‘Fair Share’ in action

“The ethics earth care, people care and fair share form the foundation for permaculture design and are also found in most traditional societies. Ethics are culturally evolved mechanisms that regulate self-interest, giving us a better understanding of good and bad outcomes”, Permaculture Principles

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Permaculture ethics: Fair Share

The Permaculture ethic of ‘Fair Share‘ is related to setting limits and redistributing surplus in times of abundance. The icon of the pie and a slice of it represents the taking of what we need and sharing what we don’t, whilst recognising that there are limits to how much we can give and how much we can take.

Donations can be made any time of the year, including in the lead up to the ‘end of financial year’, for an amount you choose. A huge thank you to PA members including (but not limited to) Beck Lowe, Claude and Helene Marmoux, Permacoach and Milkwood Permaculture who provided donations this EOFY.

“The permaculture ethics are intrinsic to what I do. Although I earn well under the average Australian wage, I’m conscious that I’m very wealthy by global standards.  Once I made a decision to donate, Permafund was pretty much a no-brainer – it is a charity that aligns with my ethics and outlook on life and is run by volunteers with the maximum amount of money going directly to grassroots projects,” Beck Lowe

“We love that Permafund is an effective way to distribute fair share – it’s great to be able to donate to an organisation that we know gets the funds straight to communities and projects that need it,”  Milkwood Permaculture

2. Regular or tithe donations

Set up regular payments to Permafund – for which you choose the donation amount and frequency. A huge thank you to PA Patron & Formidable Vegetable frontman Charlie Mgee, Koren Helbig and several other members (who wish to remain anonymous) for donating using this method. Fast, easy and a set amount each week tithed automatically to Permafund.

“When I started making a small surplus from my music, it seemed like the obvious thing to do was to tithe some of my income to Permafund, so that the music could also directly benefit people practicing permaculture on-the-ground… Permafund was a great way that I could give back to the community and adhere a bit more to the ethics of Earth Care and Fair Share”, Charlie Mgee, Formidable Vegetable.

“I choose to donate monthly to Permafund as it’s a super simple way to contribute to meaningful impact in Australia and further afield. Permaculture has been such an inspiring force for good in my life over recent years and I’m keen to pay this forward. I love the idea that my small contribution helps fund all sorts of fabulous permaculture projects, and hope these can become a catalyst for positive change for other people and our mighty planet,” Koren Helbig

3. Partnership or business donation

The fabulous folks at Permaculture Principles donate 100% profits from the sale of the Permaculture Calendar each year to Permafund – amazing!

“It has been important for me to ‘walk the walk’, so the entire design process, production and sale reflects the ethics and principles that [the calendar] displays. We have always encouraged community participation in the contributions for the calendar, so I felt the need to give back to the permaculture community. Permafund was set up for this purpose. I hope that our model can inspire others to ‘return the surplus’ and demonstrate our ethics,”  Richard Telford, Permaculture Principles.

4. Event fundraiser using social media or other methods

Facebook has an online Fundraiser tool that has been used by Permafund supporters including the tiny house concert launch of the ‘Climate Movement‘ collaboration with Brenna Quinlan, Charlie McGee and Spoonbill.

PA Life member Robyn Francis also used the Facebook donation option recently for her birthday – resulting in the donation aim being met and exceeded well in advance – thanks Robyn and friends!

Says Robyn “For my birthday this year, I’m asking for donations to Permafund. I’ve chosen this charity because their mission means a lot to me, and I hope that you’ll consider contributing as a way of celebrating with me. All donations to this fund are given out as micro-grants to grassroots community projects making a big difference, in Australia and overseas. Every little bit will help me reach my goal – making the world a better place with Earthcare, Peoplecare and Fairshare”.

5. Donation in lieu of presenter fee(s)

PA members Brett and Nici Cooper at Limestone Permaculture completed *lots* of online workshops & events during Covid-19 restrictions – and requested participants to donate to Permafund in lieu of presenter fees – yeah!  A huge thank you for their generous support and to Permaculture Toowoomba, among others, who made a donation in their name too.

“Permafund offers those making a living from permaculture to share the abundance on another level, not unlike sharing produce and knowledge within your community. We may not always have the opportunities or capabilities to assist with projects outside of our region but donating through Permafund, which is part of our Fair Share Ethic, is a way we can help to support those that can. This support assists projects to ‘Care for the Earth’ & ‘Care for People’ & life in general,” Limestone Permaculture

6. Bequests

PA has been fortunate to receive a numbef of bequests which have been gratefully received.  To assist you with leaving a gift in your will to PA, including Permafund, we have compiled suggested wording and information here. Please contact hello@permacultureaustralia.org.au for further information.

Want to know more?

Donations to Permafund over $2 are tax deductible in Australia with donations received supporting projects in Australia and internationally. More information about Permafund can be found here. We are incredibly grateful to all of the generous donors to Permafund throughout the year for their support – thank you.

The Permaculture Principles website has great examples and information about each of the permaculture ethics and principles, including Fair Share. You can also listen below to Not The End by Formidable Vegetable, which represents the ethic Fair Share and is available on the album Grow Do It.