As I sit down to write my holiday cards this year, I can’t help but think that sometimes a card just isn’t enough.
When we think about philanthropy and supporting good causes, we often think about the fundraising campaigns and the big cheques, which here at Smiling Mind help directly support programs with a profound impact on many young children’s lives, helping families and schools connect and navigate challenges with resilience.
What often goes unnoticed is the equally vital, behind the scenes work—cleaning the office, making sure our policies are up to date and number crunching in one more mammoth excel spreadsheet. Every one of these activities is helping us achieve our mission.
Smiling Mind is ambitiously aiming to help every mind thrive, with a goal to create generational change in mental health by 2030.
We know this is a big, ambitious goal, but without this north star the hard work required to make change can lose focus, direction and saliency. Every little thing we’re doing now is taking us one step closer to achieving our aspirational goal.
That’s where the helping hand and support of those who believe in our mission can make all the difference. Pro-bono and in-kind support—sometimes intangible and other times very tangible—quite frankly, make a huge difference to the day to day running of a not-for-profit organisation. While we recognise ongoing supporters on our website and through regular email signoffs of thanks, it’s impossible to adequately express our gratitude for this integral contribution to our work.
Without these supporters we couldn’t operate.
One of our biggest and most integrated partners is MinterEllison, providing pro-bono legal support for many years. They have provided a steady sounding board, and team of experts ready to jump in on almost any area of law and a strong commitment to help us achieve our mission.
We know we leverage their expertise and knowledge, but I also like to know that Minter Ellison’s contribution provides their team with a greater connection to social change. I believe that our purpose is a shared cause that we’re working hard to change together.
Smiling Mind has also been the proud partner of many other organisations over the years - who have supported us with their know-how, space, knowledge and expertise. From pro-bono office space with River Capital and later Funlab, to media and creative support from M&C Saatchi, Hatched and OMD.
It’s remarkable just how impactful a deep and connected pro-bono partnership can be.
Thank you to those who have supported Smiling Mind and continue to do so—we couldn’t do what we do without you.