People Inspired By Purpose - Purposely Podcast

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.

Bill Kermode joins Purposely to share his story as inaugural CEO of the NEXT Foundation. His mission to give away a hundred million dollar fortune on behalf of a family committed to making a positive and lasting difference to the planet and people of New Zealand. NEXT is a privately funded charitable foundation which is relatively unique for New Zealand. Rather than being a long-lasting foundation, set up to exist forever using an endowment model, NEXT has a mandate to ‘spend down’ $100 million over 10 years. The money is committed to environmental and educational projects that will benefit future generations of New Zealanders. Bill has led NEXT’s investments as well as providing guidance to the previous philanthropic commitments made by Neal and Annette Plowman. 'They had an ambition for NEXT to leave a legacy of environmental and Educational Excellence for the benefit of future generations of New Zealanders. They wanted to show a way of giving that they hoped would be a model that some others would choose to follow'. The Plowmans made their fortune from a laundry business, founded in 1910 by George Plowman. They successfully grew the business and listed it on the New Zealand Stock Exchange, before privatising the company in 1986, and selling to US firm Alsco in 1998. Bill was appointed NEXT CEO in 2014 by the NEXT Board chaired by Chris Liddell, a successful businessman and advisor to the Plowmans. Bill spent the previous two decades as a founding Director of Direct Capital, New Zealand’s most experienced private company investor, and Director of a number of private companies, including Ryman Healthcare, PF Olsen, NZ Pharmaceuticals, and EziBuy. We discuss Bills move from the investment sector to philanthropy running a charitable foundation and the differences between the two worlds. ‘The biggest difference is around evaluation and measurement, knowing whether you're contributing and making a difference. In the commercial and financial world, there are well established norms and ways of measuring success. However, in the ‘for purpose sector’ it is not so clear and not so clearly defined.’ 2024 will see the end of the ten-year giving term, with currently 80% of the $100 million committed to a number of initiatives and causes focused on the environment and education. We discuss what next for the Plowmans philanthropy and what next for Bill himself. ‘The Plowmans plan to continue their giving and the next iteration of the foundation will be focused specifically on the environment - although I will not lead this, instead I will focus my efforts on the development of a Centre of Strategic Philanthropy.’ Bill and the NEXT team have had approaches from others wanting to learn from their journey and he describes how they have always tried to be supportive of others’ giving.This has led Bill and his team to launch the Centre for Strategic Philanthropy aimed at complementing the work of Philanthropy New Zealand. Helping New Zealand individuals, organisations and families who ‘want to do their giving in a strategic or a business-like way’. ‘It's about bringing likeminded people together to explore how they can make a significant difference to the issues they are passionate about with the potential to collaborate or if not then learn from each other and experts.’ In his spare time, Bill was also the Director of the Edmund Hillary Fellowship from 2016 until 2020, offering global social change-makers a path to New Zealand citizenship through New Zealand’s Global Impact Visa. He is currently Chairman of the Palmerston North BHS Educational Foundation Trust, and a graduate of Massey and Oxford Universities.

Podcaster, author and comedian Rhea Wong joins Purposely to share her fascinating story. Rhea Wong grew up in the Bay Area of San Francisco, relocating to the East Coast of America to start her first non-profit leadership role at 26. Thrown in at the deep end, without experience, Rhea had to learn fast. 'I was like, what? My first two Google searches in the job were, ‘what does an executive director do?’ and the second was, ‘how to fundraise’. I like that I was that clueless.' Fast forward to today, Rhea is one of the leading voices on fundraising for non-profits globally. Her teaching focuses on developing the right mindset, rather than just teaching income generation tactics. Rhea has caught the attention of the fundraising sector for her insightful thinking around mindset, in particular her theory on 'scarcity and abundance' as a common block for any non-profit fundraiser. 'When we come from a place of confidence and expectation that there is enough money out there for us to do our work, and to feel the change that we've seen in the world, we operate on a different level' At first Rhea struggled with fundraising, she was good at it but found it 'joyless'. She examined the mental blocks and negative outlook to try and understand her resistance to fundraising . Rhea reflected on her childhood experiences around money and charity. She remembers vividly an experience that helped shape her, ' I gave a homeless guy a quarter in front of my father and he goes, Oh, so you're so rich. now you can just give money away.' The moment impacting her psyche deeply, the idea that money is scarce and that we have to hold on to it and guard it. Her grandparent’s experience leaving communist China and arriving in the United States with very little money had a significant impact on her parent’s mindset. This had also shaped her own outlook to giving and charity. 'Money stood for stability and security, because that's what they needed when they came to this country, all they had was $20 in their pocket when they arrived.' Over time and following a period of reflection and introspection Rhea developed a for her profession, the joy of making the ask and raising vital funds for good causes started to make sense. This clarity led her on a new career path, from being a fundraiser herself to helping others be better fundraisers. Rhea shares her move from non-profit executive to launching her own business helping others to reach their full potential as fundraisers. Rhea works with individuals and organisations, and she has particular expertise in institutional, corporate and major donor fundraising. Importantly she knows what it’s like to be a successful fundraiser herself raising millions for good causes and she is well placed to coach and advise others. In 2022 Rhea Wong published the book 'Get That Money! The No B******t Guide To Raising More Money For Your Non-Profit'. The book, despite its relatively racy headline, is focused on the importance of relationship-based fundraising and the antithesis of the transactional approach so often used. 'The name of the book was really about getting people's attention. I think it's very aligned with my brand which is pretty irreverent. I'm not a very formal person and I like to make jokes, obviously. I like to not take it so seriously. But it is about how do you really build relationships such that you can get that money honey?' Rhea has also published over 200 episodes of her Podcast Non-profit Lowdown reviewing and recommending the best ideas, resources, tools and tricks to run a non-profit, using her own lived experiences as well as her guests. We delve into her approach to work, her confidence, her drive and how she doesn't take herself too seriously.

