Impact Seekers is fundamentally about matching people to a shared social vision.
Great things happen when groups of people are aligned and are working towards the same goal. And often the most surprising, innovative and impactful change occurs after the most crazy and casual conversation.
This was the origin story of Impact Seekers. A crazy, casual conversation around the growing private investment in the not-for-profit sector soon led to a conversation about the difficulties experienced by mum-and-dad investors and smaller corporations. They struggled to identify suitable opportunities to invest in the right cause, at the right scale, with the right results - despite there being a multitude of great causes fighting for the charity dollar. Something had to be done about this irony.
After market-research, a partnership broker model fitted the bill perfectly. Different from traditional funder-recipient relationships, a partnership model enables all partners to contribute equally to a locally identified issue. And who better to drive solutions, than the people experiencing the issue themselves?
OUR STORY
OUR TEAM
Jean Tiller (Founder, Director, Principal Partnership Broker)
Jean has a passion for business with a purpose. Her previous social sector experience includes primary health care and disease prevention, Aboriginal health, community development, Bangladeshi and ethnic minority programs, mental health, homelessness, refugee resettlement, suicide prevention, disability services, disability employment, social enterprise, housing, substance misuse, aged care, counselling, and quality management systems. She also has experience in banking and finance, business start-up, governance and social entrepreneurship.
She holds a Bachelor of Social Welfare and a Master of Business Administration (MBA). She is a member of Philanthropy Australia, SIMNA (Social Impact Measurement Network of Australia) and the Institute of Managers and Leaders (IML).
In 2011 she was nominated as one of Central Highlands ‘Most Inspiring’ women, has served as a member of Rotary International, and was awarded the Australian Red Cross Society’s ‘Youth Meritorious Service Award’.
Partnership Brokers (Currently recruiting)
We are currently recruiting for skilled Partnership Brokers as Independent Contractors.
Impact Seekers partnership brokers bring diverse experience and backgrounds in navigating successful partnerships to doers and collaborators all around the country.
To submit an interest in joining our team of independent consultants, please upload your CV.
Essential
- Diverse experience in collaboration and partnerships
- Completed Leve1 1 training - Partnership Brokers Association
- Hold own ABN
THE PARTNERING CYCLE
"A Partnership is on-going working relationship where risks and benefits are shared".
Partner relationships are different to traditional funder-recipient relationships.
Fundamental characteristics of a transformational partnership include;
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A common purpose
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Both shared and individual interests
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Co-design of actions and solutions
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Sharing of both risks and benefits
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Mutual accountability
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Working together based on agreed principles
Partnership agreements can range in complexity, and range from transactional through to transformational. This is subject to the program's scope, scale and governance, as well as partner interests, risk tolerance, relationships and agreed contributions. Not all collaborative arrangements are required to be transformational - there are many examples of transactional partnerships that achieve the desired social outcome. Most importantly, the type of partnership should be 'fit for purpose' .
Partnership Brokers aim to create innovative partnerships between doers and collaborators using the Partnering Cycle as developed by Partnership Broker’s Association.
Each partnership will be unique, influenced by the needs, ambitions, resources and risk profile of all parties.
Think of us like a Business Broker....
Consistent with our desire to make available partnering opportunities to smaller social ventures, and our commitment to outcomes, we adopt a business model similar to a Business Broker. This low-entry, commission-in-arrears model is aligned with these values.
Social ventures can list with our business at either a free or low entry, making registration accessible to all social doers.
On signing of a partnership agreement and its corresponding action plan, both the financial and non-financial contributions of all parties are valued to derive a Partnership Valuation figure. Agreed commission rates are then applied to this figure and all parties negotiate to share the liability (equitably, but not necessarily equally) for this commission between them.
We invest the time, skills and expertise to navigate the journey to a written partnership agreement. These agreements are usually formalised through non-legally binding MOU's, but may have associated legal contracts stemming from this to enable action to happen.
Just like a business broker, due care is taken in the brokering process of each partnership, however each party is responsible for their own due diligence prior to entering any partnership, and will be responsible for any legal and out-of-pocket costs incurred.
OUR
BUSINESS MODEL