Path to Being Passionate

We hear from Associate Professor Wendy Scaife, Director of The Australian Centre for Philanthropy and Nonprofit Studies (ACPNS) at the Queensland University of Technology in this episode. Wendy shares what defines a culture of philanthropy and the evolution of Australian donors. Listen in for unexpected results from some of Wendy’s major research projects and future ACPNS projects that you can look forward to.

Research papers referenced in this episode can be found here.

In this episode, Heather and Brad chat with Sharon Yao, Assistant Director of Data Analytics at Nanyang Technological University (NTU) in Singapore, about how Sharon’s background in mechatronics engineering led her to prospect analysis in the education sector. Find out more about NTU’s 2022 Circle of Excellence Awards entry “Empowering Alumni Giving by ML-Driven Targeting” which won a Grand Gold, and how the ability to predict the probability and capacity of alumni donation will impact the institution’s future fundraising efforts.

This week, we are joined by Soha Hmaidan, Chief Advancement Officer at King’s Academy, a boarding and day school in Jordan. Hear about Soha’s career journey, which includes over 22 years of experience in advancement, the history of King’s Academy, its mission, and how Jordan’s philanthropic trends affect the school’s fundraising efforts.

Our guest for this episode is Fiona Menzies, CEO of Creative Partnerships based in Melbourne, Australia. Fiona shares about the work that Creative Partnerships do, including why government support and philanthropic funding are important for Australian artists. Listen in as Fiona discusses how the emergence of corporate social responsibility has transformed the ways businesses sponsor the art sector, and why fundraising should be at the core of any non-profit organisation’s activities.

This episode, we welcome back Serge Sych, Vice President for Enrollment Management, Career Services and Alumni Relations at Central European University in Vienna, Austria and Budapest, Hungary. Serge shares the lessons he has learnt through experiencing political unrest and forced relocation of Central European University, including how to best manage a crisis, and why engaging with your alumni and stakeholders is vital during challenging times. Also, find out why a crisis communications plan is not enough and how you can best prepare your institution for the unpredictable.

Our voice from the field is Gustavo Segui, Director of Marketing & Advancement at International School of Curitiba in Brazil and Group Leader–Admissions, Marketing & Communications and Advancement at American International Schools in the Americas (AMISA), a non-profit association. Gustavo shares how he became passionate about education, why fighting against the status quo in the education sector is important, and how design thinking as an approach to challenge our assumptions and solve problems can lead to the creation of innovative solutions. Also, find out what he hopes to leave as his legacy and what the next 12 months looks like for him and his team.

We welcome another voice from the field, Mikaeli Costello, Chief Community Engagement Officer at The University of Queensland (UQ) in Australia. Mikaeli shares her passion for delivering authentic value to UQ’s alumni community and how her team meets the needs of their international alumni, including bringing together alumni and partners through their award-winning alumni campaign ChangeMakers. Also, find out how UQ provides a platform for researchers to tackle world issues on Doomscroll Remedy, a podcast series launched earlier this year.

More information on the CASE Global Reporting Standards referenced in this episode can be found here.