‘Wild card hire’, balancing legacy and a focus on the future, Sufina Ahmad MBE, Director John Ellerman Foundation Sufina Ahmad MBE joins Purposely to share her story and her role at the John Ellerman Foundation. John Ellerman was a 20th century shipping magnate and was once the richest person in the United Kingdom. When he died, he left his £35 million fortune, (£1.5 billion in today’s terms) to his two children, John and Winifred. It was his son John who, despite his intense shyness and private demeanour, decided that the family would create a legacy and deliver impact through more formalised philanthropy. Following wildly different pursuits to his father, John Jr. was a renowned zoologist specialising in the study of rodents. He put a significant amount of money into trust in 1971, a move aimed at making a difference to society and the environment. John Jr. died two years later however, the funds were made available through two charitable trusts. The trusts did not carry the family name and were administered by the City of London Corporate under the name Moorgate. Fast forward to today and the two trusts have been merged into a single entity - a charitable foundation named the John Ellerman Foundation. The broad themes haven’t changed much from inception but the look and feel of the foundation most definitely has. Rather than being hidden away and private, it is in full view of the public. The Foundation has a website, celebrates its heritage, and favours an open brand of ‘relational philanthropy’ that may not have entirely suited its private founder. Today, the foundation is a charity led by a volunteer trustee board made up of qualified men and women who represent a cross sector of society. On a day-to-day basis the foundation is run by a highly respected charity exponent Sufina Ahmad. Sufina, a young, thoughtful and innovative charity leader is in many ways the antitheses of the shy founder. Instead, she is open and willing to share her journey and that of the foundation. As a Muslim and daughter of Indian immigrants she is fully aware that her selection as Director of a foundation was not predictable. In 2019, a few months prior to the COVID pandemic, Sufina Ahmad beat off competition from three hundred other candidates to land the role of Director of the Foundation. ‘The recruiter described me as a wild card, akin to a wildcard at Wimbledon, based on my race, age and gender. I was fortunate that the trustees were open to first time CEO’s or directors and bringing someone in who had potential rather than the exact same experience in another organisation’ While embracing the Foundation’s heritage Sufina talks about ensuring its relevance and delivering impact through their support of modern-day issues and causes. Despite only being with the Foundation for a short period Sufina has led the development of the new strategy as well as a restructure of the organisation. She is continuing that theme of openness and a willingness to share the foundation’s recent journey and approach. Sufina credits the whole team for its efforts during COVID-19, they all, including the Trustees, played a crucial role in adapting their giving to the significant need at the time of crisis. Sufina’s own leadership through these tough times saw her awarded an MBE. ‘There were different points in various lock downs, where I just had those moments of thinking, are we doing enough? Are we being effective enough? Are we doing the right thing at a time when there is no clear route map that tells you if you are. I look back now. And I think that we were affective during that time’ Sufina is positive about the foundation’s future and her role in it. ‘There are lots of things making me smile right now, a new team and new structure and we are developing and evolving our approach to grant making through the different strategic strands of work. I can’t wait to get really stuck in and seeing where John Ellerman Foundation can go next.’

