Hi ,

Welcome to our quarterly newsletter, the first of 2024.

Having celebrated our 5th birthday in February, we are delighted to announce the appointment of a new Director, Gillian Turnbull who joins our team after Easter. Gillian has an accomplished career here and overseas advising 'for purpose' organisations, and will work alongside me to drive sector engagement and project delivery from our base here in Melbourne.

With our client work taking us increasingly into the realms of First Nation's-led organisations building self-governance and self-determination, we dedicate our lead article on the momentum building behind the ‘decolonising agenda’ overseas, following an enlightening talk from Mide Akerewusi visiting from Canada, and what we should expect to see more of in Australia over time. 

We also set out our ‘services to philanthropy’ offering in more detail below as we build up a portfolio of clients seeking advice across the philanthropy lifecycle. For a sector doubling in size every 15 years or so, there is a greater degree of pluralism in approach and strategy, and an increasing number of philanthropies looking at more partnership-based approaches and collaborations. We are here to help.

We do hope you enjoy this newsletter, and wish you a relaxing long weekend ahead.

Simon & the team at GoodWolf

Simon Lewis 

Partner, GoodWolf

simon@goodwolf.com.au

INSIGHTS

Decolonising Philanthropy: Beyond The Platitudes 

Olumide Akerewusi, affectionately known as ‘Mide’, recently visited Australia and spoke about his work and engagement with the ‘decolonising philanthropy’ agenda abroad, and the power dynamics at play...

‘Power is a function of: 

• How we use our voice
• How we use our choice
• How we use our control
• How we use our finance/resources’

(Olumide Akerewski)

Mide describes how philanthropy and its practitioners can take some practical steps to foster a more inclusive and community-centric approach.

Philanthropy Services are where GoodWolf started out. 

We have been building out our service model and capacity for offering services to Foundations in Australia and overseas.

Learn more about how we support families and organisations to shape and drive their philanthropic agenda and community impact here. 

Victoria University (VU) jointly announced with the Victorian Government a $10m investment into a new Centre of Excellence for Paramedicine – a global first.

GoodWolf supported VU in some of the ground work around bringing the right stakeholders and partners together to see the vision for this new Centre come to life. Everyone relies on an ambulance at some point in their life, and as the first responders, paramedics operate at the leading edge of a health system examining the equity and inclusion of its services. 

Shout out to the Menzies Foundation especially Liz Gillies and Ellen Jackson for their work exploring citizen leadership for community resilience with the amazing program leads of the Regional Leadership Collective in Victoria. Claire spent a couple of days with the team in beautiful Ballart.

Read more about her key takeaways here. 

Monet & Metaphors - a diagram says it all

A 2017 article in the Stanford Social Innovation Review (SSIR) pointed to a study of 145 non-profit leaders, where 80% of these leaders described innovation as “an urgent imperative,” and only 40% of them said their organisations were prepared to innovate.

Innovation is the concept that encompasses the entire process of introducing new ideas, products, services, or processes that create value and address needs or opportunities. Sometimes it is transformational for the non-profit or philanthropic organisation, sometimes it directly transforms outcomes for those we serve.

At other times it may also shift the system.

As part of a recent piece of work we conducted on behalf of Dementia Australia, who have a fantastic innovation record, we unpacked the value of innovation which offers a good reminder that innovation can do more than just differentiate you from the competition. It fosters a great environment for staff, drives sustainability, influences policy and attracts funding.

Here's a diagram to get the conversation started in your organisation...

Feeding Our GoodWolf

GoodWolf team members are encouraged to be active and engaged in the community, and as volunteers and pro-bono Directors or Trustees in the sector. As well as being a crucial learning and training ground for us, and allows us to make a direct contribution to organisations and causes we care about.

In the lead up to this year’s Impact Investing Summit, Hannah was part of a workshop to explore possibilities for Australia’s first impact fund for creative industries led by Creative Australia. Lessons from Arts & Culture Finance in the UK set inspiration for a day of discussion about shared power and partnership, artistic freedom, leadership and community (read more here).

Claire then picked up the baton and joined the Impact Investing Summit, co-facilitating a world cafe style forum that explored building a roadmap for a disruptive utopia where impact investing is a powerful verb and a force for lasting, positive transformation in the face of a world in flux with Elise Parups of Impact Club.

Simon is working closely with the Investment Committee of the Reichstein Foundation as the backbone organisation seeking to run a collective, open tender process with a group of foundations around their investment requirements called the ‘Endowments For Impact Challenge’. 

After 2 years on the Board of Green Fox Training Studio, Nina has stepped into the role of Chair. Green Fox is a social enterprise creating training and employment opportunities for people at risk, and those exiting the justice system.

Claire has recently joined the Board of Hello Sunday Morning, a not for profit helping people change their relationship with alcohol.

Hannah co-produced White Rabbit Red Rabbit at La Boite Theatre with proceeds going to Pen International, an organisation defending freedom of expression globally.

We hope you’ve enjoyed this edition of The GoodWolf.  

If you want to read some back copies of newsletters and thought-pieces, click here.

Please reach out or share a comment with us at hello@goodwolf.com.au or contact one of the team directly. 

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