Introducing Collective Good
We've changed the name. The work remains the same.
When SpareRoom was created, I wanted to find a way we could use the ingenuity and creativity of our industry to not only give back but to make a lasting positive impact on society. So, we put aside a portion of profit from every project to invest back into organisations doing meaningful work in the world — the kind of organisations that don't have access to the strategic thinking that could change their trajectory.
We called it the Build Back Better Fund. This felt right at the time, the world had just been turned upside down, and rebuilding - with more kindness, more intention, and more fairness than before - felt like exactly the right ambition.
But language moves and times change. Continually and irrepressibly. So it feels time to give the fund a new name. One that says exactly what it is, and exactly who makes it possible.
Welcome to the Collective Good.
Why we created it
SpareRoom was built on a simple belief: that there is always room for compassion. So we set our business model with giving back built into every project. Where for every five new clients we work with, we then gift our full practical strategy process to one not-for-profit, charity, or for-purpose organisation that genuinely needs it.
That’s pro bono, no invoice, no strings.
This isn't a pledge. It isn't a tick-box exercise. It's built into the way we work; every client, every time, without exception. And it only works because our clients, our network, and our community are part of it with us. Hence the name.
What the Collective Good actually does
We bring the same process we use for every paying client. Starting with a sticking point diagnosis and a practical strategy built for the organisation's actual reality; their challenges, their constraints, their tensions that limit their impact. And finished with the right support to make sure the change lands, not just on paper, but in practice.
We use the fund to pay for the skills and experience from the SpareRoom Collective network tailored to fit the problem that needs solving, using the power of our community to help your community.
Who it has helped
Sydney Dogs and Cats Home came to us with their fundraising capability quietly drowning in spreadsheets. Their team was spending up to 16 hours a week on manual processes that should have taken minutes. We conducted a full tech stack audit and integration project, giving them back the time to focus on what they're actually there for: fundraising and lobbying to secure their future and the future of the lost and abandoned animals in their care.
"We couldn't have made a start without Ian and SpareRoom's help, advice and support," said Karen Kalpage, Head of Fundraising and Marketing. "They've simply been amazing."
St Francis Social Services was stuck in the pressures of delivering three specialist services for vulnerable clients, stretching focus in different directions that made it difficult to see beyond the immediate needs of clients and team members. We worked alongside them to deliver their sticking point diagnosis, provide strategic counsel, an employee and stakeholder engagement program and an outcome framework that helped change the conversation from measuring how busy people were, to measuring how it was actually working.
"Ian has helped us identify synergies across our team to enable us to walk with our clients as skilled and committed collaborators," said Dr Angela Argent, CEO. "So that clients can achieve wellbeing and independence and thrive into the future."
What comes next
We recently reached our next ‘five client’ milestone, which means the Collective Good has been triggered again. We're now searching for the next organisation to support.
If you know a not-for-profit, charity, or for-purpose organisation that's doing genuinely good work but feeling stuck - unclear on strategy, losing momentum, unsure of the next step - we'd love to hear about them.
A name is enough. We'll take it from there.
spareroomcollective.com/probono
Thank you to the following members of the Client Collective for helping us reach this milestone.
Citrus Insurance, product positioning and brand strategy
DiJones, brand strategy, organisational engagement and creative execution through DiJones Hypotheticals web series, DiJones Development tender copywriting and brand design
Work Healthy Australia, tender strategy, copywriting and brand design
31st, shopper marketing strategy for pet food and devising and running a shopper marketing masterclass.
35 Degrees North, brand strategy and adoption plan
And a special thank you to Chris Curry on Unsplash for the photo
