What I Learned From Declining a Partnership

Early in the life of Protect Our Winters Aotearoa, we were approached by a private jet company.

The offer was significant — around 20% of our annual revenue at the time. The ask was a formal partnership and joint promotion.

We are a climate change advocacy charity. They are in one of the most carbon-intensive industries on earth. The decision sounds obvious in hindsight. It wasn't at the time.

There were genuine arguments on both sides. Could we influence their direction? Did the funding enable more good than the association caused harm?

It took four months and several difficult board conversations. We declined. They made a donation instead, of the same amount.

The lesson I carry from that is this: integrity decisions are rarely as clear-cut as they appear from the outside. But when you've defined your purpose clearly, and your team is aligned around it, you find your way to the right answer. Even when it's expensive.