People Inspired By Purpose - Purposely Podcast

Welcoming Catherine Ind Head of the St. James's Place Charitable Foundation to Purposely where she shares their charitable mission as well as her personal journey. Catherine's career path took an unconventional route, starting as a ski resort representative in France before transitioning to charity fundraising, ultimately leading to her current role at the helm of one of the UK's largest corporate foundations.   A proud Northerner Catherine, originally from Burnley now resides in the Cotswolds living minutes from the St. James's Place Headquarters. After earning an honours degree in business from De Montfort University in London, Catherine started in PR and marketing before transitioning to charity fundraising. Her experience includes roles at Meningitis Trust and a three-year stint at children's grief charity Winston's Wish, where she also served as acting CEO for a year.   Since its establishment in 1992 by SJP founders Mike Wilson and Sir Mark Weinberg, the St. James's Place (SJP) Charitable Foundation has become one of the leading corporate foundations in the UK. Over three decades, it has donated more than £130 million to hundreds of worthy causes, supporting transformational change in lives across the UK and overseas.   Appointed as Head of the Foundation in 2018, Catherine brings both expertise and passion to her role. In her Purposely Podcast conversation, she offers valuable insights into the Foundation's unique model and its far-reaching impact.   The SJP Charitable Foundation concentrates its efforts on four core areas: supporting disadvantaged children and young people, hospices, cancer support charities, and mental health. What distinguishes it from other corporate foundations is its deep integration with the company culture. As Catherine explains, "Unlike other corporate foundations, it's not an endowment fund. It's very much an integrated part of the business." This integration is evident in the remarkable participation of SJP's community of over 10,000 partners and employees. An impressive 80% contribute through regular payroll giving, accounting for a third of the Foundation's annual income. This collective approach has enabled the Foundation to directly support 3.5 million people, with 66% reporting substantial or transformative change in their lives.   The Foundation's success stems from its ability to harness the collective power of the SJP community. From company-wide fundraising events to skills-based volunteering, it fosters a shared sense of purpose that extends beyond financial contributions. Catherine emphasises the importance of this approach: "By pooling those monies, we can really invest in some smaller charities who are phenomenal, those grassroots charities that we all know in wherever we live."   Under Catherine's leadership, the Foundation continues to evolve, adapting to changing needs while remaining true to its core mission. The team focuses on maximising impact through multi-year funding, supporting core costs, and maintaining open dialogues with grantees. Recent evaluations show that 79% of beneficiaries report substantive or transformative change, a testament to the effectiveness of their approach.   Case Study: The Foundation's Support of Onside Youth Zones   One shining example of the Foundation's impactful work is its support of Onside Youth Zones. Catherine shares her enthusiasm for this partnership:   "Onside are really transforming youth provision in communities and disadvantaged communities. Us partnering with them to really help them deliver their goal, which is to have a youth zone in all communities across the UK, we are seeing absolutely that transformation, changing lives for the better for the youngsters who use these facilities."   Jamie Masraff, CEO of Onside Youth Zones and a previous guest on Purposely (Episode #151: 'Stepping up to the role of CEO')

Welcome to Purposely SHORT, a weekly episode, featuring one of our friends or past guests and their expertise on a certain topic. This weeks episode features Denise Cosgrove CEO of Selwyn Foundation.

Welcome to Purposely SHORT, a weekly episode, featuring one of our friends or past guests and their expertise on a certain topic. This weeks episode features Yann Roux CEO of Disability Sport Auckland, discussing leadership his passion for disability sport.

Welcoming Stephanie Wheen CEO & founder of Gympanzees to Purposely Podcast where she shares her founder story as well as life journey. ‘How her relationship with her brother and the challenges faced by her physio clients led her to start a charity. Gympanzees provide play and exercise for disabled children. ‘Founder journey, overcoming the challenges to provide play, exercise and fun for disabled children’, Listen here: www.purposelypodcast.com and Apple Podcast, Spotify as well as all other platforms

Welcome to Purposely SHORT, a weekly episode, featuring one of our friends or past guests and their expertise on a certain topic. This weeks episode features Thomas Smith CEO of Halberg Foundation discussing his approach to leadership and his passion for sport and helping people disabilities to reach their full potential through sport.

