People Inspired By Purpose - Purposely Podcast

Alice Montague joins Purposely to share her journey from fundraiser to philanthropy leader. Alice was appointed CEO of the Clare Foundation in May 2022, following three years leading the Nikau Foundation, one of seventeen community foundations based in New Zealand. Founded in 2020 by entrepreneur Anna Stuck, the Clare Foundation will use a ‘spend down’ approach to giving and plans to donate more than $35 million over a ten-year period to charities and initiatives that match their themes and deliver impact. ‘We have four strategic focus areas, amplifying opportunities for women, youth wellbeing, the environment  and oral health. All areas that Anna is particularly passionate about’ Anna chose the name of the Foundation, inspired by women in her family who all share the same name, she wanted the foundation’s name to provide a legacy. While relatively new into the role Alice is clear about the mission and purpose of the foundation, describing their interest in long term transformative change and the ‘complex world of system change’. The challenge for Alice is that the foundation will only exist for 10 years, or at least that’s the plan. They will look to spend down the funds and deliver positive impact as quickly and as effectively as possible. ‘We are looking at that timeframe and the resources we have, trying to work out where that sweet spot is for us and where we can make the greatest change with the resources we have.’ Alice has worked in the charity sector for the last two decades and this wealth of experience is helping to shape her approach and how her team will carry-out their charitable giving. ‘We plan to be a high trust funder and we want to have good relationships with the organisations and people that we fund’ We look back and delve into the reasons why Alice chose the non-profit sector and why a career focused on purpose was always likely. ‘I had a real strong sense of social justice and wanting to contribute.’ Alice also describes herself as an activist and she is constantly looking at how she can do things differently and bring about lasting change. ‘I was always a bit of an activist, and at 17 I remember standing outside of McDonald's in Northridge (UK), handing out flyers to people about the destruction of the rainforest’ We also discuss leadership; she explains her style as collaborative and how she works hard to get the best from her teams. We also discuss how she approaches her relationships with trustees and governance boards of the charities she leads.  Her ‘honesty first’ approach was particularly evident when she interviewed for the role of Executive Director at the Nikau Foundation. ‘I remember them asking me in my interview, one person said… how long do you think you will be here for? and I responded by saying probably about three to four years. One of the Board members looked horrified and another nodded and said that sounds about right. I said look… I will do everything in my power to achieve what you want in this timeframe’ Alice has held a range of high-profile roles with organisations such as the Red Cross, Experience Wellington, Creative New Zealand and most recently in her role as Executive Director at the Nikau Foundation before taking the reins at the Clare Foundation. Episode sponsor: https://benevity.com/ - Powering purpose driven business 

Frances Benge joins Purposely to share her journey from corporate to nonprofit leadership as CEO of Cure Kids. Frances started her career as a nurse then worked for 30 years in the pharmaceutical sector before being appointed as CEO of Cure Kids in 2015. ‘It wasn't an easy transition, there was a perception that I was this big international bigwig that didn't have any fundraising experience, I had to really prove myself to the team before I think they gave me any credibility’. Frances shares her experience moving from corporate to the charity sector and provides a candid account of the challenges she faced in her first months in the role. ‘Everybody believed in what we were doing, and they were passionate about the cause, but underneath the purpose, there was a lot of dysfunction.’ Did she have any doubts about what she had taken on? At first Frances worried that she may lack the necessary fundraising experience or skills to successfully run a charity. She found her lack of experience ended up being a positive and helped her develop a fresh strategy for the charity. She improved income generation and fundraising capacity and reviewed how the charity used their resources - taking this opportunity to cut costs. ‘We were able to carve at least half a million dollars’ worth of costs, which sounds incredibly mercenary, but at this stage, the balance between our income and our expenses needed urgent attention. I couldn't hand on heart go to donors and say this huge percentage of your donation is going towards operating costs.’ While the move was challenging at times, Frances was able to successfully make the changes and set the charity on a path to success. Despite those initial doubts, she always fundamentally believed that she was in the right role. Established in 1971, Cure Kids is a registered charity that invests millions of dollars every year into child health research. They find cures and better treatments for serious illnesses and health conditions that are affecting children in New Zealand, and around the world. Their work has positively impacted health outcomes for hundreds of thousands of people. These include cystic fibrosis at birth, maternal outcomes (like sleeping on your side in pregnancy), and the prevention of sudden unexpected death in infancy. Cure Kids also advocate for children and children’s health, so that greater resources and focus is placed on services and health outcomes. Frances has developed a strong public voice when it comes to children’s health and regularly speaks to the media, to government and at key events. A good example is how she shone a light on children’s health both during and after the global pandemic. For more than a year, an extraordinary public spotlight has been cast upon the incredible work of health scientists, epidemiologists, and vaccinologists in the face of a global pandemic. While Cure Kids and Frances agreed that this level of focus has been necessary, she stressed that we were not doing enough for children and that this was reflected by poor health outcomes for children, especially in New Zealand where we have some of the worse statistics relating to mortality. ‘I would just love to see New Zealand child health stats be turned around so that we aren’t ashamed of the statistics that we've got. I think the only way that we can do that is by really addressing the core issues that prevent our children from having lived healthy lives with bright futures’ Frances is looking forward to leading Cure Kids into the future and she is determined to ensure better outcomes for children.

