July 2006
Business Name: The Malian Foundation


Simon Malian is the catalyst, driver, and key inspiration behind the phenomenally successful Malian Foundation — a pioneering, global philanthropic initiative developed during 2003 and established in early 2004 that has already revolutionised the way non-profit organisations around the world gain access to management advice and technology solutions by allowing them to bypass extravagant consultancy fees and redirect their savings to serving their constituents.

Having a high achieving streak since childhood, Simon was selected to participate in the Computer Science Gifted and Talented Program at the University of Sydney while still at high school, and later became one of the youngest professional members of the Australian Computer Society in its thirty-nine year history. High school years completed, scholarships were offered by Information Technology Programs at the University of Technology Sydney and University of New South Wales, and accepting the UTS offer, Simon maintained his academic momentum—completing his degree with a high distinction average.

But achievement by and of itself was not the personal reward Simon sought. Endowed with a rich blend of can-do ambition and a strong community mindset, Simon was driven by an inherent need to use his talents for the benefit of the community. Without knowing it then, Simon was merely three years away from delivering this vision.

Now providing management consulting and technology support services, Malian Foundation Consulting Services has attracted a large number of international partners providing in-person support. The Foundation now boasts offices around the world with the list continuing to grow.

The groundbreaking Empowering Communities Program is known worldwide, and is featured across the internet globally. The program boasts more than 600 clients across 55 countries — a testament to Simon’s indelible spirit, generosity of time, and an inbuilt social conscience that strives to help charitable organisations by implementing the Foundation’s core philosophy of “sharing our hopes and living our dreams”.

The Malian Foundation’s work led the World Association for Non-Government Organisations—the leading independent body for non-profit organisations, to award the Foundation its highest level of membership. Senior membership status, a highly prestigious designation, recognises non-profit organisations having a significant and positive impact on the international community.


What is your foundation all about?
The Malian Foundation is a not-for-profit organisation which provides products and services catering to the needs of charitable causes worldwide. Causes supported by the Malian Foundation are wide ranging in the spirit of the Foundation's aims of sharing our hopes and living our dreams. Examples include dog shelters, churches, universities and multi-national organisations. The Foundation operates two programs, the Empowering Communities Program and the Consulting Services Program, both of which are offered without charge.

What motivated you to start your not-for-profit organisation?
I had the time, skills, and I wanted to make a difference.

How did you manage to secure the support and funding to establish your organisation?
I established collaborative win-win deals with for-profit and non-profit organisations. I then enlisted the help of volunteers. I also had some of my own funds to cover any shortfalls.

Did you experience any challenges when setting up your organisation? If so, what did you learn from them?
Two main challenges come to mind. The first being the idea that a 21 year old can tell a bunch of 60 year old non-profit executives how to manage their non-profits. That’s just asking for trouble! What I learnt: If I put my mind to it and persevere, it will get easier and I will be successful in the long run. To counteract the issue, once the Foundation was more well-known I was able to establish a Board of Governance and various Advisory Committees staffed by experienced non-profit and corporate executives which assisted in rectifying any public image issues. The second challenge was finding appropriate overseas partners. I found some of our initial partners did not share our goals as they appeared to fastidiously pursue any direct marking opportunity with our clients while contributing little to the Foundation’s programs. What I learnt: It is important to really determine what the motive is of the partner when you are signing off on a partnership agreement.

What are some of the most valuable lessons you have learned?
I have learnt two valuable lessons. The first lesson is that some of the very best opportunities come unexpectedly and the benefits that may come from them may not be perfectly clear when you first hear of them. I remember a United Nations Development Program web editor was looking for new stories. I didn’t think much of it at the time when they contacted us initially. They covered the Foundation within their globally distributed newsletter and endorsed us upon their website which had a HUGE effect. We suddenly started getting covered in newspapers around the world, other newsletters, other websites, and our Empowering Communities Program received a significant boost in new client registrations during the week of its publication. The second lesson would be that there is no harm in giving things a go. If it works, that’s great! If it doesn’t work out, there is always another time to try again.

What have you had to sacrifice and what have you gained from the experience thus far?
I have had to sacrifice a very large amount of time and personal funds. I have gained a lot of knowledge about how to operate a business which spans multiple countries, how to conduct business development, how to better relate to people of different cultures and backgrounds, meeting a lot of new people, the personal satisfaction of seeing something I thought up in my head turned into a reality.

Do you consider your organisation to be your biggest personal achievement to date?
I do actually. It has been a significant undertaking and I did face a lot of resistance and doubt initially regarding the entire concept. The fact that I was able to overcome those obstacles makes me feel quite pleased.

If you had to do it all over again, would you do anything differently?
I had to pick something that I would do differently if I was to do it all over again from scratch, it would be taking more time when making hiring and partnership decisions. I feel, in the early days of the Malian Foundation’s establishment, I did not place enough importance on selecting people and organisations which shared our beliefs and goals. Not having the right people or partners lead to a mismatch which was quite counterproductive.

What advice could you provide for other young people interested in starting their own business?
-          Have a network of friends who share the same mindset as you.
-          Go to trade fairs for the industry you are interested in.
-          Visit venture capitalists – they often will give you free, frank, and
           honest feedback.
-          Start your idea on a smaller scale. See how it goes. Then
           gradually build it up from there.
-          The first days will be difficult but it will get easier as time goes on.