PPN Member Highlight: Michelle Temu
Beauty for Ashes: Empowering Transformative Grassroots Change
Creating Beauty from Ashes
Michelle Temu of B4A Collective had a vision as a child. At just six-years-old, while watching news coverage on the famine in Ethiopia, Michelle told her mother:
”One day, I’m going to be a missionary to Ethiopia.”
Thus began a life fuelled by a passion for justice, equity, and creating beauty from ashes.
Born and raised in Auckland's North Shore, Michelle grew up with a foot in two different worlds. Her mother is a Samoan migrant from Fagaloa and Afega, and her father is of Greek descent.
While the North Shore offered a glimpse of privilege, her family often struggled financially. A move to Melbourne as a child deepened her connection to her father’s Greek heritage, but it was as a teenager that she felt a strong pull towards her Samoan identity. This led her to a cultural exchange in South Auckland, a move that would fundamentally alter her perspective.
"I fell in love with South Auckland and being around Island people.”
In South Auckland, Michelle was beholden to the stark economic divide that separated North and South. In a particularly poignant moment at fifteen-years-old, she challenged a palagi teacher who refused to teach his predominantly Pasifika class properly:
This experience inspired her to start a youth charity, where she discovered the power of fundraising. She realized that by effectively communicating a vision, she could secure funding from corporations. It was this realisation that led her to notice a significant gap: small, grassroots nonprofits were struggling to access the same resources as larger organisations.
From there, Michelle ventured out to Ethiopia, where she spent five years volunteering and saw firsthand how Western-centric models of charity often failed to meet the needs of local communities.
"I started to think ‘How can we do this better? How can we do charity better?”
This question ultimately brought her to Australia, with a mission to help small-to-medium grassroots organisations master the art of fundraising.
The Power of Indigenous Generosity
Michelle believes that the principles of fundraising are deeply embedded in Pacific cultures. "Fundraising is such a massive part of our culture. Something that we do naturally, but we often do it for church, for sports trips, or the things that matter for us," she says.
She beautifully illustrates this point with a story from her time in South Auckland, contrasting it with her North Shore upbringing. "The kids were rocking up with unhealthy food, but they were getting bulk: the big packets of chips, or the big 2L drinks, and they did that because they wanted to share."
"That is ingrained in us, that you don’t go to someone’s house empty-handed.”
"You don’t sit at a table and eat in front of someone without offering it to them. And I love that. I think that’s really a part of our Indigenous heritage. We naturally share with those who don’t have, who are right in front of us.”
”That’s something I am trying to restore through B4A Collective.”
This concept of shared generosity, she says, was role-modeled by her mother, who was a leader in her community and created a safe space for neighborhood kids, feeding them and resourcing them with love and care. Michelle sees her own work as an extension of this legacy: helping nonprofit leaders show people they are loved and cared for in their season of hardship.
One of the biggest challenges Michelle faces is helping organisations overcome a "poverty or lack mindset." She explains that when people don't have resources, they can be hesitant to invest in what she offers. She tackles this challenge by sharing her own story of provision, having sold her greatest asset—her house—to move to Ethiopia without a guarantee of income.
"What I saw unfold was provision and 5 years worth of volunteer work that was funded from random donations," she shares. "If I know that it happened to me, the evidence and the data is there that it happens to other organisations, then we can trust it will happen to you too."
Michelle is also keenly aware of the evolving landscape of fundraising, including the rise of "impact creators"and community-centric fundraising. She believes that as people lose trust in large institutions, they are gaining trust in individuals and movements. This is why she champions the idea of a whole community coming together and giving what they can to support community-led organisations.
Michelle’s Advice for Aspiring Leaders
For Pacific Islanders looking to make a difference, Michelle's advice is clear and practical:
Build a strong board: "Invite people who support you wholeheartedly, don't have hidden agendas, who don't need your resources, they have enough resources and they have enough networks and expertise."
Get connected: Join a professional network like the Fundraising Institute of Australia (FIA) to gain accreditation, credibility, and support.
Do what you love: "Doing what you love and getting paid for it is the best way to live your life."
B4A Collective’s Exciting Gala Launch — September 2025
On September 6th, B4A Collective will officially launch in Western Sydney with a gala dinner aptly titled "A Beautiful Thing" at the Colebee in the Nurragingy Reserve.
The event will be a celebration of community and a testament to B4A’s mission, whereby members of the community can come together to create ‘A Beautiful Thing’: a more impactful culture of giving.
It will feature a Powhiri and a smoking ceremony to honor Indigenous peoples, and guests will be seated at tables with people from all walks of life, from community leaders to donors and government officials.
"We are creating a level playing field because everybody has equal value when it comes to social change.”
Join Michelle and help to usher in a culture of giving right where it matters: in our very own communities.
Tickets are available now at the link below.