About Us
MATES Fund is a community-led development organisation built on a simple belief: there has to be a better way to do this. We exist to support long-term, practical change alongside communities — not through one-off charity, but through meaningful action, transparency, education, and support.
“There has to be a better way to do this.”
That thought first landed more than a decade ago — and it hasn’t left since.
MATES Fund was born out of a growing discomfort with traditional charity models that felt transactional, disconnected, and too often shaped by outside agendas rather than community needs. Using privilege without reflection didn’t sit right. Volunteer tourism felt superficial. Fundraising felt distant from the people it was meant to support. Even well-intentioned systems seemed to centre the giver more than the community.
So we decided to build something different.
MATES Fund is a 100% volunteer-run, community-led development organisation focused on practical action, transparency, and long-term responsibility. We work alongside local partners to support education, infrastructure, and ethical crisis response — prioritising local leadership over outside solutions, and delivery over optics. There are no salaries, no paid board, and no hidden overheads. Accountability matters, because trust matters.
Our work began in Fiji, where long-standing relationships with community leaders fundamentally shaped how we operate. Fiji wasn’t chosen for convenience — it was chosen because of the people. The strength of community, shared responsibility, and deep connection to place taught us that meaningful change doesn’t come from arriving with answers. It comes from listening, staying, and showing up consistently.
Since those early projects, MATES Fund has grown — not by scaling fast, but by responding to real needs. Today, our work includes community-led education initiatives and partnerships in Pakistan, alongside ongoing projects in Fiji. Each program is shaped locally, delivered with trusted partners, and supported through transparent funding and clear decision-making.
As climate-driven disasters increasingly affect the communities we work with, MATES Fund is also building a dedicated crisis and resilience reserve. This fund exists to support emergency response, recovery, and long-term resilience — ensuring that when floods, cyclones, or climate shocks occur, communities can access timely, responsible support shaped by their own priorities.
We are not here to arrive with solutions.
We are not here to impose programs.
We are not here to perform good intentions.
We are here to listen, to work alongside, and to support solutions defined by the people closest to the challenges — using resources carefully, transparently, and with respect.
That original question still guides us.
Everything we do is an attempt to answer it better.
