Gill Whelan on Philanthropy and Her Realisation, “you can build a meaningful career after the chaos of early motherhood”.

Can you tell us a little about you and your family:

I have two big kids, sons who are in their early 20s now.

How do you manage the juggle when it comes to trying to do it all?

As my kids are older now I’m not in the thick of it, but really, I just don’t try to do it all anymore! I say no to things I don’t want to go to, or just stay for a short time if they’re obligatory.

I try hard not to overcommit myself and I’ve learnt to put myself right up there in terms of who I allocate my time to.

If you could go back in time, what would you tell yourself (or new mums)?

I always try really hard to be in the present or have my eyes on the future. There’s no going back for a re-do, so no point being stuck with regrets. Every experience teaches us a lesson and some leave amazing memories, and that’s how I prefer to look at the past.

Any tips or tricks to manage the day-to-day juggle?

I start my day early for the win! I exercise first thing and take my time to get organised so that I go into the day in a good headspace and not feeling too rushed.

Who is in your village?

I’m blessed to have a fabulous village of people who enrich my life in different ways. This includes my siblings, my mum, my best friend, different groups of girlfriends, work colleagues and, excitingly, new friends who are doing similar things to me at this time in our lives and know me just for the person I am right now.

The 5 things in your bag you can’t leave home without:

• My Apple AirPods – I listen to podcasts constantly.
• DECJUBA sunglasses – I love the oversized cat-eye ones.
• Chantecaille lipstick in Sari Rose.
• Chantecaille compact.
• Nun perfume by Laboratorio Olfattivo.

Favourite brand and why?

DECJUBA, of course! Not only because I can get everything,  from basics to activewear, workwear to elevated pieces, but because every purchase is impactful. We recently announced that 1% from every sale goes to DECJUBA Foundation and supports our charity partners.

Trend you’re loving right now?

High-waisted, wide-leg pants. I have far too many in different colours.

Trend you can’t get on board with?

Cut-outs. Not a chance of making that work!

Latest brand discovery?

I’m loving COS and Assembly Label. Simple, stylish and affordable.

You’ve worked in the philanthropic space for nearly a decade. What inspired you to move into this field?

I’ve been lucky enough to work on both sides of philanthropy, as a fundraiser and now as a funder.

I started out working in the not-for-profit sector as a volunteer and quickly realised how much more meaningful the work was, so I set about making that my paid job. It can be a really hard slog sometimes, but when you really believe in what you are doing and see the difference you can make, then that’s really rewarding.

Now, as a funder, I get to work with not just one charity but many, and I have a very strong understanding of how lives can be transformed by generosity.

St Kilda Mums (now Our Village) was a big part of your life. What were some of your proudest moments from your time there?

You’re right, St Kilda Mums was a big part of my life for a number of reasons. I really found my confidence professionally after quite an extended period out of the workforce due to parental leave and a stint living overseas with my family. And I was lucky enough to have a fabulous mentor, St Kilda Mums founder, Jessica Macpherson,  who pushed me to step out of my comfort zone and helped me see that I had more skills than I gave myself credit for.

It was a special time to be part of that organisation during a period of rapid growth, when the fundraising had to keep up with the increased need in the community.

We were able to really tap into expanding local support and build a community. A lot of that was through social media, and I’ll always be proud of the way we were able to do that so organically and authentically.I also grew the legendary Mother’s Day Lunch into a must-attend event, which not only raised a lot of money but really built our brand.

And it was how I met DECJUBA’s owner and CEO, Tania Austin, and paved the way for my move into my current role.

What key lessons did you take away from your time supporting at-risk mothers and families?

I learnt not to make assumptions about how people find themselves in a crisis situation. Sometimes it can just take one or two things to go wrong, and no support network, and you might find yourself having to ask for help. As a fundraiser, I was at the frontline raising money, seeking donations and building partnerships, all of which has helped inform our approach to funding at DECJUBA Foundation. I’m really committed to being approachable for a chat about how we fund, and to being as transparent as possible. The intention is to demystify philanthropy where possible, to encourage people or businesses to just get started with their giving if they’re not sure, and of course, to give more!

Now you’re at DECJUBA Foundation. Can you share more about the mission and the work you do with charity partners?

We have a really bold mission: to positively impact 25 million lives by the end of 2025, and I can share that we are almost there!

We work with about 20 local, national and international charity partners who are doing amazingly impactful things and we support them in a variety of ways. My experience in fundraising really showed me what “good giving” looks like and Tania and I are very aligned in how DECJUBA Foundation shows up: multi-year, united funding, strong relationships, sharing our networks, and as little paperwork as possible. We’d much prefer to chat!

Since becoming a mum, has your approach to career changed?

You know, no one reminded me during those hard times of juggling work and family when my kids were young that you can build a really rewarding career when you’re out the other side of intensive child rearing! I have much, much less of a mental load around household stuff these days, which has freed me up to be more ambitious, focused and brave when it comes to my work. It’s an unexpected freedom actually, and I’m enjoying work more than I ever have.

Has motherhood changed the type of work you want to do or your career goals?

When my children were younger, I was really focused on having flexibility so that I could be there for my kids as much as possible. Working in the charity sector definitely helped me to do that. But now, with experience under my belt, I’m driven by how I can best utilise my skill set for positive change in a job that is rewarding.