Kathryn House AM: Growing givers from the ground up

By Em Worthington

Growing givers from the ground up

Kathryn House AM is the kind of person who turns a simple idea into a room full of people doing good — and then nurtures it so the impact ripples outwards.

As Chair of Impact100 SA and founder of Young Impact, Kathryn has helped make collective giving feel accessible, practical and genuinely joyful. Her focus is simple: bringing people together, helping them learn about local causes, and showing that meaningful change doesn’t require a huge bank balance — just a willingness to start and a supportive community.

Alongside this work, Kathryn also holds leadership and board roles across several South Australian not-for-profit organisations, including, Zoos SA, SAHMRI and Grandcarers SA and she is a Community Ambassador for Catherine House Inc — proof that she’s not one for doing things in small doses. Her commitment to generosity is quietly contagious, often drawing others in and encouraging them to get involved too.

Kathryn, or Kath as she is known to most, kindly shared her story with us — reflecting on where her passion began and why giving is something we grow into together.

What first sparked your passion for philanthropy?

I grew up in the country, and everybody in the country volunteers — because you simply don’t have all the services that exist in the city. If you want an activity, you volunteer. If you want an event, everyone puts it on. I was also raised in a Christian background where donating was just part of life. I remember being a kid, watching my 10-cent coin go on the plate each Sunday at church, and being told about collective responsibility and starving children.

By the time I was at school, I already knew the great feeling that comes from being involved and volunteering. I was on every committee, volunteered in the canteen and the library, organised events, and ran the school’s 40 Hour Famine. That was my first big fundraiser.

After school, I became a teacher. Growing up in the 60s and 70s, teaching and nursing were really the only careers I ever considered, as all the women in my life worked at home or were teachers or nurses. Even then, I was always drawn to social justice work.

I’ve always felt incredibly privileged, despite coming from a very humble background — having received free education and free healthcare — and with that came a strong sense of responsibility to pay it forward. One of the first things I did when I started earning money was donate back to my university, because I was so grateful for the education and opportunities I had been given.

What keeps you so committed to this work in South Australia?

A few years ago, I completed the Governor’s Leadership Foundation and found myself at a crossroads. We’d sold a family business, I wasn’t teaching anymore, my kids were young adults and independent — and I started asking myself, “What’s my purpose? Why am I here?”

When I look back, I realise I was already living my purpose, I just hadn’t valued what I was doing. I’d been connecting people, opening doors, making introductions — and because of that, things were happening. Services existed, programs were running, people were being supported. I realised that was actually a skill.

I often talk about the Japanese concept of ikigai — finding the thing you’re good at, the thing you love, and the thing the world needs. For me, connecting people is my ikigai and just comes naturally.

People ask me for things all the time, and most of the time I say yes. And often, afterwards, someone will say, “Well, I would have helped — you never asked me.” That’s taught me something important: you can and should always ask someone if they would like to help. The worst case is they say no. The best case is that doors can open.

How did Young Impact begin, and what makes it special?

Young Impact began when I was invited to speak at Pembroke School during Career’s Week. Everyone else was talking about being lawyers or doctors or working in private business, and I was talking about working in not-for-profits and social enterprise — showing young people there’s a whole sector they may not realise exists as a career.

I also spoke about the power of collective action and collective giving, and the role I played at Impact100 SA, where members donate $1,000 to create high impact grants of $100,000.

A young girl said to me, “I want to do what you do. But what are you doing for kids? We can’t afford $1,000”. So, I asked the group, “How much could you afford? $10? $100?”

Some kids said they could ask their grandma for $100 for Christmas. Then we talked about how many people were in the room — about 100 — and what would happen if everyone put in a little. I explained to them: “By yourself, you might be able to do a little — but together it might be $1,000 or $10,000,” and they were all so excited by that idea of being able to pool their efforts.

