The University of Queensland is driving a new approach to philanthropy by partnering with entrepreneurs to ‘pay it forward’.
In an Australian first, members of the UQ Founders Pledge will commit to donating a portion of their success to the University at a future date – when exiting or listing their start-up.
UQ Pro Vice-Chancellor (Advancement) Jennifer Karlson said the initiative removed some of the barriers to philanthropy for entrepreneurs.
“Philanthropy and entrepreneurialism are a natural match — we know that people who start their own ventures often want to create a meaningful and lasting impact on society,” she said.
“Entrepreneurs are people of action who want to create change and solve problems rather than waiting for others to do it.
“The UQ Founders Pledge allows our entrepreneurial community to partner with the University to create a vision for the future.”