Work with purpose
One of the fundamental reasons our founder Gavin McChristie started Cornerstone-Bali was his desire to build a community & business that would have a social impact. Our belief is that by creating a community of like-minded, talented individuals, we can enact real positive change across a global community.
Causes we are currently involved in include finding ecological solutions for a cleaner, greener island and ocean, entrepreneurial-skills development for underprivileged children, sustainable tourism and bringing clean water to rural Indonesia. We are committed to helping these causes find practical and educational solutions to create a better world for everyone.
Our core community mission
- To reinvest 5% of all profit into the local community.
- To allocate 20% of all staff time to local charities.
- To support international students with free accommodation.
- To provide local children with clothing.
- To harness solar power effectively.
Get involved!
The cornerstone of our ongoing social project is community engagement—that’s where you come in! Do you have the time and passion to contribute to the local community? Here’s how you can get involved:
- Consider the skills you bring to the table, and how much time you can give. Then, register your interest with our Cogiving Officer.
- Look out for Cornerstone-Bali Community Meetings. These are generally posted within our flourishing Facebook community.
- Simply looking to donate? We can put you in touch with the organisations that need it most.
By paying your membership fee, you are already making a contribution towards the development of the tropical island paradise we call home. Any Cornerstone-Bali profit from memberships and events flow back into the Cornerstone-Bali community, as well as a selected group of grassroots and community outreach programs in Bali and Indonesia.
Organisations we support
Merah Putih Hijau
This organisation is helping our local community build waste infrastructure, and create a color-coded waste separation strategy. Merah, Putih, Hijau means Red, White, Green which is the colour coding strategy used (the red and white are found on the Indonesian flag, so MPH also reflects Indonesia going green). MPH is currently building a recycling & composting facility in Pererenan Village and a framework to be replicated across Bali.
MPH was formed in 2016, when a group of motivated people got together with the aim of improving Bali’s growing plastic and waste issues. The group is collaborating with DesaPererenan (the local subak), local residents, a local sustainability company, and Cornerstone-Bali to bring a scalable solution.
Stella’s Child
Founded in 2013, Stella’s Child exists to support Indonesian youth from deeply disadvantaged backgrounds as they prepare to leave children’s homes and orphanages and enter the world of work. Stella’s Child equips these young people, aged 12-19, with the skills they need to succeed in life and break the cycle of poverty for themselves and their families. Their innovative, interlinked programs provide the life skills, real world business experience and employment connections necessary to access job opportunities they would otherwise be denied.
Bye Bye Plastic Bags
Bye Bye Plastic Bags is a social initiative driven by the youth to get the people of Bali to say ‘No’ to plastic bags. Founders and sisters, Melati (15) and Isabel (13) Wijsen started Bye Bye Plastic Bags 3 years ago when they were inspired by a lesson at school about significant people like Nelson Mandela, Lady Diana, and Mahatma Ghandi.
They went home that day and asked, “What can we do as children living in Bali, and what can we do NOW?” Bye Bye Plastic Bags was born in 2013 and now has a volunteer team of 25-30 students from schools around Bali, both local and international.
