Right Source

My not-for-profit podcast was going so well I decided to do an accounting podcast too. You can find Accounting On Purpose on all the major podcast directories, or see the link in the comments.

Right Source is excited to announce the appointment of Elissa Pearse to the role of Executive Director. Elissa brings to Right Source a depth of knowledge and experience in governance, strategy, and stakeholder engagement that will further enhance the capability of our team. As an integral member of the executive team, Elissa will be key to driving the direction and continued growth of Right Source.
Elissa has been working with Right Source in a casual capacity since early 2021 and has now accepted a permanent position within our executive team. Elissa honed her governance skills through work in legal, risk and strategy roles in highly regulated environments. She has worked in professional practice, for financial services organisations in Australia and in the UK, and most recently for the Queensland Government.
Elissa has a Bachelor of Business (majoring in Banking and Finance) and a Bachelor of Laws (Hons) from the Queensland University of Technology, and a Graduate Diploma in Legal Practice from the College of Law, Sydney. In 2021, she was awarded a distinction on her Executive Master of Business Administration studies.
The Right Source model is providing not-for-profit organisations the tools and skill sets to successfully advance the achievement of their purpose. With the number of organisations working with Right Source continuing to expand, the positive impact we are making continues to grow.
Right Source is a business of people who solve problems. Our skillset in governance and business provides valuable and relevant support to organisations with a social purpose.

With Right Source celebrating its 5th birthday, I have been reflecting on the journey so far. So much I had hoped for has come to fruition. More surprising is the amount that has been learnt in 5 years. Here are my key lessons:

Being clear on who we are hasn’t changed
I pulled out my original business plan from 5 years ago. It was a conceptual plan that contained what I wanted Right Source to be - how we worked, how we engaged with clients and staff, and how we went about business in general. This has stayed true throughout the journey.

I have had multiple opportunities to give up
In 5 years I have had 6 clear options to give up on my dream of Right Source. From the initial step of leaving gainful employment, having patience while getting going, to receiving job offers to join other people’s dream. Each one of them would have been reasonable to take, so they were not easy decisions. Yet here I am.


I have always been a hard worker, so when I was told it is hard starting a business, I was sceptical. I have learnt more in the last 5 years than the rest of my life. Working on your dream, in your dream job, with dream staff and dream clients does not result in you “never working a day in your life”. For me it means I have never worked harder because of the passion and enjoyment I have for what I do.

I am learning to listen and reflect
Feedback is the most valuable thing you can receive, good and bad. I have received a fair portion of both. Listening to bad feedback is tough and there are lessons to be learnt. Surprisingly I have found the more valuable lessons can be found in the good feedback. To find these lessons requires closer attention and to be seen. I now take as much time reflecting on what I could do better as I do on what I have done well; to learn the lessons found in both.

Don’t act out of fear
Starting my own business was a big step into the unknown. What I discovered early on was there are a lot of people who sell to you using fear. When you move into a state of fear, you don’t tend to think as rationally. If someone is making me feel anxious, I try not to make any long-term decisions. I will take pause and consider the question in a less pressured setting.

Doing it
Starting out, there is a strong desire to take every opportunity. As I have gone along, I have learnt that not every opportunity suits what I intended to create. I have learnt to be consistent with my vision and make a conscious decision to do or not do something. Sometimes I have travelled down a path and then realised it is not the right one, which calls for harder decisions. It is these decisions that have made Right Source what it is today. The people who work here, the clients we work with and the work we do.

With all these lessons, Right Source has moved from a dream, to something real and alive. Now others can see Right Source as what I had hoped it would be. I remain excited by the future and continuing on this journey.

I've started a Podcast! It's called "Not-for-Profit on Purpose", and I'll be talking about, you guessed it, not-for-profits. If you want to learn some tips and tricks for your NFP, search for it on on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and more.

May 12th is ME Awareness Day. Myalgic Encephalomyelitis Group Australia are working on better healthcare for people with ME.

This is an amazing TED Talk. It really resonated with me and I believe we are facing the same problems in the NFP space here in Australia. Give it a watch. https://www.ted.com/talks/dan_pallotta_the_way_we_think_about_charity_is_dead_wrong?language=en

The way we think about charity is dead wrong Activist and fundraiser Dan Pallotta calls out the double standard that drives our broken relationship to charities. Too many nonprofits, he says, are rewarded for how little they spend -- not for what they get done. Instead of equating frugality with morality, he asks us to start rewarding charitie...

I am proud to announce that I am now a specialist business member of The Xfactor Collective - Social Impact Community. The Xfactor Collective is a growing network of values-led and experienced specialist consultants and professional services across every discipline, with deep expertise in the social impact and not-for-profit sectors. I can help your organisation with finance and governance, while my colleagues in the Collective can assist across strategic fundraising, philanthropy, research, organisational strategy and much more.

2020 was tough. Are you ready to Bounce Back? I’ll be on a fundraising and not-for-profits webinar on Wednesday March 10 at 9am AEST. I’ll be talking about achieving purpose during disruption. 2020 was a year that caused a massive level of disruption for everyone. For not-for-profits it presents the risk of not being able to achieve their purpose during these challenging times. Yet as we move out of 2020 into 2021 we find that we are still moving forward and some have not only survived, but seemingly thrived through the disruption. How is this possible?

There are other sessions in the Bounce Back program including Facebook advertising for NFPs, social good through storytelling, acquiring new donors, and KPIs for NFPs.

Register for the free Bounce Back program here and choose which sessions to attend https://www.keela.co/lp/bounce-back

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