The Giving Habit

Earlier this week on The Giving Habit, we spoke with Rachel Engel of Macquarie Group Foundation to better understand the world of corporate philanthropy and their critical role within the social impact space.

In this follow-up REFLECTIONS episode, host Stephen Keys reveals the biggest takeaways from his conversation with Rachel, including how social change always happens on the individual level, whether in large foundations or small-scale initiatives.

Learn more about the Macquarie Group Foundation: https://www.macquarie.com/au/en/about/community/2026-foundation-annual-review.html

The Giving Habit is brought to you by The Majurity Trust, building a thriving, sustainable Singapore for all. Learn more at https://www.majurity.sg/tgh

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In this episode of The Giving Habit, Rachel Engel (managing director at Macquarie Group Foundation), explains how money is the least valuable thing a corporate funder brings to the table, as building relationships and sharing skillsets becomes a more vital part of successful social impact.

CHAPTERS

00:00 Intro

00:17 Rachel's background

01:14 The spark: theatre and corporate social impact

04:22 Overview of Macquarie Group Foundation

06:17 Why Macquarie's foundation is part of the business

10:52 Articulating value: people and purpose

13:06 Leadership qualities for social impact

17:14 Responding to crises with resilience and purpose

22:28 Engaging nonprofits and building trust

26:28 Mutual investment and partnership opportunities

29:03 Culture of innovation and entrepreneurial spirit

30:58 Place-based impact in London and community collaboration

38:25 Staff engagement, volunteering, and incentives

45:41 Redemption Roasters and social enterprise

47:47 Cultural differences in philanthropy across regions

54:20 Future challenges and opportunities for Macquarie Foundation

55:32 Closing remarks and personal interests in sports

Learn more about the Macquarie Group Foundation: https://www.macquarie.com/au/en/about/community/2026-foundation-annual-review.html

The Giving Habit is brought to you by The Majurity Trust, building a thriving, sustainable Singapore for all. Learn more at https://www.majurity.sg/tgh

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

arlier this week on The Giving Habit, we sat down with Lisa Cotton, chair of Kennards Hire Foundation and CEO of Ideology Group, to understand social impact beyond the financial details and why a structured approach creates better results.

In this special REFLECTIONS episode, host Stephen Keys looks back on his conversation with Lisa to underscore some of her most pertinent insights, including how curiosity is often the first step for us to make a difference, not our wealth or skillset.

Watch the full episode with Lisa Cotton here: https://youtu.be/-4G5IQJMTuo

Learn more about Kennards Hire Foundation: https://www.kennards.com.au/kennards-hire-foundation

The Giving Habit is brought to you by The Majurity Trust, building a thriving, sustainable Singapore for all. Learn more at https://www.majurity.sg/tgh

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode of The Giving Habit, we sit down with Lisa Cotton — CEO of Ideology Group, Chair of the Kennards Hire Foundation, and a member of AirTrunk's Social Impact Committee — to unpack the shift from transactional giving to intentional, trust-based philanthropy.

Learn more about Kennards Hire Foundation: https://www.kennards.com.au/kennards-hire-foundation

CHAPTERS:

0:00 Intro

0:48 Strategic Philanthropy at Kennards Hire Foundation

4:25 Measuring Impact and Program Success

10:03 Deepening Donor Relationships

15:05 Personal Pathways into Social Impact

22:25 Challenges Facing the Sector

31:36 Developing Storytelling Capabilities

40:48 Philanthropy in Wealth Management

45:15 Mentorship and Leadership Support

59:20 Reflections on Personal Purpose

The Giving Habit is brought to you by The Majurity Trust, building a thriving, sustainable Singapore for all. Learn more at https://www.majurity.sg/tgh

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode of The Giving Habit, we speak with CEO of Daylight Advisors Dien Yuen to understand the role of philanthropic advisors, how families can benefit from a shared transition towards generosity, as well as how Dien's own experience as a refugee shaped her view of social impact.

Find out more about Daylight Advisors: https://www.daylightadvisors.com/

CHAPTERS:

00:00 Introduction to Dien's journey and expertise

02:07 Early influences: refugee experience and community support

03:44 The founding of Daylight Advisors and its mission

05:06 Skills and attributes of effective philanthropic advisors

06:56 The impact of the great wealth transfer on advising practices

09:05 Engaging families across cultures and generations

12:32 The importance of values, purpose, and flourishing

16:48 Cultural dexterity and communication in advising

19:51 Unpacking family stories, legacy, and the six Ts framework

24:28 Cultural norms and legal considerations in estate planning

30:43 Opportunities for social impact leaders and fundraisers

37:35 The future of philanthropy advisory and emerging trends

The Giving Habit is brought to you by The Majurity Trust, building a thriving, sustainable Singapore for all. Learn more at https://www.majurity.sg/tgh

#philanthropy #charity #socialimpact

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Earlier this week on The Giving Habit, we spoke with Tom Steele from Centre for Evidence and Implementation, to unpack how their research and unique approach allows charities to design more effective social change.

