People Inspired By Purpose - Purposely Podcast

In this SHORT episode of Purposely, we’re back with fundraising strategist Craig Pollard – on mission creep, funding models, and why confidence might be the most underrated tool in the sector.
Craig opens with a candid look at mission creep – that drift that happens when organisations become a flag in the wind, chasing sustainability instead of staying anchored to purpose. It’s a pattern he sees often, and one that’s easy to rationalise in the moment but costly in the long run.
He makes a compelling case for discomfort. Nothing great happens when everyone is comfortable. The best nonprofit leadership has tension in it – between boards and chief executives, between ambition and accountability. It’s something Craig deliberately brings to his work, and he’s unapologetic about it.
On funding models, Craig is refreshingly direct. Diversification sounds simple but it’s not – it can happen within a single donor, across donor types, by geography, or by income stream. The real question is: what does your future funding model need to achieve, and do you have the strategy and internal capability to get there?
And underneath all of it: confidence. Craig sees a lot of organisations judging themselves far too harshly. When that shifts – when a team understands its own value – things move fast. He shares the story of a girls’ empowerment project in Nepal that went from stuck to building corporate partnerships and international relationships within 16 weeks. Mindset first, strategy second.
Key themes
• Mission creep and the danger of chasing funding over purpose
• Discomfort and tension as healthy forces in nonprofit leadership
• The real complexity behind funding diversification
• Understanding why your funders fund you
• Confidence as the foundation for building better funding relationships
• Moving from dependency to a strategic future funding model

This episode of Purposely is brought to you by Benevity and Trust Investments.

In this episode of Purposely, Mark Longbottom sits down with Simon Bowden, Head of Philanthropic Services at Forsyth Barr.
Simon has spent more than 30 years across the for-purpose sector, including nearly two decades leading the Arts Foundation of New Zealand. Today, he works with charities and clients to help them think more clearly about giving, funding, and long-term impact.
A big part of the conversation is about how philanthropy is changing. More clients are asking better questions about where their money goes, what it actually does, and how to structure giving over time. That’s driving firms like Forsyth Barr to take this more seriously and build it into their advice.
Simon talks through what his role actually involves. On one side, working with charities on things like income diversification, governance, and funding strategy. On the other, helping individuals and families navigate giving, from first donations through to legacy planning.
There’s also a broader discussion about the New Zealand context. We’re a generous country in some ways, but formal giving and legacy donations are still relatively low. Simon makes the point that how we talk about giving matters. If it feels transactional or repetitive, people switch off. If it feels relevant and connected to what they care about, they lean in.
The episode also covers Simon’s path into this work. From music and running a national jazz festival, through to leading the Arts Foundation and launching Boosted, his career has consistently sat between creativity, funding, and building things from scratch.
They also get into the relationship between commercial advice and purpose. Simon’s view is straightforward. Done properly, it works for everyone. Clients get better outcomes, and more money flows to where it can make a difference.
The conversation wraps with a full-circle moment at a Philanthropy New Zealand conference, involving a banjo, a kazoo, and a reminder that bringing people together still matters.
This episode is brought to you by Benevity and Trust Investments.

In this SHORT episode of Purposely, Craig Pollard, Founder of Fundraising Radicals, cuts through the noise on fundraising and brings it back to basics.
He lays out a clear way to think about building funding partnerships. Start with your principles. Be clear on your purpose and values. Then get real about your platform, what you stand on as an individual and as an organisation, including your strengths, constraints, networks, and reputation.
From there, it is about people and pathways. Not cold outreach or chasing the same well-known funders as everyone else, but working through your existing networks and focusing on those who already share your worldview.
Craig is also honest about the realities. Power dynamics, bias, and access all shape who gets funded and who doesn’t. Ignoring that makes fundraising harder, not easier.
A big theme in this conversation is trust. Craig draws on the idea that trust is built through authenticity, empathy, and logic. Strong partnerships move at the speed of trust, and they are built over time through real conversations, not polished proposals sent to strangers.
He also challenges a common assumption. Funding partnerships are not sitting out there waiting to be found. They are grown. They take time, care, and a willingness to explore where shared goals overlap.
This episode of Purposely is brought to you by Benevity, the all-in-one software solution that benefits employees, customers, nonprofits, and society.

Welcoming Jessica Zarzycki, Portfolio Manager at Nuveen and a leading voice in sustainable fixed income investing. In this conversation, she explains how fixed income, often seen as the steady part of a portfolio, can deliver reliable returns while also creating real social and environmental impact.
While the podcast is for everyone, the bond strategies Jessica manages are built for large institutional investors such as pension funds, endowments, and foundations, where scale really matters.
From green and social bonds to more innovative structures like wildlife conservation financing, Jessica shares how this capital is directed toward real world outcomes, from renewable energy and affordable housing through to clean water and biodiversity.
At the heart of it is a simple idea. Fixed income can be the cornerstone of a portfolio, generating stable income over time, while also helping to fund solutions to some of the world’s biggest challenges.
Jessica also reflects on her journey into impact investing, the responsibility that comes with managing large pools of capital, and the discipline required to balance performance with purpose.
With experience across global markets and a background that includes advising the International Capital Market Association on sustainable finance, she brings both technical depth and a clear sense of mission to her work.
She explains how impact investing has evolved from avoiding harm to actively funding solutions, and why, when done well, it can lead to stronger and more resilient outcomes over the long term.
The conversation also explores the growing role of blended finance, where philanthropy, governments, and private capital come together to scale impact faster.
Ultimately, Jessica makes the case that investing for good is not a trade off, it is a smarter and more forward looking way to invest.

In this SHORT episode of Purposely, we revisit insights from fundraising strategist Craig Pollard, looking at what it really takes to build meaningful, high-value partnerships in the social sector.
He challenges a common assumption in fundraising that money is the ultimate sign of impact. In reality, a lot of important work starts without funding and often continues that way. When organisations recognise their value beyond dollars, it changes how they show up and the kinds of relationships they build.
The conversation reframes fundraising as finding co-investors rather than chasing donors. When you acknowledge the time, energy and commitment already being put in by communities and organisations, partnerships start to feel more balanced and more genuine.
Craig also questions the traditional “ask” approach that many fundraisers are taught. In some contexts it can feel transactional and uncomfortable, and it often misses the bigger picture. He shares examples of philanthropists who are looking for alignment and shared purpose, not just a number.
A clear theme is confidence. When organisations understand their role and the value they bring, they are in a much stronger position to build real partnerships that go beyond funding.
The episode finishes with a look at collaboration across the sector. Moving away from competition for limited funding and towards a more connected, cooperative approach where everyone is contributing to the same outcome.
This episode of Purposely is brought to you by Benevity and Trust Investments.