Partners For Purpose alumni helping World Vision and The Smith Family
A group of Melbourne Business School alumni have banded together to help not-for-profit organisations – and they're looking for people to join them.
Daniel Barrins and a group of his classmates founded Partners For Purpose after realising the community impact they could have while working with not-for-profit groups during their studies.
"It's a platform for connecting skilled volunteers with for-purpose organisations, and it's all thanks to the Executive MBA program," Daniel says.
"The friends and connections that I made on the program will last a lifetime, as Partners for Purpose attests."
Partners for Purpose allows charities and not-for-profit organisations like World Vision and The Smith Family to access experienced executives who are passionate about putting their skills to work and giving back to the community. So far, all its members are from the Melbourne Business School community.
"Partners for Purpose is staffed entirely by volunteers and alumni of Melbourne Business School," says Daniel, the organisation's chair. "All our projects to date have been run by MBS alumni who want to give back to the community."
Eight alumni are board and executive committee members, with another 50 to 60 supporting the organisation's work – and Daniel is on the lookout for more.
"If anybody is interested, there are plenty of opportunities to get involved with us to help manage and coordinate our pro-bono consulting projects," he says.
In his day job, Daniel is an investment director at Nightingale Partners, who provide growth capital to early-stage companies. His experience on the Executive MBA program and helping create Partners for Purpose has taught him what makes a career rewarding.
"It helped me in ways that I didn't expect. I went into the program to develop my technical skills, but developed more as an individual and a leader than I could have imagined," he says.
"I've learned that trust is fundamental to doing business and work in the not-for-profit space, where people trust you with their money and your promise to deliver impact and results. It's fundamental to all we do."
Daniel says aspiring leaders should take advantage of any opportunity to develop their career – including in the not-for-profit sector.
"When you spend time with senior executives from all walks of life, you quickly realise the power of a good network that you can draw on and learn from," he says.
"It's about putting your hand up to get involved at every opportunity. Whether it's in business or the not-for-profit sector, it all contributes to your development as a leader."
For Daniel, working in the not-for-profit sector brings a special kind of reward.
"It rounds out your skillset and gives you a different kind of satisfaction to what you get from your everyday work," he says.
"The projects we're working on with World Vision and the Smith Family's VIEW (Voice, Interest and Education of Women) group are large and strategic.
"We've also completed projects at smaller charities, including for the Sydney-based charity 10x10 Philanthropy, which has now scaled globally through a very successful and interesting philanthropic model."
To apply to become a volunteer, visit the Partners For Purpose website. To find out more about studying at Melbourne Business School, visit our Degree Programs and Executive Education pages.