In this special follow-up REFLECTIONS episode, host Stephen Keys looks back at his conversation with Tom to highlight exactly what makes CEI's mission special, and why understanding how a strategy works is crucial to improving social impact.

The Giving Habit is brought to you by The Majurity Trust, building a thriving, sustainable Singapore for all. Learn more at https://www.majurity.sg/tgh

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode of The Giving Habit, host Stephen Keys sits down with Tom Steele, Principal Advisor at the Centre for Evidence and Implementation (CEI), to unpack the science of turning good intentions into lasting social impact.

Learn more about CEI here: https://www.ceiglobal.org/

The Giving Habit is brought to you by The Majurity Trust, building a thriving, sustainable Singapore for all. Learn more at https://www.majurity.sg/tgh

CHAPTERS:

00:00 Intro

01:57 What does CEI do and its focus areas

04:11 Tom's journey into social impact and research background

06:00 Understanding impact: from theory to real-world application

09:04 Engagement timing: from early intervention to scaling

11:09 Challenges of scaling pilot programs to national level

12:56 The voltage drop concept in program scaling

15:49 The role of storytelling and emotion in evidence-based work

18:09 Building narratives to shift mindsets and policy

22:10 Counterintuitive findings and unintended consequences

25:04 Sustaining impact beyond awareness days

30:02 Contextual factors in choosing implementation strategies

36:07 The importance of evidence mindset for small and large organizations

37:02 The role and limitations of randomized control trials

44:01 Applying evidence in complex social settings

50:08 Advice for organizations developing an evidence-based approach

54:09 The future of implementation science in philanthropy and social impact

#philanthropy #socialchange #charitypodcast

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Earlier this week on The Giving Habit, we sat down with CEO of The Majurity Trust Martin Tan, to discuss how their method of collaborative social impact brings charities together, and challenges the standard view of what it means to thrive.

In this special follow-up REFLECTIONS episode, host Stephen Keys breaks down what he found most impactful from his conversation with Martin, and what both old and new members of the space can learn from The Majurity Trust's work.

The Giving Habit is brought to you by The Majurity Trust, building a thriving, sustainable Singapore for all. Learn more at https://www.majurity.sg/tgh

#singapore #philanthropy #charity

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In this episode of The Giving Habit, host Stephen sits down with Martin Tan, CEO of The Majority Trust in Singapore, to unpack how the power of the collective is reshaping social impact.

Whether you're a donor, a nonprofit leader, or simply curious about social impact, this is an honest conversation about what it takes to build a thriving charitable ecosystem.

CHAPTERS:

0:00 – Intro

4:18 – What "Maju" means and the story behind the name

5:56 – Thriving vs. succeeding: redefining social impact

11:15 – Doing philanthropy differently: an ecosystem approach

14:38 – The Majority Trust's 12 philanthropic funds

17:14 – Inside Foundry: the home of collective impact in Singapore

21:00 – Why local context and local voices matter

27:08 – Trust, relationships and honest conversations in giving

28:25 – Innovation in philanthropy: recyclable grants, match trading & impact-first funds

31:31 – The Maybank & Temasek partnerships

34:24 – "The most innovative idea is an old one applied to a new problem"

40:01 – Gratitude, humility and the road ahead

The Giving Habit is brought to you by The Majurity Trust, building a thriving, sustainable Singapore for all. Learn more at https://www.majurity.sg/tgh

#singapore #philanthropy #charity

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Earlier this week on The Giving Habit, we sat down with TalentTrust CEO Lisa Gainer to understand how skills-based volunteering can create better social change, and how their programs can teach corporates to approach volunteering the right way.

In this follow-up REFLECTIONS episode, host Stephen Keys sits down with Colleen Sang to discuss their biggest takeaways from his conversation with Lisa and how aspiring change-makers can learn from TalentTrust's mission.

The Giving Habit is brought to you by The Majurity Trust, building a thriving, sustainable Singapore for all. Learn more at https://www.majurity.sg/tgh

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.