On social engagement as a lawyer
Caroline Daniels has been a lawyer for 13 years. Since the end of 2020, she has also been committed to the non-profit organisation Growfunding. Her social commitment was one of the reasons for choosing to start her own project in the legal profession. We interview her about her commitment to the non-profit organisation.
What exactly does non-profit organisation Growfunding do?
Mr Caroline Daniels: Growfunding is a non-profit organisation that allows all kinds of projects to raise money through a crowdfunding campaign.
You might immediately think of the regulated way companies sometimes raise fresh capital, but Growfunding does not fall under the same umbrella. They do civic crowdfunding, I have not yet found a good term for it in Dutch (laughs).
In civic crowdfunding, you do not become a shareholder or investor, you give your pennies to a particular project and you do so through Growfunding's platform. In return for a donation, you do receive a gift from the project owner. There are other platforms that allow you to raise money in this way, but Growfunding does more than just provide a platform. Growfunding also guides those projects, organisations or start-ups before, during and after setting up their campaign. That makes Growfunding unique.
They are often young people taking their first steps in (social) entrepreneurship. They are coached on topics such as: how to set up a successful campaign, how to make sure my project succeeds, etc.
Asbl Growfunding also helps to get people actively involved in certain projects.
Mr Caroline Daniels: A good example is the Bûûmplanters, which is an organisation that, the name says it all, plants trees. The project comes online, people deposit money to have trees planted but are then also actively invited to come and put a spade in the ground themselves. In this way, Growfunding connects project owners and citizens. Involving people closely in a project through an activity can thus also serve as a gift for a generous donation.
The non-profit organisation also facilitates 'matchfunding'
Mr. Caroline Daniels: Through matchfunding, a project trying to raise money through Growfunding can be additionally supported by an ánother partner or fund.
Let me give an example. Suppose an organisation wants to launch a project to build vegetable gardens on rooftops and would like to raise 7,500 euros for this through Growfunding. Bond Beter Leefmilieu may want to actively support this type of project. In such a case, it can be agreed that if the project reaches the set amount through collections, it will receive the same amount on top of it from Bond Beter Leefmilieu. In this way, Growfunding also connects project holders with other organisations.
Growfunding has set up a special fund within the King Baudouin Foundation. Companies can contribute to this fund, which is then used to support certain campaigns.
So be sure to take a look at the Growfunding website, you might find a project you would like to support.
Why did you decide to get involved with the non-profit organisation?
Mr Caroline Daniels: I think as lawyers we should make our knowledge available to society. As a lawyer you are an entrepreneur yourself, I am a partner in a firm and our firm focuses, among other things, on corporate law, so we assist many entrepreneurs. Vzw Growfunding also gives starting and social entrepreneurs a push and I saw a nice interaction in that.
It's not just associations that get that push, Growfunding also supports small-scale initiatives by people who want to do business in a socially responsible way. Take, for example, someone who wants to make cabinets from reclaimed wood. That would be someone's livelihood but they can also launch a campaign via Growfunding to start up that activity. In return for your donation, you might get a homemade gift made from reclaimed wood.
I think we as lawyers should make our knowledge available to society.
What exactly do you do in the NPO?
Mr Caroline Daniels: I started as a member of the board of directors, but was asked fairly quickly to take on the chair role. As chairman, I actively think about how the non-profit organisation can function better. One of the things I am quite proud of is the pay policy we have developed. Growfunding introduced fully equal birth leave for men and for women: all Growfunding employees are now entitled to 4 months' paid birth leave. It took a lot of consultation with social secretariats and employment law specialists to get that done, but as a signal it can of course count!
Do you commit to other charities?
Mr Caroline Daniels: Yes, I was involved in the start-up of vzw Doucheflux vzw (a non-profit organisation providing homeless shower facilities), for example, and occasionally I still provide legal advice to other vzw organisations.
What do you take from your work as a lawyer into your volunteer work?
Mr Caroline Daniels: Well, since last year I have been a partner at the law firm resolut. and that was a conscious choice: I wanted my own project in the legal profession that left enough room for social commitment. My fellow partners are completely on the same wavelength in this respect, so no one is surprised if I suddenly run away to a Growfunding board meeting.
And what do you take from your volunteer work into your law practice?
Mr Caroline Daniels: An extra leniency towards start-ups. Lawyers in corporate law are sometimes too quick to take it for granted that a start-up should keep very good records of everything but in practice, start-ups sometimes have so much on their minds and tend to see paperwork as an unnecessary formality, through my work at the non-profit organisation Growfunding I have come to understand this better.
Do you want to be part of positive change?