Around the same time, some parents were saying to me, “Our kids are so privileged — how do we help them understand that?” I wanted to create something like a volunteering and fundraising organisation for school students — a bit like Scouts or Guides — where the shared purpose is learning about charities, volunteering, and raising money together, and that’s how it came together.

What makes it special is its simplicity. There are no joining or participation costs, no overheads, no paid staff and no event costs. Venues are donated, parents volunteer, and the kids choose the charities themselves, plan their own fundraising, pool their funds and vote on how the money is distributed.

What have you learned from young people stepping into giving?

How capable they are. We can take over and do things for kids, or we can ask them what they think, step back and watch them do amazing things. Our Grants Days are entirely driven by the kids — they host, they perform, they interview each other, and they vote on where the money goes.

I love watching the light go on when they see how much they’ve raised. They take the responsibility seriously, and they’re incredibly democratic and egalitarian — they often want to support everyone.

They also learn from things not going perfectly. Some groups put on events and raise very little, or even find their expenses outweigh what they raise — but what a valuable lesson to learn early in life.

Are there moments that really show the power of kids leading change?

There are so many! Kids have raised money through busking, having bake sales and having garage sales, but some of the most successful ideas have been very practical — like collecting recycling from neighbours. Others have sold old bikes and toys, collected firewood, run film afternoons, discos or art shows or organised school market days.

One of my favourite moments this year was some young boys who loved one of the charities so much that they went back to school, organised letters to parents, and ran a sporting-gear drive. When they delivered it, the charity, Play It On, showed them exactly how it would be used — and the kids were just glowing.

This year alone, kids raised just over $38,000 for three great charities — Ambulance Wish SA, Play It On, and The Village Co — supported by matched funding and powered by everything from brownies, busking and recycling, all pooled together.

What’s the biggest lesson you try to pass on to the kids you work with?

That giving isn’t just about money. You can give your time, your talent, your treasure — and even just talking about giving matters. Sometimes people can’t give financially, and that’s okay. There are always other ways to contribute, and when you combine your efforts with others, it can make a huge difference.

What helps families and communities build a culture of giving?

Being public about it. In Australia, people have traditionally given quietly, but it helps when people say, “I support this,” or “I give to that”. When people talk openly about giving, it normalises generosity. It helps others discover causes, gives permission to get involved, and creates a culture where giving feels natural and shared.

People give for all sorts of reasons — because it feels good, because it’s expected, because of tax benefits, because it looks good. And honestly, I don’t care why people give. It all adds up to support.

What would you say to someone who feels they can’t make a difference?

You can’t measure your impact by where you’re standing today. Real change is often only visible when you look back and see how far you’ve come.

You don’t have to change everything to change something. Small actions matter — a little time, a small donation, a kind introduction — and when added to others, they create real impact. You may not see it immediately, but over time, it all counts.

How does your role with Impact100 SA fit with your focus on young people?

I’m the Chair, but also the unofficial day-to-day volunteer administrator. It takes someone to keep spinning the plates — it’s unpaid, but I love it. Impact100 is all about collective giving: 100 people donating $1,000 to create a $100,000 grant. It’s a wonderful gateway to philanthropy.

One day someone said to me, “The room’s full of older people, there are no younger people here,” and it really stuck. That’s why Young Impact feels so important — it’s about starting early and making giving more accessible.

What’s your hope for the future of giving in SA?

I’d love to see everyone giving. Even if it’s just 1% — that feels manageable. Giving isn’t only about money. It can be your time, your skills, or your voice, and it starts by talking about it.

If people are curious or want to learn more, they can follow Impact100 or Young Impact online, watch what’s happening, and see what good giving can look like. And if they do want to get involved, I’m always happy to talk — whether that’s with schools, families or individuals — or simply help someone find a starting point.

Contact: kathryn@impact100sa.org.au

Our heartfelt thanks to Kath for so generously sharing her journey. Stay tuned for more incredible South Australians in our ongoing series.