(l-r): Lyndon Davis, Courtney Sullivan, Andrew Graves, Hedda Paisley, Julie Prijana, Kedar Oza, Ruwanthi Gunaratne, Eresha De Silva, Candice Man Yan, Lesley Malarkey, Samantha Rosenfels, Jackie Gent, Manasi Kogekar, Anne Van Uden and Stephen Gallagher.

The Advancement Office experienced some changes this year and is now known as the Philanthropy Team reporting to the Office of the Vice-Chancellor. We thought it was the perfect time to highlight this very important area of the University.

Who are you?

The Philanthropy team is led by Hedda Paisley, the Executive Director. The engine room, the place in which everything gets done, includes Eresha De Silva – Prospect Research Manager, Candice Man Yan – Campaign Project Officer, Lyndon Davis – Gift Processing Officer, Ruwanthi Gunaratne – Gift Processing Officer and Anne Van Uden – Administration Officer.

The Major Gifts, Community and Individual team covers everything from small gifts from individuals, community events and annual giving to large donations from high-net-worth donors and Private Ancillary Funds. This team includes Lesley Malarkey – Senior Development Manager, Andrew Graves – Development Manager Major Gifts, Samantha Rosenfels – Development Manager Major Gifts, Stephen Gallagher – Development Officer Major Gifts and Jackie Gent – Development Officer Community and Individual Giving.

The Trusts and Foundations team works with Philanthropic Foundations, Trusts and Public Ancillary Funds. They work very closely with the Research Office, Faculties and researchers to secure philanthropic support. This team includes Manasi Kogekar – Senior Development Manager Trusts and Foundations and Courtney Sullivan – Development Manager Trusts and Foundations.

How do you contribute to the University’s mission?

The Philanthropy Team creates, develops and manages relationships with alumni, friends and donors, and other supporters who help advance the University’s mission. Our vision is to create a lasting and impactful legacy for the University, its students, academics, researchers and the community through building deep relationships and raising funds in an ethical, transparent, and sustainable way.

Our role is to build long term, respectful and productive relationships with donors, supporters, alumni and within our team. We work in partnership with the University Executive, Executive Deans and professional staff colleagues in identifying and stewarding donors and supporters, and in turn, promote the good name of the University.

What are some things that motivate people to give to Macquarie?

This may come as a surprise, but one of the top reasons people give for donating is because they were asked! So, it is our job to ask. Our job is also to ask for the right amount at the right time and for the right cause. Gifts are very personal, and it is the job of the fundraiser to match the cause with the donor.

Whether it’s a million-dollar gift, or a smaller one of just $5, we make sure the donor is thanked properly for their generosity. All gifts both large and small make a difference.

How has COVID impacted the team’s activities this year?

Unable to hold many of our physical donor events our team has held virtual events via Zoom, including changing our Archibald Prize dinner usually held at the Art Gallery of New South Wales. The annual Firies Climb for MND was put on hold and reverted to a peer-to-peer fundraising event #1504forMND, which individuals can complete in their own time.

What have been some the team’s highlights of 2021?

In spite of COVID-19, our team exceeded our target for the year of philanthropic funds by raising $17.3 million (target: $15 million) and is on track to exceed our target for philanthropic funds received. We have also held some fantastic events such as the Archibald Prize online donor event, and one with the Lincoln Legacy Society for donors who have committed to leaving a gift in their will to support a wide range of inspiring student and research projects.

We have been part of successful grant wins such as Dr Andy Barron receiving over $295,000 from the Lord Mayor’s Charitable Foundation to develop an early-warning system to enable beekeepers to detect hives at risk of decline and help halt the decline of the honeybee population. Additionally, we have seen $1.38m raised in 2020/2021 to support the Macquarie University Centre for Motor Neuron Disease Research to help fund clinical trials, biobank and the MND Clinic which is run entirely on donations.

Anything exciting on the horizon?

The Trusts and Foundations team has developed a new strategy for 2022 and beyond which focuses on proactively building relationships with both international (US, Asia) and local Trusts and Foundations. We aim to actively pitch our researchers’ work to these Foundations to obtain even more funding to support their ground-breaking research.

The Major Gifts, Community and Individual Giving Teams will be organising a number of cultivation and stewardship events in 2022 for current and prospective donors.

How can staff engage with Philanthropy?

This month, we are launching a Scholarship Appeal to raise money to support deserving students. Students face tougher financial challenges and barriers to education than ever before and we are appealing to alumni, staff and the MQ community to help them. Find out more here.

The Trusts and Foundations team provides support and expert guidance to academics and staff who are applying for philanthropic grants. A list of these funders is available on the MQ Research webpage here. Please reach out to the team if you are applying for a grant from a Trust or Foundation on advancement.grants@mq.edu.au.

The Philanthropy Team now falls under the Office of the Vice Chancellor and our current office location is in the Hearing Hub, Level 2, 16 University Way. If you’d like to contact us, feel free to reach out on 02 9850 1386 or mqadvancement@mq.edu.au.