elevate
Elevate
Elevate is Exent’s contribution back into our community
It’s how we demonstrate our values in action.
Charitable giving, fundraising & volunteering
Giving
What is it?
Charitable giving, sponsorships and co-contributions. Volunteer days, donations of goods and time to charities in the ways that they ask for and need.
How Does It Work?
Our elevate team organise regular giving events – through volunteering time, money or donated goods.
The current list of charities they are targeting includes:
- Lifeline
- Hummingbird House
- Animal Welfare League Queensland
- RSPCA
- Deathrow Unchained Animal Rescue
- Guide Dogs Queensland
- Be Uplifted: Breast Cancer
- It’s in the Bag
- Baby Give Back
- Share the dignity
- Greening Australia
- Triathlon Pink
- One Foot Forward
If you represent an organisation that would benefit from giving, or you can help connect us with such an organisation, please contact us using the form below.
Pathways up for communities of need
Pathways
What is it?
Exent invests in providing corporate training, internships, placement and active investment in learning and career development for those from communities of need entering or re-entering the workforce.
How Does It Work?
Exent offers a range of learning and career pathways, ranging from short courses and placements, through to 6 and 12 month internships, in a variety of business skills and locations across Australia, offered without cost or limit to communities in need.
We currently support:
- Rural and regional youth and new workforce entrants
- Workforce re-entry for those exiting domestic and family violence
- Disability employment programmes
If you represent an organisation or cohort that would benefit from pathways, or you can help connect us with such an organisation, please contact us using the form below.
Free consulting support for social enterprise
Social enterprise
What is it?
Exent supports social enterprises, Not-For-Profits, rural and regional organisations at that intersection of their need and our consulting capabilities, at no charge, in the same ways we assist
other clients in improving their business and operation.
We want to help organisations solve challenges in delivering greater support, growing and going further with limited resources, and in cutting through their operational challenges to deliver greater social benefit.
How Does It Work?
Eligible social enterprises and NFPs are those under $10M pa in funding or other income, who then contact us to express an interest in receiving assistance.
We work together to understand the need, schedule the time and team to respond, offering a range of practical support:
- Building, reviewing or refining business strategy
- Solving process, people or operational issues
- Exploring tangible ways to grow funding or reduce expenses to get more out of limited resources
- Advice and assistance on technology, software, reporting and automation topics
- Helping navigate complex topics in procuring services, solutions or people
If you represent an organisation that would benefit from free consulting support, or you can help connect us with such an organisation, please contact us using the form below.
Building awareness and participation
Awareness
What is it?
Bringing focus and participation, within Exent and more broadly, to causes where we can amplify our voice and build greater participation, or get involved ourselves as an organisation.
How Does It Work?
Exent is working to find, understand and enrol in programmes of participation that build awareness around issues of social equity, and causes that we can get behind.
This includes programmes like White Ribbon, for the prevention of violence against women, to Exent’s own Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP) addressing equity for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders, to Anti-Slavery Australia, in the fight against modern slavery.
We’re also looking to use our small but growing voice to amplify the awareness of these programmes and causes, as well as connect with like-minded organisations who might join us in elevate and contribute their time and resources towards the same causes.
If you are aware of a programme that you feel Exent would benefit from, please contact us using the form below.
Why
Exent stands for more than itself.
The need, and our ability to help, are clear.
It is not enough to look on or simply endorse causes once or twice a year.
We are committed to giving back and to building a firm and a team that lives our values.
We’re guided by five real and honest principles.
1. Do What We Can. Grow It Over Time.
Take a broader and holistic view of how we can help, including leveraging our best asset – our people – to support organisations in the ways we support other businesses, without charge. There is an unmet need here.
Over time, we’ll grow the network of companies doing the same, aiming to become a real asset for such organisations in helping them go further, faster in achieving their social mission.
2. Take the long view. Build to last.
We want our people to take the long view of how they contribute, beyond just a single event. Our staff – all future leaders – must think more strategically about how they will foster habits of awareness, build their network, and create more impact with their contributions over their career.
We think there’s an idea around a Career of Contribution that runs alongside everyone’s professional careers.
3. Deliver real outcomes. Meet the need. Avoid self-congratulation.
Make this is a real and concrete way for us to build a social dividend into our mission, but make sure we’re delivering outcomes and not just talking about it. Done well, we want to tangible lift people up in meaningful ways and make that part of what we do as a firm. We think this is powerful.
As a firm of action, we have to hold ourselves accountable for results here to truly demonstrate our values as opposed to simply talk about them. No celebrating the simple act of recognising and supporting the need.
4. Connectedness is important.
Earnest and active contribution re-orients our people to the human experiences of those beyond a group of upwardly mobile, affluent city professionals.
This grounds people and builds the muscles needed for connectedness, which we think makes them better consultants.
We love the idea of win-win here.
5. Avoid self-interest.
Keep this real, don’t turn it into a play.
Our policy is that no staff are allowed to raise or hold a sales conversation with eligible organisations that we have assisted, or might in future assist as part of this programme.
The motives must remain clear – this is not a business generator.
We’ll need help
- We’re committed, but we have a lot to learn. So as we build our understanding and capability we’re also treading lightly.
- We want to avoid causes that might divide along political lines.
- We want to stay humble and out of cynical traps of virtue signalling or social washing.
- We’d value the guidance of community leaders in how to improve on Elevate. As we figure it out, we want to avoid missteps.
- We want to deliver on our promises without overburdening our team and, as always, do an excellent job for the people we serve.
- Above all, we want your help to connect.
Connect with us
If you are an organisation that might benefit from Elevate, or you are aware of such an organisation, please connect with us using the form below or email elevate@exent.co
Elevate
Form capturing enquiries from the Elevate page.