Bill Murphy joins Purposely to share his founder story starting Purpose Capital. Originally from Boston Massachusetts, he is an American that calls New Zealand home, having moved here in the 1980’s with his wife Rose, a New Zealander. Based in the Bay of Plenty, on New Zealand’s North Island, Purpose Capital is an investment fund on a mission to drive social and environmental change. Having raised $22 million so far it is described as a collaboration between the New Zealand business, investment, and philanthropic sectors, bringing capital and expertise to find social and environmental solutions. Bill talks about his determination to make a positive difference to Society and the Planet, formed by his diverse life journey. A range of experiences shaped him to go on and play an active leadership role in spreading and growing impact investing.  Before he launched his own investment fund Bill started out as an accountant and also founded Enterprise Angels, helping start-up entrepreneurs. He launched Purpose Capital in 2019 and has plans to grow the fund significantly and create a legacy for future generations. Bill shares details of the fund’s investment in renewable energy, as well as funding circular business models that embrace a sharing economy. Some interesting projects include, build to rent housing for long-term tenants, solar farms to provide renewable energy and iwi-led open ocean aquaculture. Bill is a proponent of Degrowth, a recent phenomenon that provides an alternative approach to ‘growth at all costs’ capitalism. Bill explains its potential benefits to Society and the environment. The relentless search for growth comes at the expense of more important things. As economies grow, consumption grows, and the earth’s resources are depleted more rapidly than ever. Degrowth is the planned reduction of resource consumption and energy use until it reaches a point where our resources can sustain everyone. In the podcast Bill looks back at his early years and explains how his background was never going to fully define him or limit his ambition. ‘I'm an Irish Catholic archetype from Boston, my father was a policeman and my father's two brothers were firemen so joining the civil service was strongly encouraged. But early on I knew that this path was not for me. For a start I went to University, I started doing yoga and meditating and I became a vegetarian when I was hitchhiking out to California.’ Inspired by the cultural revolution happening in the 1960’s Bill travelled from the Northeast of the United States to California. This period of his life had a profound effect on him and would lay the foundations of his approach to life and his desire to bring about change. ‘Seeing the failure of the 60s protest movements to affect real change informed me. A realisation that we weren't going to be able to achieve change through purely political protest means, we needed to change hearts and minds.’ This led him to want to use finance to make significant change. Bill is excited about the future of Purpose Capital and the part they will play in a more sustainable future. While he clearly loves doing what he does he is looking for someone to succeed him ‘eventually’, someone with the right skills and experience and strong sense of purpose.

