S1 E11 | Philanthropy’s role in building social cohesion with Vedran Drakulic OAM

On the eleventh episode of the Voices of Australia podcast, Vedran Drakulić helps us navigate the relationship between philanthopy and social cohesion. Vedran Drakulić OAM is the CEO of Gandel Foundation, one of the largest private family foundations in Australia. In this episode, we chat with Vedran about:

• How Vedran's career began as a fixer for Sports Illustrated magazine at the Sarajevo '84 winter Olympics.
• Vedran's story of settling his family in Australia.
• The challenge of paternalism and the saviour syndrome in not-for-profit sectors.
• The cultural shifts taking place in the philanthropic space.
• The importance of organisational listening and when to accept you're not the expert.

Voices of Australia is a Scanlon Foundation Research Institute podcast exploring all things interesting in the world of social cohesion. You can find us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Want to contribute to the conversation? Send us your reflections and comments to: [e-mail] You can also Tweet us @Scanlon_Inst

  Meet our guest: Vedran Drakulić

Vedran Drakulić OAM is the CEO of Gandel Foundation, one of the largest private family foundations in Australia.   Vedran was born and raised in Bosnia and left Sarajevo while it was under siege, in 1995. During the conflict, he served with the Red Cross as a logistics officer, interpreter and press officer. He worked on both sides of the frontline, providing humanitarian assistance to those in need.   Since arriving in Australia as a refugee, Vedran has remained a true humanitarian, committed to promoting social justice and social cohesion. He has spent more than 15 years working in communications, marketing, and fundraising in the humanitarian sector, with Red Cross in Australia and overseas, and with Oxfam Australia, followed by a senior role in the corporate sector and then philanthropy.   Vedran is a proud “Bossie” (Bosnian Aussie) and is committed to giving back to his community. He actively supports many community organisations, including the Vinnies’ CEO Sleepout, where in the past eight years, he individually raised over $1 million for their homelessness programs. Vedran received the Medal of the Order of Australia in 2017 for his service to the community