Canberra Hospital Foundation
“Canberra Hospital Foundation (CHF) commissioned Global Philanthropic to provide a comparative analysis of fundraising performance for a representative selection of health-related foundations across Australia.
This benchmarking study was commissioned to highlight the comparison between an active and passive fundraising program with the aim to inform and demonstrate the potential to increase philanthropic revenue by introducing an active fundraising program.
Global Philanthropic delivered a comprehensive report, providing evidence from a broad range of health-care foundations. The comparative study paid particular attention to staff resourcing, size of hospital, and similar demographics to our hospital. The results provided invaluable information:
- Enabling us to assess our own current performance
- Providing insights into the necessary resourcing for a successful program
- For assessing our potential for implementing an active fundraising program
- Highlighting the contrast between an active and passive fundraising program
- Providing, through analyses and findings, a detailed representation of the data examined, with recommendations for CHF in going forward
- Provided comprehensive information with implementation advice
- Advising on staff structure and mix of fundraising activity
- Challenges
The benchmarking study provided evidence that informed the decision for CHF moving forward to launch a new entity; helped determine our staff structure and identify the mix of fundraising activity as well as setting realistic goals and expectations for our new fundraising endeavours.
We worked closely with Chanel Hughes and Nick Jaffer whose undeniable expertise and willingness to help supported us through the early discussions and throughout the entire process with valuable follow up and support across budget restrictions. The experience was one of learning with extremely valuable and beneficial results, one we can recommend wholeheartedly.”
Helen Falla, CEO

Australian Mathematical Sciences Institute (AMSI)
“The Australian Mathematical Sciences Institute (AMSI) has been on a journey of embedding philanthropy into the portfolio and culture of the institute, with Global Philanthropic by our side. The team ensured they deeply understood AMSI before they developed a clear, sophisticated philanthropic strategy and our living document—AMSI’s Case for Support. They have provided mentoring, coaching and training to our entire team, ensuring a culture of philanthropy throughout the organisation. Their professionalism, commitment, generosity, warmth, leadership and expertise have greatly benefitted AMSI, with philanthropy now strategically embedded and the institute prepared and ready to partner with the philanthropic community.”
Lisa Farrar, Chief Operating Officer

Australia Council for the Arts
“Australia Council for the Arts was seeking a review of its co-investment strategy and opportunities for refinement. We were interested in a partnership that provided a strong strategic analysis of philanthropy and co-investment in an international context, along with a firm grounding in the realities of working in an Australian setting.
“Nick and Sarah were thoughtful, conscientious and authentic in their approach to working with staff, stakeholders, partners and donors alike.
“Working with Global Philanthropic was a smooth and impactful process. We would not hesitate in recommending their work to other agencies and organisations interested in understanding the opportunities and challenges ahead for philanthropy, partnerships and donor development.”
Jade Lillie, Head of Industry Development

Lifeline Australia
“Lifeline Australia appointed Global Philanthropic to develop and articulate the organisation’s Case for Support. Chanel Hughes has created a document that has a powerful and compelling 3-D element, which is incredibly successful in eliciting an emotional response from our potential donors. The Case clearly articulates Lifeline’s mission, vision, and the value of the impact made possible by the generosity of our donors. Both emotional and rational, the Case includes the impact in personal testimonies and individual anecdotes, as well as a comprehensive suite of statistical data.
The Case successfully positions Lifeline and its strengths within the Australian community, as we strive to achieve our vision of a suicide free Australia. Thanks so much, Chanel and Global Philanthropic, for a Case for Support that will be of enduring value to the organisation.”
Sharon Dove, former Philanthropy Manager
“The document was fantastic. It’s the best thing I’ve ever seen come out of Lifeline Australia. I’d been putting it off because one of my daughters suffers from anxiety and I’ve been dealing with it, but it was a totally different experience than I expected. It was exciting and beautifully written. The words were very powerful!”
Participant in Global Philanthropic’s Market Research Study for Lifeline Australia

Brisbane Grammar School
“At the time of deciding who to partner with for our Campaign Study, we chose Nick Jaffer because, having talked with and worked with him on various projects, it was clear he had a deep understanding of campaign development and management and what needed to be put in place to achieve campaign objectives. It was wonderful working with Nick, and his work was outstanding. He is very thorough, has high attention to detail and is wonderful with people. He has the ability to get along with different people at all levels in the organisation—from advancement staff through to board members. He became part of the fabric of the institution during our feasibility study and all our alumni and staff who met him spoke very highly of him.
The Study findings were very well received. The report provided greater understanding around what is required to execute a major campaign among the executive leadership team and board of trustees. The report also informed the board what quantum of funds may be achievable and where the interest to support such a campaign existed. The School is currently progressing with feasibility recommendations to achieve the recommended fundraising objectives.”
Heather Hamilton, former Executive Director, Advancement & Community Relations for Brisbane Grammar School, now Executive Director, CASE Asia Pacific

The Australian Education Research Organisation (AERO)
“Working with Global Philanthropic has helped our organisation to better understand its potential in the philanthropic market as well as to identify the key decisions we need to make and the options available to us. I’ve learned a great deal working with Colin Taylor and thoroughly enjoyed the experience as well—he’s been engaging, responsive and knowledgeable. Thanks to Colin and the team for being wonderful partners as we undertook this work.”
David Boyd, Senior Manager, Engagement & Impact

