#122 'Corporate to nonprofit leadership', Frances Benge CEO of Cure Kids

<p>Frances Benge joins Purposely to share her journey from corporate to nonprofit leadership as CEO of Cure Kids.</p> <p>Frances started her career as a nurse then worked for 30 years in the pharmaceutical sector before being appointed as CEO of Cure Kids in 2015.</p> <p><em>‘It wasn't an easy transition, there was a perception that I was this big international bigwig that didn't have any fundraising experience, I had to really prove myself to the team before I think they gave me any credibility’.</em></p> <p>Frances shares her experience moving from corporate to the charity sector and provides a candid account of the challenges she faced in her first months in the role.</p> <p><em>‘Everybody believed in what we were doing, and they were passionate about the cause, but underneath the purpose, there was a lot of dysfunction.’</em></p> <p>Did she have any doubts about what she had taken on? At first Frances worried that she may lack the necessary fundraising experience or skills to successfully run a charity. She found her lack of experience ended up being a positive and helped her develop a fresh strategy for the charity. She improved income generation and fundraising capacity and reviewed how the charity used their resources - taking this opportunity to cut costs.</p> <p><em>‘We were able to carve at least half a million dollars’ worth of costs, which sounds incredibly mercenary, but at this stage, the balance between our income and our expenses needed urgent attention. I couldn't hand on heart go to donors and say this huge percentage of your donation is going towards operating costs.’</em></p> <p>While the move was challenging at times, Frances was able to successfully make the changes and set the charity on a path to success. Despite those initial doubts, she always fundamentally believed that she was in the right role.</p> <p>Established in 1971, Cure Kids is a registered charity that invests millions of dollars every year into child health research. They find cures and better treatments for serious illnesses