Learning her daughter had a severe allergy to tree nuts led entrepreneur Patricia Ilhan to found the Australian Food Allergy Foundation in 2006. With a generous $1 million donation from her husband John Ilhan, the founder of Crazy John's phones, she has since donated more than $2 million to research to help find a cure for children suffering from anaphylaxis.

Passion for a cause is something that also influenced the chair of administrators of the City of Greater Geelong, Kathy Alexander. As CEO of the Royal Children's and Royal Women's Hospitals Melbourne from 2000 to 2004, Alexander's passion lies in providing good public health services.