Meet The Philanthropist - Joanne Woods

What if one conversation could unlock your purpose?

Join us for our first event of 2026, where you'll get meet and hear from well-known philanthropist Joanne Woods whose story might just change how you see giving forever.

The Details:

📅 Wednesday, 4th March 2026
⏰ 5:00pm - 8:00pm
📍 Hackett Hall, WA Museum, Perth
🎟️ $32 (2 drinks included + nibbles on arrival)

Our Special Guest:

Joanne Woods is a West Australian philanthropist, paediatric speech pathologist and Co-Founder of the AOJ Woods Foundation - a family foundation dedicated to improving outcomes for disadvantaged and neurodivergent children and young people through intentional, inclusive and catalytic philanthropy.

With more than 20 years’ experience working alongside neurodivergent children and their families, Joanne’s approach to giving is grounded in both professional expertise and lived experience. In the early 2000s, she co-founded Singapore’s first transdisciplinary education and therapy centre, pioneering collaborative models that brought educators, therapists and families together around the whole child.

Her philanthropic journey unfolded alongside a modern technology wealth story, as Grafana Labs - co-founded by her former husband and ongoing philanthropic partner - grew into a global company valued in the billions. As wealth expanded, so too did Joanne’s sense of responsibility.

She speaks openly about privilege, timing and luck in wealth creation, and about the concept of “enoughness” - the belief that once security is achieved, surplus carries social obligation. For Joanne, philanthropy is not charity; it is stewardship.

Through the AOJ Woods Foundation, she champions youth wellbeing, inclusive education and systems change, with a strong emphasis on neurodiversity, mental health and belonging. The Foundation has adopted a deliberate spending-down philosophy, choosing to deploy the majority of its capital within the founders’ lifetimes in response to the urgency of today’s social challenges.

Joanne represents a new generation of values-led philanthropists who combine systems thinking with deep social commitment. She believes effective giving requires curiosity, humility, empathy and genuine proximity to the communities being supported.

At Meet the Philanthropist, Joanne will share insights from both sides of the journey, what it takes to build wealth in today’s economy, and how to translate that success into giving that creates lasting, meaningful social impact.

Who We Are:

We're mates who donate. Born in Perth in 2005, Meridian Global Foundation exists to prove that philanthropy isn't just for the ultra-wealthy - it's for everyday people ready to make everyday impact.

Since we started, we've supported 46 charities globally and raised $1.4 million. We've given away $700,000 to causes that matter, while growing our investment fund to over $800,000.

Why? Because we're building something that echoes. Our goal is simple but bold: grow the fund until we can give away $1 million every single year - forever.

In 2025 alone, we raised $166,000. The momentum is real.

Ready to light the way?

For $90 a month (or $1,000 a year), you become part of our community of everyday philanthropists. You nominate charities, you vote and at our annual Giving Circle, you help decide who takes home $30,000, $20,000, or $10,000. Spoiler: everyone wins.

Here's what makes us different - donations above $60,000 go into our Oracle Fund.

The Oracle Fund is Meridian Global’s endowment model for philanthropy - a perpetual engine that ensures every contribution lasts far beyond the moment it’s given - and a goal to give away $1 million dollars a year in perpetutiy by 2040.

Your generosity doesn't stop after you've given it. It multiplies. It endures. It builds toward that $1 million milestone.

Connections that count. Impact that's designed to echo.

Learn more: https://www.meridianglobal.org/

Be a part of the change. Be a part of Meridian.

Event Venue & Nearby Stays

Hackett Hall, Corner Beaufort Street and Francis Street, Perth, Australia

Concerts, fests, parties, meetups - all the happenings, one place.

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