Australians love to use what they have to make life better for someone doing it tough, and Aussie businesses are no different. Driven by a passion to see their profits contribute towards making the world a better place, Australian businesses, both large and small, are partnering with not-for-profit Pro Purpose to identify and implement their giving purpose. Western Sydney businesses: Wild Indiana, Joyful Finance and Speak About Speech Pathology, are great examples of Pro Purpose’s unique giving model.
“Pro Purpose is all about a profit for purpose partnership, that believes in businesses using and sharing a bit of their profit for purpose, so that we see lasting change,” explains Pro Purpose Founder and CEO, Alana Nicholls.
The mission of Pro Purpose is to help uncover what drives a business, and to connect them with a charitable project that’s the best fit for them.
For Laura Turner, mother of three and owner of children's brand, Wild Indiana, it’s all about community. “When someone buys from our business, they join a community of mums that are also passionate about motherhood, practical products and having fuss-free dinnerware,” she says and explains that through their work with Pro Purpose, proceeds from every sale go towards providing maternity care for mothers in Northern Uganda.
“It’s absolutely incredible to be able to connect mums from here just buying our products, over to the mums in Northern Uganda.” Wild Indiana also enables mothers in Northern Uganda to access a midwife, and recently contributed to the provision of a humidicrib. “They had their first premi newborn baby born at 26 weeks who was actually able to survive because of this humidicrib,” she says. “Pro Purpose has added another whole dimension to our business of giving, and purpose as well. It’s something that drives why we do what we do.”
Thea Chadban-Smith, owner of Joyful Finance, says that while being an accountant can be very transactional, their accounting firm is passionate about bringing peace and clarity to peoples’ financial lives and businesses, something that aligns perfectly with the Pro Purpose model. “That’s the core of our DNA,” Thea says. “To be a generous business.”
Joyful Finance partners with Pro Purpose to provide start-up business loans for women living in poverty in Indonesia. As each woman’s start-up business grows, so increases the positive impact for the community. In the past 18 months alone, Joyful Finance has provided 21 start-up loans, giving women in Indonesia the ability to create financial security for themselves and their children.
“They (start-up loan recipients) can start their own business, which gives them opportunity and dignity and helps them get out of the poverty cycle, and helps future generations. Our clients are part of our generosity story because they enable us to be generous,” Thea says.
Emily Mackie opened Speak About Speech Pathology in 2014 with a desire to help children all over the world. “For me, it’s a belief that every child is important and every child deserves the opportunity to reach their potential,” she says. “Every child has a special purpose that they’ve been given and that they need to achieve. And I believe that no child should be held back by any difficulties.”
Emily connected with Pro Purpose because she wanted to bring an even greater purpose to her business beyond the benefits that speech therapy brings to her clients and their families. But after researching possible charities to donate to, Emily became overwhelmed by the options. She approached Pro Purpose, and after a deep dive with them to discover her drive and passion for change, Alana and Emily agreed that a Pro Purpose partnership with the School for Life Foundation was the best fit for Speak About Speech Pathology. Now, by simply operating in her usual day-to-day business, Emily and the Speak About Speech team provide education for underprivileged children living in Uganda.
“To have an impact on someone’s life, it’s amazing. It’s fulfilling. It’s so rewarding,” she says. “We are able to help children overseas break that cycle of poverty and to see how we can support them throughout their whole schooling journey.”
Businesses with a wide range of giving capacity are coming together at Pro Purpose to make a change. And with over 2.5 million Australian businesses, of which 99% are small to medium, the potential is endless.
“Being able to make giving with purpose simple for businesses is how we help,” Alana says. Whether they’re giving $1200, $30 000 or $1million, everyone is working towards the same goal, and it’s making a difference.
“Our collective impact will change the world,” Alana says. “Because it will transform millions of lives. Sometimes by ourselves we can only do so much. But together we can do amazing things.”
“If you are feeling overwhelmed, if you are time poor, if you are wanting to give, but not sure how, I would say, definitely partner with them,” Emily explains. “They can guide you and make it meaningful and impactful for you.”
Pro Purpose partners, Wild Indiana, Joyful Finance and Speak About Speech Pathology will feature on Helping Hands from SATURDAY 17 FEBRUARY 2024 on 9GEM, Channel 9 and 9NOW.
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