Camille Socquet-Clerc joins Purposely to share her journey from digital marketing executive to green investment entrepreneur. Camille, along with Bertrand Caron, are the founders of BLOOM, an online platform helping Australian investors make a financial return and a positive difference to the environment. Camille and Bertrand are also husband and wife, recently returning home to France to tie the knot following the launch of the company. Launched in 2022, BLOOM provides people access to a diverse range of climate solution investments. These include solar and wind farms, energy storage, plus previously difficult-to-access assets like unlisted alternatives, green bonds, clean energy loans and infrastructure projects. Their vision is to make climate investing easy and accessible to all Australians, so that they can own and benefit from the clean energy transition. 'We're dreaming about a world where a carbon free economy allows both people and the planet to thrive.' Camille started work on BLOOM in her spare time in 2019, predominately a side hustle to start with, she describes the different stages of development. This included coming up with the idea, really falling in love with the problem and carrying out research. She diligently studied reports about climate finance, understanding the potential problems and solutions. They formed a community of would-be investors, people who pledged a total of $3 million purely based on the concept.  Amazingly this all happened in less than six months and gave them the confidence to build the platform and take the first steps to applying for a license. Two years on BLOOM has three full time employees, one part time investment manager, an investment committee as well as advisors and mentors. They have close to 200 customers who have invested over $1.6 million AUD and they are now in the running for several industry awards. ' 'I would read about how clean tech was performing and what companies were driving this new sector. I then started to formulate the solution, I interviewed people and did a lot of customer research.' The launch of BLOOM hasn't been straight forward though, with volatile financial markets and the value of green investments hit by the effects of the pandemic and geopolitical events including the war in Ukraine. Despite the challenging financial situation BLOOM has performed better than their benchmark in the short term. Camille, however, is quick to point out that investing with them is a long-term proposition with investors balancing purpose, positive climate impact as well as making a return on their capital. ‘We state very clearly that our investment horizon is seven years because that's how long we believe it will take for the companies and sectors we invest in to deliver impact and positive change' Incredibly, neither Camille or Bertrand had any prior experience working in investment or finance and they learnt on the job. They moved from France, adjusted to living in a foreign land and learnt a new language and culture. Camille is the CEO of start-up and Bertrand is the technology lead. 'I think Australia is a wonderful country, one of the wealthiest countries in the world and somewhere that can have a significant impact on positive climate action.' Camille and Bertrand have been together for over a decade and Camille points to the benefits of launching a company with someone you love, including their ability to communicate effectively, a deep understanding of each other and real trust. 'Overall it is great to be in business together, however, it raises some questions around boundaries. How do we maintain a healthy relationship outside of work?! How do we make time for us as a couple?! Sometimes we worked too hard, and we didn't have enough boundaries when we started.' Exciting times for these two green entrepreneurs!

End of Year Wrap - Episode 119 ­Taking a break from our normal interview format for the latest episode of Purposely and sharing a few insights from our guests. These include; the power of purpose and defining your personal mission The importance of non-linear careers as well as diverse experiences The great post pandemic re-set, purpose first! In 2022  we published 48 episodes with listeners tuning in from across the globe. The first interview of the year was with the CEO of the Wolfson Foundation Paul Ramsbottom OBE in the UK and the last with philanthropy doyenne Jenny Gill who is on the Boards of Vodafone NZ and MAS foundations as well as Prince’s Trust. Our episodes are published weekly (every Monday) along with a related blog (on www.purposelypodcast.com) and newsletter. Massive thank you for listening and sharing, please do not hesitate to reach out if you know someone who would be a good fit for Purposely and don’t forget to hit subscribe on whatever platform you are listening! All the best from Mark & Jon - Team Purposely Sponsors: Benevity https://bit.ly/3k4FTE2 The Giving Department https://bit.ly/3KdYWWU

Jenny Gill joins Purposely to share her career journey leading New Zealand’s largest and most respected charitable foundations as CEO, advisor and Board member. Jenny is one of the pioneers of philanthropy in New Zealand, from her first role in the eighties to now she has led the way for wealthy and generous individuals, foundations and companies, helping them to give more effectively and ensure they make a positive and lasting difference. In 1985 Jenny took on her first role in philanthropy as Executive Director of a private foundation to give away all of its funds over a set period of time. A fairly rare phenomenon in the eighties this type of philanthropy is described as ‘spend down’. The theory being that you donate all of the money you have to a good cause/s as quickly as possible to ensure you make a transformative difference as fast as possible. The organisation or the Foundation is merely a means to an end to deliver effective philanthropy during a specific time period. The Roy McKenzie Foundation with Jenny at the helm donated a total of $7 million over 9 years. “I went to meet him in his office in Wellington and I came out with a job offer, with no job description, no discussion about salary (however) an agreement that I would start work the next day. Well, I went to his office the next day and he handed me a blank pad of paper, a pencil, a copy of the trust deed, a check for a million dollars and said okay, let's go” Jenny describes the role she had as her becoming a ‘philanthrocrat’, a profession helping the generous and wealthy to give effectively and efficiently, in fact she was one of the very first professionals working in this way in New Zealand. Jenny continued to play an instrumental role in philanthropy and in 1990 Jenny and Roy used their experience to start the Association of Grant Givers (now Philanthropy New Zealand). Based on similar organisations overseas it helps to encourage others to give and provides a forum for individuals and organisations to share their experiences with others. Sharing know how and experience at the same time helping people to collaborate on projects to have greater impact. Roy McKenzie was the only surviving son of John McKenzie, two members of one of New Zealand’s richest and most generous families. They owned a chain of general stores in Australia and New Zealand before they were taken over by LD Nathan in 1980. The funds they have donated to good causes over the years come from the wealth generated by those stores as well as through investment firm Rangatira Ltd which was founded in 1937. In 2004 Jenny moved further north to Auckland to take on the role of CEO of Foundation North, known then as the ASB Charitable Foundation it is the largest of the 12 community foundations in New Zealand with almost $3 billion in an endowment with the interest benefitting people and causes in Auckland and across Northland. Jenny and her team were responsible for granting over $50 million to good causes on an annual basis. Jenny enjoyed 16 successful years in charge of Foundation North, deciding to step down in 2019 to spend more time with her family. This proceeded the arrival of the global pandemic and a crucial period for all funders as they responded to the crisis. This was certainly the case for Foundation North and the other community trusts as they responded to COVID-19 and the significant impact the pandemic was having on people living in poverty and on the margins. Jenny talks about being less optimistic these days compared the 'heady days of the 70's' particularly around the effects of climate change and what this will mean for her five grand children. Pointing out that it is much harder for individuals to influence meaningful change compared to past generations. As Jenny's attention shifts to the future of philanthropy and charitable giving she makes it clear that she would like to see more philanthropic money going into addressing climate change and environmental

