Philanthropy in Australia is at a crossroads. The resignation of Sydney Writers’ Festival chair and major donor Kathy Shand over aspects of its politicised agenda is a case in point. Private donors who fund up to half a million dollars every year are considering following suit in protest at the divisive nature of the event.

The festival, according to an anonymous donor quoted in The Australian Financial Review, should primarily be “about inspiring curiosity, a love of reading and an exchange of ideas” but it has increasingly been pressured by some directors and staff keen to emphasise “polarising topics”, especially those related to Israel.