What was your inspiration for creating The Hidden Philanthropist?
To shine a light and bring to the forefront all the amazing community-minded support that so many people offer. It’s both ugly and frowned upon to push your own agenda when it comes to philanthropy and helping others, however there are so many incredible people out there who need to have their agendas highlighted and their philanthropic work spoken about in a public forum. This is so important. I created a platform that allows these selfless people to shine and at the same time inform, teach and inspire listeners about the power of helping others. There are so many ways we can all help and make a difference, within whatever capacity we individually have. It’s not just about financial donation, there are so many ways to help and the goal of the podcast is to highlight there and help people find their own way to give back.
What attracted you to creating a podcast over other mediums of communication?
I always believed that a podcast would be the best format for me to use to extract information from people. I love communicating with people and engaging them in conversation, and I am genuinely interested in every word they have to say. And once I realised that this is one of my greatest strengths, creating a podcast seemed like they natural way forward. The Hidden Philanthropist allows me to meet our guests, build trust and establish a good rapport – so they feel comfortable to talk openly about how and why they do what they do. Some of the conversations I have had on the podcast journey and the level of trust I was able to achieve has been incredibly inspiring to me.
What does success look like for you in relation to the podcast?
If I can bring to the front of people’s attention all the amazing things that my guests have done in the philanthropic space, then I have found success. They deserve the be celebrated. The upside of this success I hope will be inspiring other people to engage with their communities or causes that they wish to align themselves with and go out and make a difference. Donate a few hours of your time, read a book to a sick child, deliver food to the elderly or the homeless. It doesn’t take a lot to make a big impact.
Who is your ideal target audience, and why?
Anyone who wants to and is willing to make a difference, but needs a little guidance and inspiration. They need to understand how they can make an impact and where they can go to get advice on how they can help. I also hope that my audience is made up of people who discover a newfound respect for the amazing guests on the podcast. and gain an understanding of the incredible work that they do. Every single guest has left me feeling so inspired and full of respect, I hope listeners find the same inspiration.
Where do you see the podcast growing to in the next 3-5 years?
We will continue to celebrate our homegrown heroes and draw attention all the amazing individuals and organisations who help support our communities. We’ll chat with some very well-known identities along with more anonymous but no less inspiring guests. I want to continue to uncover and discover people who inspire us so we can recognise and acknowledge the work they do and show them the respect they deserve. I’ll also be travelling overseas to chat with some international guests, people we all know and love but may not be aware of the incredible philanthropic work they do outside of their everyday careers. Hopefully The Hidden Philanthropist continues to build a following, inspire people and create a new network of contacts that I can team up with to make a difference.
If you could make any improvements to philanthropy, what would they be and why?
I would love to help people understand that philanthropy doesn’t just mean handing out money to the mainstream charities we see on TV. I believe Australians suffer a bit of charity fatigue at the moment, especially with recent fires and floods and issues with covid-19. And many people don’t necessarily have much more to give. There is so many ways to give back today without giving money, ways that can offer far greater fulfillment. From engaging with Koala Kids to get an understanding of all the ways we can have positive impact on kids with cancer and the families, to spending time at Pinchapoo packing hygiene bags at that will be delivered to adults and kids suffering from hygiene poverty, to helping fold clothess at Father Bob’s community centre or packaging food at Empower. All these things cost nothing but time, they have a major impact on helping the community, and importantly help us feel a sense of fulfilment.
What attracts you to philanthropy, personally and professionally?
My reason both personally and professionally is exactly the same. It’s because I feel a personal obligation to help those who genuinely need help. There are charities out there that don’t align with me, and that’s ok. However, there are charities that I feel do an amazing job, that need help and I feel that If I can help then I should. I have had a wonderful career to date and have achieved many things I never thought possible. Now it has come to a stage in my life where I feel it’s my time to help others. I can – so I should.
www.andrewpurdie.com.au