Welcoming Ben Horwitz to Purposely where he shares his 'for purpose' founder story as well as his life journey. Ben and his co-founder Reed Rosenbluth started Causeway in 2022, an online platform aimed at revolutionising charitable giving. Causeway allowed users to create personalised giving portfolios, like exchange-traded funds in the investment world. This approach made it easier for individuals to support multiple causes with minimal effort, even with small monthly contributions. The platform enabled impactful micro-donations, facilitated the flow of funds from donor-advised funds, and simplified the decision-making process for donors.   Ben and Reed bootstrapped Causeway, intentionally avoiding venture capital to maintain their focus on social impact rather than rapid growth. Their commitment to solving real problems for a dedicated user base paid off when Charity Navigator, America's largest nonprofit rating platform, acquired Causeway in 2023. The acquisition transferred Causeway's intellectual property and other assets, including its brand, to Charity Navigator. This merger was made possible through generous support from the O'Shea Family Foundation and an anonymous donor.   Now serving as VP of Business Development & New Ventures at Charity Navigator, Horwitz continues to pursue his mission of making impactful giving easier for all. Charity Navigator evaluates over 220,000 nonprofits across four key areas: impact and results, leadership and adaptability, culture and community, and accountability and finance. The platform provides free access to this information, helping donors make informed decisions about their charitable contributions.   In his role, Horwitz is focused on exploring new revenue opportunities, fundraising, and product development. His immediate priorities include growing Charity Navigator's API, exploring corporate giving initiatives, and expanding list-based giving options. Horwitz's philosophy that "You don't need a million dollars to make a difference; $5 can also make a difference" drives both his work and the mission of Charity Navigator. Ben has had a mesmeric journey from startup founder to a key player in America's largest charity evaluator. Ben and his co founder Reed have gone a long way to show the potential for tech-driven solutions to address social challenges and improve philanthropy. ABOUT CHARITY NAVIGATOR Founded in 2002, Charity Navigator is a 501(c)(3) organization that guides intelligent giving with the nation's largest, most comprehensive charity evaluation tool. The organization helps donors easily identify U.S.-registered charities making a difference on the issues they care about most while helping charities better understand their donors, deliver on impact, and increase awareness and funding. Learn more at charitynavigator.org.

Welcome to Purposely SHORT, a weekly episode, featuring one of our friends or past guests and their expertise on a certain topic. This weeks episode features Jon Tanner founder of Coach for Life Foundation discussing his love for sport, and the import role coaches play in helping people reach their potential in sport and in life.

Welcoming Rahul Watson Govindan, CEO of Philanthropy New Zealand, to Purposely where he shares his organisation's mission to inspire generosity and grow and celebrate effective giving across New Zealand. A membership organisation representing philanthropists and foundations, they bring people together to learn and to collaborate with each other. Rahul's journey to New Zealand began with what he calls "the scam that brought me to New Zealand." Born in Kerala, India, Rahul spent his early years traveling the world due to his father's job with a multinational corporate. At age four, he faced the prospect of taking a scholarship exam for an English-medium school in India, which would have set him on a path for international opportunities. However, just as he passed the exam, his father was transferred to New Zealand. Initially reluctant to leave, young Rahul's mind was changed by a postcard showcasing New Zealand's natural beauty and the promise of seeing the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra perform in a golden glow amidst emerald green native bush. This idealised image sparked his excitement for the move, though he notes that to this day, he has yet to see the orchestra perform in such a setting! After initially settling in Whanganui, Rahul's family moved to Wellington, where he attended Victoria University, completing a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Political Science. His early years in 1980s New Zealand were challenging as he adjusted to the cultural differences, but he remains acutely aware of the privileges this move afforded him compared to the poverty many of his family members in India experienced. With nearly three decades of global work experience, Rahul has worked with Fortune 500 companies, SMEs, public sector organisations, and Not-For-Profits. He is the co-founder of five companies in three different countries and is a globally recognized strategy and governance professional. In his role at Philanthropy New Zealand, Rahul is inspired by the volume, depth, and breadth of amazing work being done in New Zealand communities by everyday citizens. Rahul envisions a future where the various missions of philanthropic organisations are united to create a comprehensive vision for Aotearoa. This vision encompasses areas such as sustainable food production, environmental conservation, healthcare, education, and the arts. He aims to inspire hope and positivity by showcasing the collective impact of the $4 billion annually invested in these initiatives. Ultimately, Rahul's goal is to participate in creating a future for New Zealand that everyone can be proud of and aspire to, one that he can proudly hand over to his two sons. With a touch of humour and humility, he reminds us that while individuals may not be special, the collective work we do can be truly impactful and transformative.

