What happens at your organisation when you need a new board member? Maybe the conversation goes something like this: “How about John? He is very credible and knows a lot about our sector.” “Yeah maybe, but do we need another older white guy? How about Marama? She’s a dynamic young wahine who would bring some…
Continue reading →Funding agreements – those dry, unexciting documents which funders generally require to be signed before they will pay a grant, are badly in need of a rethink. This blog proposes that funders should instead adopt a Relationship Agreement approach, based on mutual responsibility and accountability. To get straight to the point: Here is a free Funding…
Continue reading →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 …
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