Meet The Philanthropist - Joanne Woods

Join us for an evening with philanthropist Joanne Woods and discover how you can get involved with a community of mates who donate.

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 and Co-Founder of the AOJ Woods Foundation.

Joanne’s giving journey is closely linked to a modern wealth creation story. Together with her husband Anthony Woods, she has navigated the rapid growth of Grafana Labs, a global technology business that has scaled from startup beginnings to a valuation of over US$6 billion.

Rather than treating philanthropy as an afterthought, Joanne has been deeply involved in shaping how the families wealth is stewarded. Joanne’s work reflects a broader and increasingly topical shift in philanthropy. Through the Foundation, she has supported initiatives including Inclusive Educators Australia, CliniKids at The Kids Research Institute Australia, and Scitech, helping strengthen inclusive education, early emotional-regulation support and access to science learning for diverse children across Australia.

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.