By Jodie Hannam | Partnerships & Funding Manager
Approaching the close of the year is a natural point to reflect on your achievements. For IHAD, 2023 itself has actually been a year of reflection and learning with key strategic initiatives like our Theory of Change project getting underway. I recently shared our I Have a Dream ImpactLab GoodMeasure Report, which was another key milestone for the year. (report attached)
The GoodMeasure process offers a mechanism for organisations like ourselves to better understand, improve and communicate their social value and Social Return on Investment (SROI). SROI is a powerful concept that transcends traditional economic metrics, emphasizing the broader impact of initiatives and projects on society. It goes beyond financial gains, measuring the social value created by an investment. SROI takes into account not only tangible outcomes but also the intangible benefits that contribute to the overall well-being of communities. By assessing the social, environmental, and economic dimensions of an initiative, SROI provides a comprehensive understanding of its true value.
ImpactLab recently released its own report (attached) evaluating their own learnings from 100+ of their projects conducted since 2021. Some key themes that will help funders, charities, volunteers, communities and the Government include:
Three distinct investment approaches are clear:
Which lead to two investment choices:
There is no single best approach, especially in the social sector. Their report illustrates why we expect this methodology to become a new benchmark for measuring charity effectiveness.
As we wrap up the year, I'd like to personally thank each of you for your ongoing support of I Have a Dream. I'd also like to thank our Navigators for their commitment and mahi. None of this would have been possible without them. Their dedication is the driving force behind our Dreamers' achievements and I look forward to seeing this momentum grow even further in the coming year.
Nga mihi,
Scott Gilmour
Chairperson, Board of Trustees
I Have A Dream Charitable Trust
Changing Lives
We're thrilled to share the news that two of our Dreamers have been selected as worthy recipients for two First Foundation Scholarships. The scholarship programme that provides tamariki with approx $22,000 of financial support across four years, is designed to provide talented young New Zealanders with opportunities and resources to help them successfully navigate from school, through university and into a meaningful career. In addition to financial support, the scholarship also comes with a dedicated mentor to help guide them along the way. Last year there were 51 scholarships awarded from over 400 applicants.
The two Dreamers selected are 17 year old twin sisters, Alexis & Zarah from Tikipunga High School. Alexis, who was chosen as a year 13 prefect for 2024 wants to study criminology at Victoria and Zarah, who got the Year 12 Principals Academic Award this year and has also been chosen as Deputy Head Girl at Tiki High next year, wants to study paediatric nursing at AUT.
For Alexis & Zarah, having the financial support to pursue their dreams is huge. Thanks to the team at First Foundation for selecting these worthy young wahine.
Local Hands Make Light Work
The tamariki and whanau at Te Kura o Otangarei (TKO) are on a mission to build their very own garden oasis in the heart of Otangarei. An extension of the Garden to Table programme that started earlier this year, the aim is to create a fully self sustainable oasis with fruit orchards, vegetable gardens, a rongoa garden, sensory garden, worm farms, compost and so much more.
At the start of this month they had some extra helping hands with the help of the amazing team from local accountancy firm Sudbury's. Sudbury's, who have now come onboard as a Dream Partner, approached us a couple of months ago offering their staff's time for an afternoon of volunteering with IHAD. On the day, 19 of their staff turned up, all tooled up with weed eaters, spades, gloves and all sorts of gardening equipment ready to work. They spent the next two hours working away building a pergola, raised garden bed (with some pretty impressive wahine skill-saw action), moved and spread mulch, weeded our gardens and the whole orchard. The project was also generously supported by a donation of 3 cubic metres of mulch from local gardening company Greenfingers Kamo. It's so wonderful to see the support we get from local companies to help make our Dreamers' ideas a reality.
The Garden to Table programme is an initiative introduced for our new Te Wahi Tumanako (alternative education or transitional education 2nd Year 8 programme) at Te Kura o Otangarei (TKO), which has grown to become a whole school and community initiative with everyone completely engaged and involved and absolutely loving it. We look forward to seeing their ongoing progress and how the Garden Oasis project develops over the next year.
Building Trust
Our Navigators and the programmes they provide expose our Dreamers to valuable life skills and opportunities, but they also provide support in many other ways, such as developing self confidence and helping them to understand their emotions. One of the key skills that a Navigator must possess is patience. It can take time to build relationships and trust with our Dreamers, so they have to be prepared to put in the hard mahi and plenty of time before they might see any change.
This is Kaden with his sister Rainey and Navigator Marcia Aperhama at his Year 6 prize giving. Marcia has known Kaden for four years and had noticed how of late he'd been showing some impressive emotional maturity, being able to move on more quickly and not hold onto negative feelings when things upset him. Marica asked Kaden what had changed and he said "When I feel like that, I just shake it off. I can't go back to it. It's in the past. I can only reflect on the past." Marcia was blown away by his response and incredibly proud of him. Her relationship with Kaden has taken time to get to this place where he trusts her enough to share these feelings. She had to wait until he felt he was ready to korero with her and that has taken time and consistency.
Well done Kaden. It's a great reminder that every Dreamer's journey is different and how investing time and consistently showing up builds trust and results.
Volunteering & Mentoring
On Tuesday 5th December we had a celebration to acknowledge and thank all of our I Have a Dream Volunteers, Mentors and Interns. It was a wonderful night with about 100 people in attendance including our I Have a Dream staff team, Dreamers and whanau, and our Mentors, Volunteers and Interns.
"We had a very special evening to show gratitude and celebrate our amazing Volunteers who give so much tautoko (support) and commitment to I Have a Dream. It was a great chance for everyone to come together and especially for our team to thank our Volunteers. There was a lot of laughter and emotion and heartfelt messages shared" says Kirsty Pillay-Hansen, Volunteering and Mentoring Manager.
Delicious kai was served and our Dreamers held leadership roles in welcoming guests, serving drinks and kai and giving out thank you gifts to everyone. "Our Dreamers stepped up to these roles swiftly and helped us make the event a success" says Kirsty.
We would especially like to thank our speakers who contributed to the night and spoke about their experience with I Have a Dream.
Thank you to these speakers who gave our guests a personal insight into I Have a Dream and shared wonderful stories, laughter and inspiration. Special mention to Skye whose moving and passionate korero brought tears to many eyes.
Achieving a Goal
In 2022, a group year 12 Dreamers set themselves a massive goal to raise funds that would take them on a life changing trip to Rarotonga. In October of this year, all of their hard work and commitment finally paid off when the group set off on their Cook Island adventure.
"This trip was created for Dreamers to learn what it takes to make a goal of this size a reality," says Year 13 Navigator Daisy Rogers whose Dreamers embarked on this amazing journey and experience. "To teach them how to set a goal, break it down, find ways to make it possible, then work hard to achieve it. To make a dream a reality and that is what we did."
"My Dreamers and I worked many hours and weekends to fundraise over $30,000! All of this was worth it when we touched down in the beautiful Rarotonga and felt that wave of humid heat," says Daisy.
During the five day experience the Dreamers participated in snorkelling, swimming with fish and turtles, visiting a local village, market and church, mud buggy adventures and cooking their own local kai.
The Dreamers also took time to reflect on the journey they had taken to get there, each sharing their various memories and moments of personal growth and challenges. "I was immensely proud of my Dreamers and myself." says Daisy "The bonds we have created, missions we have accomplished and the many lessons we've all learnt will stay with us forever."
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