How Bupa Foundation & Conservation Volunteers Australia Grew a Partnership That’s Healing People and Planet

Australia’s landscapes are spectacular - from lush Queensland rainforests to the red sands of the Outback. But these ecosystems are under pressure from climate change, habitat loss, and urban expansion.

Enter the Bupa Foundation and Conservation Volunteers Australia (CVA), a partnership born from strategy, clarity, and purpose. CVA had a vision: to form long term corporate partnerships that went beyond transactional tree planting. To make it happen, they completed BePartnerReady.com®, developing a rigorous partnership framework. Soon after, their first major collaboration was secured with the Bupa Foundation.

From readiness… to reality

Being partner-ready changed everything for CVA. They clarified what they had to offer a partner by valuing their assets, identified prospects with synergy and crafted a pitch that resonated. Bupa, aligned in purpose, saw the potential for an in...

Is there such a thing as Good Grief?
I believe there is.

Grief is an essential part of life and death. But when it’s hidden behind closed doors, when it’s taboo or silenced, that’s not good.

A year ago, I met two extraordinary women who founded a non-profit called Motherless Daughters Australia. Their mission? To wrap their arms around daughters and families, connecting and supporting those experiencing the distress and lifelong impact of mother loss.

It’s a kind of grief that isn’t often talked about or understood. Motherless Daughters provides a safe space to grieve, and offers support while people navigate life’s milestones without a mum.

It’s something I deeply resonate with. My mum didn’t die, but she left our family home when I was about 13. It was 28 years before I saw her again. She wasn’t there for my teens - when I needed to buy my first bra, when I got my period, or when I was navigating the heartbreak of first love. She was absent for my 18th, my 21st and so many milest...

Most non-profits and social enterprises are laser-focused on fundraising. And rightly so - without funds, the engine room stops, and so does your social impact.

But what if you’ve got an innovative new idea – an event, program or campaign - that’s struggling to reach its potential? Or, at the other end of the scale, an event or program that’s been running for years and needs a serious shot of new energy?

That’s when you need more than money.

Because a great sponsor doesn’t just hand over cash - they bring exponential reach through their networks, marketing channels and audiences, plus expertise that can lift your initiative to the next level.

It’s the same story for long-running events that are losing momentum: a strong sponsor can reignite interest, bring credibility, and breathe new life into something that’s lost its spark.

Some of Australia’s most successful and longest-running charity events - Jeans for Genes (CMRI), Movember, Australia’s Biggest Morning Tea (Cancer Council...

Footy fever has been in full pelt these past few weeks. I haven’t been able to look anywhere without seeing sponsor logos plastered across stadiums, jerseys, and TV screens. Sponsorship in sport is everywhere. But corporate sponsorship is so much more than visibility on a jersey or a billboard - especially when a purpose-driven organisation, social enterprise or non-profit is part of the equation.

Think about it. Vital programs that save lives, build diversity and inclusion, and provide shelter for the homeless are funded - and continue to thrive - because of corporate sponsorship. Major events that raise millions of dollars and enable community participation - funded and flourishing, thanks to sponsors. Media campaigns that spread important, behaviour-changing messages - funded and making a genuine social impact.

Now, I’d be crazy (living in Australia) to say footy isn’t important. It is. It unites communities and shapes Australian culture. It drives billions in economic activity...

Meeting a potential corporate partner (prospect) for the first time? Think of it like a first date - not a wedding proposal.

Too often, non-profits rush into meetings with corporates and try to “seal the deal” on the spot. It’s the equivalent of bringing a ring to the first date. You may be passionate and well-intentioned, but it’s premature, off-putting - and usually unsuccessful.

In today’s dating world - whether you meet ‘the one’ through a friend, work or by swiping right - one thing is clear: chemistry takes time, compatibility matters, and how you present yourself on the first date could change your destiny. The same goes for partnerships with corporates.

Many non-profits are simply not discerning enough when it comes to corporate partners. Whether it’s a lack of strategy, pressure to raise funds, or just being unprepared, too many end up with the wrong match - a partner who doesn’t truly value them, expects too much, and gives too little in return.

Even worse, I see Boards e...