Kate Markey joined Purposely to share her career journey, becoming one of the most talented and respected leaders in the UK charity sector. As CEO of the London Community Foundation (LCF) she has led the philanthropic response to two major disasters.  Kate led the foundation in the aftermath of the Grenfell Tower fire and through COVID-19, playing a key role in raising and deploying millions of pounds of vital funds, ‘I am so proud of our response and our ability to get donated money to the right causes and people’. We explore Kate's career path and her motivation for swapping journalism for leadership roles, those in the ‘for purpose’ sector. Kate cites her parents as an inspiration, in particular her late mother as a reason why she dedicated her professional life to purpose. ‘I was brought up with a real sense that how I choose to live life will have a positive impact on society’ Kate’s mother had experienced kidney failure as a teenager, but despite the health challenges, she went on to be a parent and have a successful teaching career, eventually becoming a deputy head teacher. ‘The example my mother set made it very clear that we are put on this earth to make a difference’ Kate developed a love for storytelling and the power it has to motivate people to act. A love she developed during her early career as a journalist. As editor of her university newspaper and then as editor of The Big Issue she realised the power it had to influence people to do good. Born in Liverpool Kate went to her home university so that she would be close to her home and her mother. Studying a Bachelor of Arts in communication Kate went on to mainstream journalism and then a career as a social entrepreneur and nonprofit leader. Kate travelled, spending a year living in Venezuela and then developed a love for London. This would see her eventually taking on the role of CEO of the Cities Community Foundation. Kate was first choice for the role based on her unique skills and experience. ‘What excited me about the foundation is the unique role it plays. We are not like traditional foundations, we have an entrepreneurial and ‘fleet of foot’ approach to making a difference’ As we look to the future Kate is keen to understand more about giving in the capital. Specifically how much is donated by Londoners but ends up leaving the city, either by individuals or businesses versus how much stays in the capital to do good. Kate pays tribute to her team and points to their brilliance as the main reason for her success as a leader. ‘I really believe in my team, they have dealt extremely well with every challenge thrown their way in a professional way and with empathy’. LCF is one of 47 community foundations in the UK. Combined they have an endowment of £500 million, they perform the role of fundraiser and grant maker. Originally a North American phenomenon Community Foundations are connectors between local philanthropy and community needs and opportunities. Many convene impactful projects and all are building long-term, reliable funding streams for their local communities by investing and growing the gifts they receive.

