Doing good
The Idealog guide to things you can do with your money to reduce social inequality (even if we're unqualified to give financial advice)
You want to make a positive difference in the world. You have some money. So, how do you do the greatest amount of good with the money you have? Here are some options, even if we're about as qualified for giving financial advice as an actual kākāpō would be for coaching the All Blacks.
Meeting your match
Collaborate helps you swipe right on your favourite charity or social cause
How do you break the stereotype of the younger generation that’s been labelled lazy, self-entitled and reckless with money (hello, $15 smashed avocado on toast) and help them do some social good? You create an app akin to the world’s most popular dating platform, Tinder, that connects volunteers with charities and social causes. Collaborate co-founder Holly Norton explains her app, how it’s smashing Millennial stereotypes and how people actually do want to do volunteer work, it’s just the process that’s hard.
Good cause
Blunt Umbrellas, Oxfam NZ and Flox make limited edition umbrellas for charity
Oxfam New Zealand, Blunt Umbrellas and Kiwi artist Flox have collaborated on a limited-edition ‘Flox for Blunt’ umbrella to help raise interest in, and funds, for Oxfam NZ’s climate change initiatives in the Pacific region.
Power of the people
Inspiring individuals: How Take My Hands founder Janette Searle gets medical supplies to those in need
Take My Hands is a not-for-profit organisation that redistributes prosthetic, orthotic and medical equipment to those in need. The idea came from Searle noting that freight carriers and warehouses are usually only partly full, and thought that spare capacity could be used to send medical equipment to those in need. Here, she shares the story behind it.
Drawn to a good cause
Artists raise cash for fire-affected Canterbury
The February blaze in Christchurch's Port Hills saw the community rope together to support families who suffered loss from the fire. But one group of artists are pushing their talent to the next level to support a family in need.
Soul food
No money, no problems: Wellington good sorts embrace the retail model (sort of) to help those in need
What started out as an art installation in Wellington has turned into a thriving non-profit organisation serving the city’s most vulnerable.
Social entrepreneurship
Indigo & Iris: Eye sight for sore eye lashes
It was the clashing of two worlds that gave 19-year-old Bonnie Howland her business idea. On the one side there was her part-time job in a hair salon in Auckland’s trendy Newmarket suburb, while she studied for an event management degree at Auckland’s AUT University.
Charity
Mass hypnosis, the vanity of charity and pointing the finger back at prostate-exam month
I have so had it with this whole ‘charity-theme-of-the-month’ thing. It’s all a big swindle. And now they’ve gone and got my prostate involved.
Charity
Dishing up funds for Starship
Tea towels are once again giving the Starship Foundation a hand.