Too many non-profits fail at corporate partnerships because they pitch at the wrong time. Along with readiness, success comes down to pitching to the right person, at the right company, with the right offer - and at the right time.

Readiness is crucial and easy to identify with our free Readiness Q&A. Right person, right company, right offer - we teach that in BePartnerReady.com®. But timing? That’s trickier, because the right time to approach corporate prospects is influenced less by when you’re ready and more by when the market is ready.

Here’s the thing: you’re approaching a corporate, company, or brand for a partnership, and part of that exchange is money. You want to be in front of them when they’re planning how to spend their budget to fulfil objectives - when they’re receptive to new partnerships. Pitch too late, and the money’s gone. Pitch too early, and they’re not even thinking about it.

Having worked with corporates for 30 years and built over 50 partnerships for major ...

When it comes to identifying corporate prospects, it’s not about luck - it’s about knowing where to look. It’s a bit like following a treasure map. Not one scribbled on a napkin, but a well-worn map with clear signposts, symbols, and a big red X where opportunity lies.

Too many non-profits assume that any brand with a big name or deep pockets is the right partner. But true treasure isn’t scattered randomly, it’s found where there’s genuine alignment.

To navigate this terrain, you need more than instinct. You need a map. That’s exactly what our 7-step BePartnerReady.com® process provides - and Step 3 is where you start uncovering real opportunity.

Don’t Just Wander, Follow the Map

When I landed a corporate partnerships manager role at the NSPCC in London back in 1991, I was brimming with enthusiasm - but I didn’t have a clear strategy, despite 12 years on the corporate side! Working for a big, well-known charity meant that companies often came knocking. But just because they were ...

As a former pom, I grew up watching The Antiques Roadshow. If you’ve ever watched it, you’ll know the drill.

A nice lady queues for several hours to see the jewellery expert. She’d inherited a rather old-fashioned brooch from her grandmother which the family had dubbed, rather dismissively, the "big blue blob." Believing it to be mere costume jewellery, she wore it on her wedding day for sentimental reasons. She’d been told by amateurs that it was inconsequential and made of paste. However, upon bringing it to Antiques Roadshow, expert John Benjamin revealed that the brooch was over a hundred years old, was the largest sapphire he’d ever seen and was surrounded by real diamonds. He believed it would fetch at least £50,000 at auction.[1] Her reaction? Priceless!

Meanwhile, another guest turns up with a grotesque figurine, convinced it’s worth a fortune. The ceramics expert gently delivers the bad news - while it might’ve fetched £20,000 back in the ’90s, its popularity has plummete...

Twenty-five years ago, a bold idea and a values-led partnership quietly reshaped volunteering in Australia.

In 1999, SEEK was a dot.com start-up in St Kilda - ambitious, purpose-driven, and ready to shake up the job classifieds space. They were out to challenge the likes of Monster and CareerOne – not just by being smarter, but by doing good.

That’s when I stepped in – at the helm of my matchmaking company Cavill + Co.

With no deep pockets but plenty of purpose, SEEK needed a cause that aligned with their business – and a credible non-profit partner. I worked directly with the Founder and Head of Marketing to develop a brief that was strategic, not symbolic. It captured SEEK’s business, societal and partnership goals. We studied their audience, market gaps, brand DNA and what would make a real impact. They wanted to make systemic change, not partake in tokenism.

The answer? Volunteering.
The solution? A digital platform that matched people to volunteering opportunities.
The partn...

Every day, I speak to non-profits and social enterprises that tell me the same thing: "Without corporate partners, we simply don’t have the funding or resources to achieve our mission." They recognise the power of corporate partnerships. They know that collaboration with businesses could be the key to sustainability, growth, and impact. And yet – so many hesitate to take action.

This hesitation comes at a cost. A cost far greater than they realise.

Lost Opportunities

The first and most obvious cost of inaction is missing out on the funding, resources, expertise and mass market exposure. Companies are actively looking for meaningful partnerships with non-profits that help them achieve their business and societal objectives. If you’re not positioning yourself to be that partner, someone else will. The opportunity doesn’t wait for when you feel ‘ready’ - it moves on.

The Cost to Your Mission

Every day that passes, without funding and support, is a day where your impact is limited...