Welcoming Maria Ramsay to Purposely to share her career journey from nurse to non-profit leader. Maria shares her innovative approach to philanthropy and the evolution of the Toi Foundation under her leadership. Maria joined the Toi Foundation in 2006, appointed as manager to what was known as the TSB Community Trust. The organisation had evolved from the community bank as one of 12 trusts formed in the 1980's with the aim of supporting communities.  Like many trusts at the time, Toi relied on a transactional and passive approach to grant making. They were often characterised by invisible grant committees approving funding applications behind closed doors, with a simple letter to the unsuccessful applicants.    'This organisation has evolved so much, we've gone from two employees to sixteen, we now have a huge connection into our community that just didn't exist previously. We didn't have very strong relationships with Maori and local iwi, mainly because we just weren't engaging - we do now.'   'While we still fund in a traditional 'mail box' philanthropy way by supporting small grassroots organisations across the region we have evolved and we now do a lot more strategic grant making'.   The change in approach followed an assessment of needs that existed across the region, with a bigger focus on helping people on the margins of society. Maria and the Board hired an external company to carry out some independent research and this lay the foundation for a new strategy and a new way of working. One that was much more focused on working with the community rather than just delivering grants in a passive removed way. The Trust identified those who were in most need of their financial support.    Maria describes the move away from a 'master and servant model' to something very different that she believes will bring about social positive and lasting change. ' It's about walking alongside an organisation and being prepared to fund them over multiple years if required. We will look to form a truly authentic and trusted relationship with the organisation doing the work.' Maria also talks about the move to community building that is becoming more common amongst the 12 community trusts in New Zealand. 'We increasingly look to help with capacity and capability building as well as the service delivery.   Their latest giving initiatives are both intentional as well as strategic; including supporting children in their first 1,000 days of life as well as a participatory form of philanthropy and community support.   'On that theme of engaging with the local community, we will allocate some funds and bring together a group of people to advise and help design a solution to an issue or a problem. The big difference is that they will be the decision makers, so if in the example it is a committee of young people, they will decide what is best for them. So it's about power sharing, really, and putting that back into the hands of the community. They also focus on the environment as stated in their new strategy. 'Supporting the protection, care and resilience of our natural environment to ensure the long-term survival and care of Taranaki whenua.' What is a Community Trust? Ostensibly they are grant making charities that exist to help communities thrive. There are 12 of them across New Zealand covering all regions country including Toi Foundation which covers Taranaki, most western part of the North Island. Combined  they have assets of approximately $3.9 billion and make grants for the benefit of their local communities of over $100 million each year.

Josh Hickford joins Purposely to share his story from chartered accountant to app creating cancer survivor and foundation leader. Taranaki, where Josh was born, is on the western side of New Zealand’s North Island. Set on the coast, it has a strong farming industry alongside a talented creative fraternity with its fair share of artists and galleries. Its people are generous and community minded and inspired by the work of a worldwide network of community foundations, the founding trustees wanted to create an endowment for the region and boost charitable giving locally. Established in 2016 as the Te Karaka Foundation the Board were looking to hire their first CEO in the middle of 2020, someone who would connect with people locally and work with them to superpower the foundation. Enter Taranaki born and bred Josh, a chartered accountant and social entrepreneur, Josh was encouraged to apply for the role by his wife citing his passion for the region as well as his recent experiences of doing good. Josh was the co-founder of Ripple, an online platform that helps to facilitate tailored support for people with cancer. Shortlisted for ‘New Zealander of the Year’, Josh was diagnosed with Hodgkins Lymphoma in 2017, it was his own cancer experience that inspired him to set up the platform. ‘I didn't come across anyone my age with same type of cancer. I also wanted to help those sitting alongside the person with cancer who often get forgotten or don’t receive the support they need’. Five years on from his cancer diagnosis Josh was given a clean bill of health. During those years Josh kept pushing his boundaries, entering ironman competitions and featuring on the New Zealand version of the hit reality series Survivor. He applied for the role of CEO of the Te Karaka Foundation. ‘I didn't really have a background in charity apart from the Cancer Society. I've been a chartered accountant, but the whole purpose and why of the job just aligned so much with what I'm about. It was vital that I was able to get in front of the trustees and share my passion’. Bravely Josh delivered some ‘home truths’ to the trustees at the interview and this has led to the rebranding of the Foundation, from Te Karaka to Taranki, a name they believe connects well with the people of the region. ‘I paused and took a deep breath and I told them that the website was pretty mediocre and that the branding was confusing and not that inspiring, but that there was a big opportunity to flip that around and really ramp it up and go from there! What followed was silence and a pause but thankfully the trustees agreed. Everyone just probably relaxed a little bit after that as well and they gave me the role.’ The Foundation is embracing its new vision and looking forward to attracting more philanthropic funds to support the communities of Taranaki.

Ryan Modjeski, Executive Director of Empatico, shares his inspiring journey from creating educational technology at UNICEF to leading a non-profit that fosters global friendships among children. He discusses Empatico's mission to bridge cultural divides through virtual exchanges, highlighting the importance of empathy and understanding. Ryan reflects on his unique path, merging his background in creative writing and gaming to create impactful educational initiatives. His passion for connecting children worldwide underscores the vital role of empathy in building a better future.