Why Donate When You Can’t See the Impact? The Quiet Power of Long-Term Philanthropy

Recently, I’ve been asked a question that goes straight to the heart of philanthropy:

“Why should I donate to a charity, especially one where I cannot see the impact?”

It’s an honest question, and in the dopamine-driven world of instant feedback and short attention spans, it deserves an honest answer.

Why charitable organisations exist

Charitable organisations exist to address unmet public needs and social or environmental problems. In plain terms, they step into the gaps that government and the for-profit sector can’t realistically fill.

Those gaps are rarely intentional.

• Government has to spread limited resources across many competing priorities. If it tried to solve every social, environmental and civic challenge directly, it would spread itself so thin that nothing would be funded appropriately.

• For-profit organisations must generate income and returns for shareholders. Without that, they collapse. Even the most values-driven companies have hard limits on what they can fund if there’s no sustainable business model.

At the intersection between government, business and community needs, sit charitable organisations. They are designed to do what neither government nor markets can do alone.

Without them, many of our problems don’t just linger — they grow. Like an untreated cancer in a global body, they eventually affect all of us.

Three types of impact: now, soon and later

Part of the “why donate?” question comes from the visibility of the impact.

Some charities are easy to “see”:

1. Immediate impact – crisis response: These are organisations like Red Cross, Disaster Relief Australia or CareFlight. When disaster strikes, you can literally see helicopters in the air, food parcels being handed out, and shelters being set up. Your donation turns into visible action almost overnight.

   
   

2. Short-to-medium-term impact – ongoing support: Services such as Lifeline, 1800RESPECT and SANE are there when someone is in crisis. Their work is often less visible to the broader public, but very real to the people on the end of the line. The impact is ongoing, one conversation, one life stabilised at a time.

   
   

3. Long-term impact – changing systems and culture: Then there are organisations focused on education, leadership, governance and ecological health. This work takes years, sometimes decades. They are creating the preconditions for a different future: better leaders, stronger institutions, healthier communities and environments.

This last group is the hardest to “see”, especially in a dopamine-driven world. There’s no dramatic overnight transformation. The work is quieter, slower, and often in the background.

But when it succeeds, the impact is profound, enduring and wide-reaching.

Where The Odyssey Leadership Foundation fits

The Odyssey Leadership Foundation sits firmly in the medium-to-long-term space.

Our work is to help young Australians speak with confidence and lead with integrity. That means:

• Building leadership and civics skills in schools and communities.

• Improving how we talk about policy, governance and responsibility.

• Supporting youth-led community projects that change local environments and relationships.

• Aligning industry, education and community so they pull in the same direction.

• Creating opportunities alongside other medium to long-term charitable organisations with the same mission for a better future together.

You won’t always see the outcome tomorrow. You might not see a new playground or community garden bearing a plaque with your name within a few days to months. But you will see change, and you will be recognised as part of that odyssey.

Ten or fifteen years from now, the young person who stepped up at school, practised courageous conversations and learned to lead ethically may be:

• The local councillor is making tough decisions with integrity.

• The business owner who treats their staff and customers with respect.

• The community organiser who keeps people connected when a crisis hits.

Odyssey, and organisations like Sohn Hearts & Minds, The Phoebe Dawson Foundation or The Y, are vehicles for long-term change. We help steer the future in a better direction. Our donors provide the fuel.

What your donation is really doing

When you donate to a long-term impact organisation, you’re not just buying a “thing”.

You’re backing a trajectory.

You’re not merely funding:

• “another swing set in a park”, or

• “another one-off event”.

You’re responding to a quieter call: the call from citizens who want a better future but don’t yet have the tools, confidence or backing to build it.

A helpful analogy is training the body and mind.

Swim Training Session for the CEO

One session doesn’t change much. You leave looking roughly the same. It’s tempting to think it’s pointless. But over months and years, your health, strength and resilience shift dramatically. The change is incremental, then obvious. It's compounding over time.

Long-term philanthropy works the same way. Each donation is like one more workout. On its own, it might not look like much. Over time, it compounds into cultural, civic and leadership change.

Every dollar counts

In every sector — government, for-profit and not-for-profit — funding is what keeps systems moving. Without it, even the best ideas stall. The best intent fails.

For organisations like The Odyssey Leadership Foundation, donors play a uniquely powerful role. You’re not only helping us run programs today; you’re helping define who will lead, how they will lead, and whose voices will be heard tomorrow.

Our donors are the reason a better future is still within reach. Without you, that future becomes harder to attain.

If you’ve ever wondered whether your support matters, especially when the impact isn’t instantly visible, know this:

You are investing in futures you may never personally see — and that is one of the most generous, courageous acts any of us can make.