Welcome to Purposely SHORT, a weekly episode, featuring one of our friends or past guests and their expertise on a certain topic. This weeks episode features Helen Robinson CEO & City Missioner discussing her approach to leadership as well as purpose.

Welcoming Denise Cosgrove, CEO of Selwyn Foundation, to Purposely where she shares her organisation's mission to help vulnerable older people as well as her career and life journey. Denise's leadership journey began early, as she navigated a successful career while raising two daughters as a young single mother. Theonly one of six siblings to attend university, Denise ventured to Otago University in New Zealand's South Island. There, she discovered a passion for acting and debating, which she credits for building the confidence that would later serve her well in business leadership roles. Denise maintains a strong commitment to health and wellness, exercising twice daily, abstaining from alcohol, and following a clean eating regimen. Her career has spanned corporate, public, and charitable sectors in both New Zealand and Australia. In October 2022, Denise took the helm of The Selwyn Foundation, a well-established provider of retirement villages and aged care services in New Zealand. This appointment coincided with a significant shift in the Foundation's operational model, aimed at better supporting vulnerable elderly populations nationwide. Central to this transformation was the sale of a substantial portion of the Foundation's retirement village capacity, including six villages and a commercial laundry. The proceeds from this sale, amounting to $200 million, formed an endowment fund that will enable the Foundation to dramatically increase its charitable giving. Under Denise's leadership, the Foundation has set an ambitious goal of $100 million in charitable contributions over the next decade. This expanded support will reach beyond their retirement villages into the wider community, addressing critical issues affecting older people such as loneliness, social isolation, financial hardship, and lack of affordable housing. The organisation is committed to incorporating Tikanga Māori, Tikanga Pasifika, and Tikanga Pakeha principles to ensure culturally appropriate support. While divesting some retirement village operations, the Foundation has retained ownership of its historic Selwyn Village in Auckland and Hansen Close in Birkenhead, continuing to provide innovative and affordable housing solutions for seniors. Looking forward, the Selwyn Foundation aims to establish new partnerships targeting high-risk communities, including Māori and Pasifika populations. They also plan to leverage their expertise to influence policy decisions and advocate for issues crucial to older people's wellbeing. Denise's impressive leadership career spans over three decades, with extensive CEO experience in large, complex operational businesses across New Zealand and Australia. Her focus has consistently been on achieving both social and commercial outcomes in the government and not-for-profit sectors. Prior to joining Selwyn Foundation, Denise served as CEO of Presbyterian Support Northern (PSN) for five years, overseeing social, health, and disability services in New Zealand's upper North Island, including well-known brands such as Lifeline, Shine, Family Works, and Enliven. Beyond her executive responsibilities, Denise serves on the boards of various NGOs and social enterprises. She is also a passionate advocate for New Zealand's contemporary art and design sector, with a particular interest in fostering new and emerging talent.