Posted: 17 July by Kristi

Partnering as a Philanthropist with Indigenous Peoples VIDEO, YouTube

Here's a video we produced when Dr Ken Wilson, Executive Director, The Christensen Fund visited Sydney recently.  We held an event for Sydney's community of philanthropic funders of Aboriginal peoples.  We wanted to explore how to work collectively and effectively as partners of indigenous peoples and also as a group of funders.

It's really important for us to recognise the silos we create as philanthropists and how we can work more cohesively, together as a community of donors and then with a community of changemakers in grassroots communities.

The Christensen Fund is based in Palo Alto (Silicon Valley, California).  It is probably the largest philanthrophic funder of Aboriginal people in Australia, having funded more than $20 million in the last five years mostly in Northern Australia.  A full list of what they are funding is on their website.

Felicity is up in Nhulunbuy this week filming a piece on The Healing Place, a fantastic, transformational project for social investors who are new to the game to consider if they want to start their indigenous philanthropy. As well as offering donors a brilliant opportunity to experience traditional spiritual healing, The Healing Place offers a model for sustainable, community-designed and led commercial endeavours.  The vision of the elders and community members to bring this project into being is awe inspiring.

We welcome your comments.  What do you think of the video?