Our 10 Year Pro Bono Passion Project

Over the next decade, DAIS are on a mission to make the world a better place.

Passion projects are ingrained in the DNA of DAIS as a way for the business to make cultural shifts and express creative spirit.

For a decade, the business had delivered an audacious goal of producing a book per year chronicling the passions of those in the business over each year for ten years. The DAIS “book of ideas” was the 10th book and final instalment. When the project came to an end, Jack Perlinski went looking for a new passion project for DAIS to sink its teeth into, and following a conversation with his son Alex, the ‘10 chances for change’ project was born.

What is it? Glad you asked. Each year from 2020 to 2030 DAIS will nominate a theme related to the intent of the United Nations 17 Sustainable Development Goals, and select, adopt and sponsor an innovation, initiative or technology that has the potential to have a positive change impact on the future from a local to global context.

The team at DAIS will dedicate time, talent, capabilities and skills to create brands for these ideas, bringing them to life, and building a solid brand foundation to provide the best chance of success, to reach their full potential.

“As a business we are remembered for what we give, not for what we sell,”
said Jack.

“This initiative is a way to connect ‘inspire me’, the brand theme for our business, and enliven it through real action. It’s about going out to the people who work with us and inviting them to be part of an ‘inspire me’.”

The idea came following a fishing trip in 2019, where Jack had an enlightening and crunchy conversation with his son Alex.

Alex felt the lack of action on climate change and the social issues that intersect with it would impact him and his generation more profoundly than his dads, arguing that he wouldn’t be able to do with his children what Jack and Alex were able to do today.

“I realised just how disconnected I was from his world view. I wanted to think about what we could do together to do something about that,”
said Jack.

“What I have to offer is time and experience and creative insight and passion. He has a whole lot of knowledge on sustainability and the world and social justice.”

Pairing the expertise of both Jack and Alex, the 10 chances for change initiative was born.

“DAIS as a creative agency could offer its time and creative talent and passion of its people to help an initiative, an idea, a technology, anything that had the potential of changing the world for the better and create a sense of positivity, and future, that could have a global potential impact. We’d invest in helping that come to fruition,” he said.

Over 10 years, DAIS will donate $1 million worth of company time, money and expertise to an initiative linked to the 17 sustainable development goals of the United Nations.

“We would work with a business for 12 months and invest that $100k of time in them, without any commercial return to us, simply to help their dream and their idea come to life,” he said. “Then each year we’ll track where we are as we progress through the years and document the catalogue of ideas that were brought to the world and have the potential to change the world in which we live.”

In 2020, the first year of the pro bono project, the team focussed on the theme of empowering local people to solve local issues with international consequences to help achieve a better future for all. The business was Mel, an app for women to help manage their mental load. The long term goal of the business is to help reduce infant mortality rates in first nation communities.

The team at DAIS helped Mel founder Nicolette Minnie rebrand the business to give it a voice, campaign language and put it in a position to seek out funding. After the year-long project was completed, the team continued to check in and offer advice and assistance where necessary.

In 2021, DAIS worked with Sarz Spirit Foundation and Sanctuary, an organisation which provides support and hope to those who experienced the sudden loss of a loved one. The foundation was founded by Julie and Mark Wallace after their daughter Sara Zelenak, was murdered in the London Bridge and Borough Markets street terror attack.

Jack explains that destiny brought the two organisations together just at the right time – when the charity was struggling to secure funding.

“Mark and Julie needed someone to step in when no one else had the passion,” he said. DAIS were able to help them launch their new brand in September 2021 and are now actively searching for next year’s idea.

“We are sensing what is happening and I am constantly looking at articles and what’s happening out there that is really change-charged,” he said.

Jack believes that ideas that will change the world are out there, and this project is designed to develop the tools these brands need to ignite their ideas and empower them to make a lasting change.

If you have a project or know of one that will change the world but requires the tools to ignite ideas and empower those driving them to make a difference, we’d love to hear about it. Visit our webpage to find out more and apply.