Brianne West joins Purposely to share her founder story starting Ethique and most recently the Ethique Foundation. Ethique is a for-profit company, driven by purpose. A highly successful beauty and lifestyle brand with products sold in 22 countries and a valuation of over $100 million - a real success story. However, talking with Brianne, it is clear it that profit is not the only metric they use to judge their success. As one of New Zealand’s founding B Corps, the company is living wage accredited, works with cooperatives around the world to source ingredients and donates 20% of profit to charity. Brianne and the Ethique team put even more value on how they impact people and the planet. Brianne loves the products she creates but is very clear that having a positive impact is her primary motivation, ‘I truly believe we can have a healthy, beautiful and awe-inspiring environment, with fairly shared equity amongst all, sustainable economic growth and that no one needs to be left behind. We just need to do things a little differently.’ Founded in 2012 from Brianne’s kitchen table, Ethique, initially named Sorbet, was the result of her entrepreneurial curiosity, an understanding of science plus learnings from some failed start-ups… including a Pet Detective Business she set up as a child. Originally from the Isle of Man in the UK, Brianne and her family migrated to New Zealand in the mid-nineties. Brianne talks about a happy childhood and loving parents although things just didn’t click for her at school, ‘I was good at doing just enough to get by’ pointing to her dislike of maths, a subject she despised, but something that made more sense to her later in life. Fast forward to her 20’s and while she was studying towards a science degree, Brianne started to focus on particular issues, important issues that she could solve that might also present a business opportunity. She had a real focus on plastic and the damage it was causing to the environment. The other was the significant amounts of water found in our bathrooms in the likes of shampoo, conditioners, moisturisers, household cleaners and cosmetics, which are usually 60-95% water. Ethique was born and Brianne started to think about the possibility of making these products solid and simply sending the active ingredients direct to consumers, removing the plastic containers. ‘My first solid products were formulated in my kitchen, along with the idea of helping eliminate plastic from the global beauty industry. The overarching goal is to put a bar in every shower and to change consumers' behaviour’. ‍ Brianne is best known for being a successful ‘for purpose entrepreneur’ , however, she also describes herself as an, ‘animal-obsessed, science-loving scuba diver with a love for exploring slightly unusual places’.  Brianne is also straight talking, willing to share her time and resources and is committed to helping other entrepreneurs who share the same values. A promise she has delivered on in is the formation of the Ethique charitable Foundation, which will  make donations on behalf of the company to organisations that make a positive and lasting difference to people and the planet. Over the next four years the Ethique Foundation aims to donate $10 million to support regenerative business practices and ‘ help those with outstanding, scalable ideas create the change we need’.  A key part of the strategy is the launch of the Ethique Fellowship, it will support conservation and rewilding efforts and will work with organisations to support biodiversity and champion those defending indigenous peoples rights. Since its beginnings in 2012, the company has donated at least 2% of annual sales to non-profit organisations protecting animal welfare, and biodiversity, and promoting conservation and human rights around the globe. Ethique is proof that this is possible.

Kelvyn Eglinton joins Purposely to share his leadership journey, straddling sport and community sectors alongside corporate and government. Kelvyn thrives in pressure situations, adept at sensitively working with groups of people who do not necessarily share the same views and carefully managing high stake situations. Kelvyn points to his ability to empathise with other people's perspectives. He works hard to truly listen to their side of the story, the fears they may have in any given situation.  He has significant experience working through conflict to find resolution for business and social outcomes. A unique capability to navigate complex governance, management and political relationships and retain stakeholders at the table progressing on issues. Kelvyn has had a wide-ranging career that has included international mining, local government, urban growth strategy, central government roles and the sport industry provide a platform to showcase these skills. ​We explore Kelvyn's approach to life and how his upbringing helped shape who he is today. He lives by his Dad's advice,  "If you can shake hands and laugh with the workers and the Mayor in the same day, you will do well in this world." We go deep into his current role as CEO of Momentum Waikato, co-ordinating generous donors with transformative projects. Kelvyn has played an instrumental role in raising the funds for a new theatre project in Hamilton. Beyond just raising the funds, more than $80 million, he has coordinated all stakeholders in the project to ensure that everyone is in agreement with the plans and the whole community will benefit. Before returning to NZ, Kelvyn was the Chief of Staff in the Jakarta office for Newmont Mining Corporation and oversaw the renegotiation of the contract of work with the Government of Indonesia and the social responsibility programmes of the operation on Sumbawa Island and North Sulawesi. For six years Kelvyn was based in Perth as Asia Pacific Director for External Affairs overseeing government, communications, and development programmes across operations in five countries and prior to that was the External Affairs Manager for Newmont Waihi Gold in NZ. Kelvyn is a Registered Independent Commissioner for RMA hearings alongside his roles on social performance panels for resource companies. He sits on the Boards the Waipa Communities Facilities Trust, Surf Lifesaving NZ and is a Trustee for the NZ Surf Lifesaving Foundation and Hospice Waikato.