Published on Spark Strategy on November 3, 2017 by Heather Morecroft
One of the best things about working across the not for profit sector, is the inspiration we draw from innovative initiatives that cross our path… And we want to share these stories! Recently we sponsored the Third Sector Awards, and we were captivated by the story of Good360, who supply Australian charities with free brand-new goods. We caught up with Cheryl Johns (who won the Campaign Manager of the Year accolade at the Awards) to learn more about Good 360.
During the conversation, Cheryl spoke to the huge benefits of meaningful partnerships between values-aligned non-profits and corporates. She also talked to the importance of for-impact organisations adjusting to the “digital world” and optimising their use of technology. On both these points, we couldn’t agree more and we look forward to seeing what Good360 gets up to next!
Heather: Could you please tell us a bit about yourself and your role at Good360?
Cheryl: I’m Head of Marketing and Communications at Good360. I’ve always been in marketing and advertising, both on the client and agency side, so that gave me good insight and expertise for the role. I met Alison, our Founder, in 2014. She’s really a very dynamic person and very passionate and I loved the concept straight away. I thought I would be volunteering for a couple of weeks and here I am! I’ve been an employee for almost three years now.
Heather: What problem does Good360 exist to solve and for who?
Cheryl: We help Australians in need to access brand new goods. We don’t want that product laying dormant in warehouses or, even worse, going to landfill; we really believe that Good360 can provide this stock to charities and we want to get as much of the goods out into the marketplace as possible.
Heather: And how does that work in practice?
Cheryl: We are a distribution channel for corporates to give their excess brand new stock to those in need. We take those goods and give them to charities who provide them to their communities. We have 500 member charities around Australia – small, medium or large, it doesn’t matter. Anyone who is registered with the ACNC can become a member with Good360. Our charities have a small membership fee of $250, the goods are free and the charities pay for the shipping and handling. It’s just a really great way of delivering excess stock into the hands of people who need it.
Heather: What makes Good360 different?
Cheryl: We are technology-based, which makes us different. All of the goods are on an e-commerce platform. It’s easy for charities to access goods day and night. And, because the goods are brand new, they are only getting what they want and need. We’ve invested in that technology so we are scalable. It’s a digital world and we’re providing a solution for that world.
Heather: What are ways that individuals and organisations can get involved with Good360?
Cheryl: Corporate volunteering is a big one…employees giving back. I think that’s a really big draw card for employees and volunteering is an awesome way of doing that. At the organisational level, companies with specific skills have reached out and we’ll always find a way to work with them. And if organisations have workplace giving, we can be on their roster. That would be really great! Another thing is that we have just launched our own donation page.That’s another way that people can help. We’re also very big on partnerships, on aligning ourselves with people that think the same way we do. We’re very keen for people to make contact with us.
Heather: If people were to remember just one thing about Good360, what would that be?
Cheryl: We want to help Australians in need by connecting them to excess stock. It’s as simple as that. We want to make a difference and we will make a difference that is both tangible and measurable.
