Our story
Everyone has organised an event at some point in their life, whether it's a birthday, dinner party with friends, or work meeting. Gathering is fundamental to society. When people gather, we learn, collaborate and inspire. However, events can be resource intensive and lead to a lot of waste. They do not always consider the impact on local communities, and can be exclusive or inequitable in their participation. Events must happen, but they need to be done in a way that is sustainable, fair and equitable.
Fran (our founder) had the idea for 4GOOD while working for a community organisation. She wanted to find a sustainable venue for an event, but really struggled. As a serial event organiser, this wasn't the first time she'd experienced this barrier. She thought - how might we make it easier for event organisers, like me, that want to do good? And 4GOOD was born.
Our mission is to increase the number of positive impact events. We help event organise plan and execute events that are sustainable. We measuring the impact of events and apply our background in sustainability science and social innovation to give credible advice and recommendations.
We also regularly host our own positive impact events, such as clothes swaps, climate action workshops, and impact people meet-ups. You can find more information on our website.
We want to foster a community of people who are passionate about doing good through events. If this is you, sign up to our share4GOOD newsletter for tips, ideas and inspiration for your next event.
Our advice
When we started out, we had a very different business model, but we have continually adapted as we tested what's working and what's not. We try to use the Lean Start-Up methodology.
For founders, it's important to be flexible with your idea. Someone once said to us - let the business be a teenager, not a baby.
It's so important to keep getting feedback - use your networks, clients, friends, family, or whoever you can. Build your support around you.
Starting a business can be really stressful and draining, so remember to look after your wellbeing. Work out what schedule works best for you, and try and be strict with yourself to take breaks when you need them.
Our metrics
We count the number of events we have influenced to have a more positive impact.
We measure the number of positive impact actions event organisers implement after working with us.
We track the money we have diverted to sustainable and ethical venues and suppliers.
Where possible, we track whether event guests plan to take on positive impact actions after our events.
