How should funders be supporting our communities in light of the Covid-19 pandemic? All of us will be affected, directly or indirectly. But the impact for families and communities already struggling with issues like homelessness, mental health, addictions, family violence and poverty will be especially challenging. So, it’s time to step up our support funders!…
Continue reading →It’s a new year and a new decade. So, philanthropic funders, what will our New Year’s resolutions be? Here are three suggestions: 1. Aim for Equity: Is our funding reaching the causes and people who need it most? Or do we give to organisations which are already well funded, and which serve communities that are…
Continue reading →There’s a lot of discussion in the farming world about the importance of moving away from extractive practices and instead embracing regenerative agriculture – here’s a recent relevant story from the Waikato. Might some of these same considerations apply to philanthropy? Let me start with a couple of dictionary definitions: extractive: the withdrawal of [natural]…
Continue reading →How can we best respond to online racism and hate? Social media is the “new village square,” and is increasingly the place where everyday racism is amplified. In extreme cases, it is also where white-supremacist-leaning people are radicalised and turn to violence, as we saw with the horrific murders of 51 people in Christchurch mosques…
Continue reading →The Philanthropy Summit, held in Wellington from May 15 – 17 and created by Philanthropy New Zealand, was one of the best learning opportunities I have had in a long time. Here are the top four things I learned: There is a curious and delightful parallel between dental health and a racism-free world. One of…
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Governance can be a tricky thing. At their best, boards are positive places where ideas flow, problems are collaboratively solved and the people and the organisation thrive. At their worst, boards are toxic places where ideas are ignored, problems are exacerbated and the people and the organisation are damaged. The biggest contributor to a positive…
Continue reading →What does it mean to be a good Pākehā? How do we build better relationships with Māori? And how might this play out in the world of funding? Here are my thoughts. A few years back I set myself on a journey to be a better Pākehā. For me, this means questioning what it means…
Continue reading →Building great governance in a family philanthropy is an important but under-researched area. What does a good family foundation board look like? What is the best way to find and select great trustees? And how do we get the best from trustees? My just-released report attempts to answer these questions. I was commissioned to write …
Continue reading →Here’s an exciting new possibility for funders in Aotearoa NZ – we can now be assessed and accredited on how transparent and accountable we are by the US-based Glass Pockets initiative. And, having just been through this with our small philanthropic trust Te Muka Rau, I can attest that the process is useful, easy –…
Continue reading →Weird story number 1: Last week I was in Los Angeles visiting family. Walking back from the beach there was a strong smell of burning plastic – on the steps of the overbridge was a young couple, apparently homeless, trying to barbecue pig trotters inside a plastic-coated supermarket trolley. I considered pointing out the carcinogenic…
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