Wondering how to bring a greater sense of purpose to your family or business wealth? Learn more about creating a Named Giving Fund with the Be BlueRock Foundation in this Q&A with fund holder Craig Ferguson.
Q: Can you introduce yourself and your connection with BlueRock?
A: Absolutely. I am Craig Ferguson, the founder of Antipodean Capital, a financial services advice provider for organisations like BlueRock. I used to sit on BlueRock's Investment Committee and provide the wealth team with advisory support, which is how I got introduced to the Be BlueRock Foundation.
Q: What prompted you to establish a Named Giving Fund with the Be BlueRock Foundation?
A: We wanted to establish a corpus dedicated to social enterprises, improvement of climate conditions, Indigenous issues, and entities influencing public policies in Australia. BlueRock's efficiency as a low-cost provider in the space and its administrative assistance were the driving factors. These qualities make it a great fit for families or organisations like ours.
Q: Can you tell us more about the causes your organisation supports?
A: Certainly! We support causes rooted in community development specifically within four key areas we consider crucial both globally and nationally for Australia. For instance, one organisation we fund is Bridge It, which provides safe accommodation. We also fund The Venny, a market garden for the high-rise commission, benefiting disadvantaged individuals by promoting gardening and healthy diets.
Q: How have you incorporated philanthropy into your business practices?
A: We have transformed Antipodean into a social enterprise, meaning all profits from our business are exclusively invested in ESG entities or investments. These initiatives further environmental, social enterprise, sustainability and improved governance, aligning perfectly with what we want the endowment to invest in.
Q: Why did you involve your children in this initiative?
A: We wanted to establish a succession plan for generations to come, so involving our children was key. We believe it's important for the younger generation to be engaged and contribute to such initiatives.
Q: How has creating a philanthropic structure with BlueRock benefitted you?
A: BlueRock has been a fantastic partner, taking care of everything from accounting and transfers required for the fund to finding suitable charities for us to support. This helps us focus on our business while continuing our philanthropic journey. Our role is simply to fund our philanthropy account and direct our support as per our goals and objectives.
Q: How does BlueRock support your family's engagement with these initiatives?
A: BlueRock has been instrumental in partnering us with organisations where my children can volunteer and contribute at a ground level, which has been an extraordinary experience for them.
Q: What are your future plans regarding your philanthropic actions?
A: As our business evolves, our primary plan is to allocate an increasing portion of our corporate revenues to philanthropic organisations. Fortunately, BlueRock's support makes us very confident in our ability to do so.
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We combine our expertise in investments, accounting, compliance and of course philanthropy to provide a low-cost and simple solution for anyone looking to create a philanthropic structure within a Public Ancillary Fund . Get in touch with us for a free consultation today.
