People Inspired By Purpose - Purposely Podcast

• SHORT 'Rethinking How We Fund For Greater Impact' Seumas Fantham Executive Director at Todd Foundation

  In this SHORT episode of Purposely, we hear from Seumas Fantham, Executive Director of the Todd Foundation, on what happens when a funder realises their well-intentioned model is actually holding communities and charities back.Seumas explains how the foundation used to fund 60–70 groups a year, which meant most staff time went into processing the 89% who didn’t receive funding. It wasn’t strategic, and it unintentionally encouraged competition between community groups rather than collaboration.So they changed course.Instead of spreading funding thin, the foundation stepped back, listened, and focused on a smaller number of areas where they could genuinely shift outcomes. Staff spent a year talking to communities, understanding the landscape, and mapping where the real gaps were before committing any funding.One of those areas was youth employment. Seumas shares how they looked beyond “getting young people work-ready” and started asking a bigger question: How do we help employers become youth-ready too? By speaking with schools, employers, parents, youth organisations, training providers and more, they uncovered a fragmented system where no single group saw the whole picture. The foundation’s new approach aims to bring these parts together so young people are supported from leaving education right through to settling into a job.Purposely SHORT is brought to you by Benevity and Trust Investments.

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• #277 'What Really Matters in Social Impact', Georgina Camp, Founder and Michelle McCaskill, CEO at Huber Social

  In this episode of Purposely Podcast, Mark Longbottom talks with Georgina Camp, co-founder of Huber Social, and Michelle McCaskill, the organisation’s CEO in Aotearoa. Both are leading voices in the move toward social impact measurement that actually helps communities instead of adding more admin.Georgina starts by explaining Huber Social’s purpose: to help people live well, and to support organisations to understand what truly makes a difference. Instead of counting outputs or filling in forms for the sake of it, their work focuses on listening to people’s experiences and keeping wellbeing at the centre. Good measurement should guide decisions, shape funding, and change as communities change.Mark raises a familiar tension for charities: proving impact versus understanding it. Georgina and Michelle talk about how a well-designed measurement approach can reduce workload rather than increase it. They work with the people affected, the funders, and the teams delivering services to create frameworks that reflect what matters most, not just what is easy to collect.Huber Social’s framework blends how people feel about their lives with practical indicators like health, resilience, relationships, and access to resources. It is flexible, grounded, and often uncovers issues that sit outside an organisation’s direct control but still influence whether someone can thrive.Michelle shares what it is like to lead Huber Social in New Zealand. She talks about building a remote team and forming partnerships around the country. She also highlights the Hauraki Opportunity, a recent project involving several communities coming together to define wellbeing on their own terms. It is a good example of measurement turning into real action instead of just another report.Both guests describe a shift happening in the sector. There is less emphasis on admin ratios and more interest in whether organisations genuinely improve people’s lives. Funders are also becoming more open to supporting wider issues that appear in the data, even when they fall outside an original project scope.The episode finishes with Michelle’s personal journey into social impact. She moved from innovation-focused business roles into work driven by purpose and community. She encourages anyone who wants to learn more to reach out through Huber Social’s platforms and be part of the wider conversation about measuring what matters.

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• SHORT 'When Funders Let Go', Geneva Loftus Executive Director at Move92

  A really warm welcome to Purposely SHORT, - short as in not long - a weekly episode featuring one of our past guests and their expertise on a certain topic. The aim is to give you a useful insight that you can action, helping you to deliver on your charitable mission. Enjoy.Geneva Loftus, who works with funders and grassroots organisations around the world. Geneva breaks down one of the biggest shifts happening in philanthropy right now: moving decision-making power closer to communities.She explains why donors must let go of the instinct to design solutions themselves, even with the best intentions, and instead create space for local leaders to bring forward ideas grounded in lived experience. And when funders do that? The results can be extraordinary.Geneva shares one of her favourite examples: a young Sherpa leader in Nepal who rejected more school-building and instead proposed something funders would never have imagined, a mountain bike training facility to keep youth in school and create new income opportunities. A small, unrestricted grant set off a ripple of positive change that transformed the whole community, sparked local business investment, created leadership pathways for girls, and even launched an international race series… all for under USD $30,000.Takeaway: trust the people closest to the problem. Their ideas will surprise you. Every time.This episode of Purposely was brought to you by Benevity and Trust Investments NZ.

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• (2021) Left The King’s Trust to set-up successful ‘for purpose’ consultancy

  We’re revisiting one of the early Purposely episodes, a conversation with Steve Wickham, founder of The Giving Department (which is till going strong) and a long-time leader in philanthropy, corporate responsibility, and social impact.Steve has spent more than two decades helping companies and philanthropists connect their resources with the people and organisations that need them most. Before launching The Giving Department in 2010, he held senior roles at Macmillan Cancer Support and The King's Trust (then the Prince’s Trust), shaping programmes that enabled businesses and donors to support young people and communities across the UK.How he made the jump from major national charities to starting his own social-purpose business.Why he built The Giving Department as a for-profit impact company, and what that model makes possible.The early projects that put the business on the map, including corporate partnerships that changed how companies think about doing good.His belief that generosity starts with people, not campaigns and why personal connection still drives most giving.Lessons from his time at The King’s Trust and Macmillan, including what strong partnerships look like behind the scenes.The influence of his family, particularly his late father, on his approach to work, kindness, and community.The pressures charities face today and why some organisations will adapt while others won’t survive.Steve’s blend of experience, honesty, and practical insight still lands today. The conversation strips philanthropy back to what really matters: relationships, trust, and people showing up for each other.

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• #276 ‘Why Values Matter in Financial Advice’, Carey Church MD Moneyworks

  In this episode of Purposely, we sit down with Carey Church, Managing Director of Moneyworks, for a conversation about what ethical financial advice looks like in practice. Carey has been quietly shaping this space in New Zealand for nearly three decades, focusing on understanding people’s lives and values before talking about their money. Her approach is practical, people-centred, and built on years of working closely with clients as their needs and expectations have changed.We talk about:How Carey built Moneyworks around holistic, values-aligned financial planningWhy ethical investing isn’t about purity, but about informed decisionsThe role of trust and mutual respect between adviser and clientThe practical process Moneyworks uses to personalise ethical investment portfoliosThe increasing importance of financial literacy and intergenerational planningWhy Moneyworks became a B Corp, and what it actually means in practiceHow Carey is approaching life and leadership in her 60s, including a four-day work week and tighter focus on what really mattersWhether you're curious about ethical investing or simply want to understand what good financial advice looks like, Carey offers a candid, grounded perspective shaped by real-world experience.

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