Consolidation, in his view, should not be used to discount an organization’s contribution.
What Poynton said about Giving West’s beginnings
In his account of Giving West’s origins, Poynton traced the idea to conversations and concerns around 2007–08. He recalled a gathering in late 2008, assisted by the University of Western Australia, and said UWA research led to “A Rising Tide,” a report on the state of philanthropy. This is Poynton’s recollection in the interview, rather than an independently verified organizational history.
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What the interview does—and does not—establish
PerthNow published the interview on 22 May 2012. It records Poynton’s views on generosity, donor choice, accountability and nonprofit efficiency at that time; it does not establish his current roles, Giving West’s current status or present-day Australian giving patterns. Poynton also said his research then suggested Australia was “way behind” other countries in giving, but the interview supplies no figure, named statistical source or statistic year, so that remark should not be treated as a quantified comparison.
Read the PerthNow interview, “Sharing the "lucky" life – John Poynton” (22 May 2012).
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