Stuartholme School
“Multiple trusted industry peers recommended Nick Jaffer at Global Philanthropic to help me establish a philanthropy program at our school. I engaged Global Philanthropic to deliver an Executive Coaching Program for our Leadership Team and Board, and to help me fine-tune a comprehensive Engagement and Philanthropy Strategy with an accompanying 10-year road map.
Nick did an amazing job of delivering highly engaging leadership training under extraordinary COVID lockdown circumstances. He introduced the principles of philanthropy in a clear and logical way, supported by robust evidence and relevant examples. He demystified fundraising, dispelled misconceptions and energised our key internal stakeholders to actively support our strategy and road map.
He was also a great sounding board to review our internal research findings, fine-tune recommendations and to develop well-articulated business cases. I wouldn’t hesitate in engaging Global Philanthropic again—they definitely live up to their well-earned reputation.”
Stephanie Baldwin, former Director of Community & Philanthropy

Performing Room
“I’d like to thank the entire Global Philanthropic team for all their hard work and specialist advice. I have loved working with them during challenging times and have learned so much about fundraising and so many other things that I would not have otherwise. I have also met some wonderful people with their help that have inspired and motivated me along the way.
It’s been a real blessing to work alongside such an amazing team who passionately enable charities like Performing Room to positively impact the lives of those who would otherwise not have the opportunity to forge their own identities, realise their potential and make this world a better place for us all to live in and thrive.”
Janan Fifield, Founder and Director

Paisley Museum & Art Galleries (Scotland, UK)
“I had been in dialogue with a funder for over a year. Using some of Nick’s tips and techniques from the masterclass helped me to secure a major gift. I then used this experience at interview, which helped me to secure the Fundraising Manager post for the exciting £42M capital campaign for Paisley Museum Reimagined. It’s as if it was all meant to be, so thank you!”
Andy Robin, Fundraising Manager

Parramatta Catholic Foundation, Catholic Diocese of Parramatta
“Chanel played an instrumental role in forming the copy required for our inaugural Diocesan bequest program. The content was evidently thoughtful and considered, and took special account of our broader Diocesan strategy and values—faith, hope and charity. I would like to thank Chanel for her carefully crafted work. This important work will have abundant fruits in our Diocese for generations to come.”
Michael Mendieta, former Director

St Vincent's College Foundation
“Global Philanthropic recently conducted an in-depth review of fundraising capabilities on behalf of the College Foundation, then prepared a comprehensive Development Strategy based on their findings, expert knowledge and experience in this area. The team have been wonderful to deal with–understanding, consultative, and very inclusive throughout our project. I have felt we are in very good hands every step of the way.”
Melissa Webber, Chair

The Canberra Hospital Foundation
The Canberra Hospital Foundation supports the vital work of public hospitals in Canberra, Australia. It helps raise funds for new and innovative medical technology and equipment, disease research, refurbishments for patient comfort, and programmes like dog and music therapy.
The Foundation was originally established as part of government—an administrative arm of ACT Health. This meant they were precluded from holding a Charitable Collections Licence and engaging in any active fundraising.
“That greatly limited our ability to raise funds. We had to rely on donors to come to us; we were in passive mode,” says Helen Falla, CEO of the Canberra Hospital Foundation.
Against these odds, the Foundation was still attracting a lot of positive, unsolicited support from the community, Hospital patients and their families wanted to give back, and loyal businesses chose to contribute by running third-party fundraising events each year. But to reach their full fundraising potential, the Foundation knew they had to operate differently.
“To be able to better support the hospital and community centres in the public space we needed to move to an independent entity and be registered as a charity,” says Helen.
“We needed to prove [to ACT Health] that there would be significantly more opportunity that we could leverage if we had a strategic fundraising program in place.”
The Canberra Hospital Foundation sought Global Philanthropic’s expertise in research and fundraising strategy to inform the case for moving to an independent entity. The Foundation needed evidence that the move would be viable and, if it was, how it could be implemented for the best efficiency and effectiveness.
Global Philanthropic worked closely with Helen and her team, as well as the Board, to undertake:
- A benchmarking study—research and analysis of the Foundation’s current resourcing and philanthropic revenue against peers over a three-year period.
- Workshops to develop the Foundation’s strategic fundraising plan and their Case for Support to ACT Health.
- Review and development of their draft strategic fundraising plan.
“Global did meticulous research with invaluable information that provided a clear guide on how to move forward,” says Helen.
“Their strength was in the quality of their research, the way they communicated with us, their innate knowledge of philanthropy and how to tease out what it was that we needed.”
“They spent an awful lot of time listening to us, gaining a full understanding about who we were, what our identity was, and what we already meant to the community. I think that was really important.”
The evidence and analysis provided by Global enabled the Canberra Hospital Foundation to successfully pitch their case for change to ACT Health. The new entity, a registered charity, launched in February 2020.
The devastating summer bushfires and the impact of COVID-19 could have easily derailed their 2020 marketing and fundraising plans. But, as Helen notes, the groundwork they did with Global held them in “good stead” to meet these challenges head-on and quickly adapt to the rapidly changing donor landscape.
“We’re doing well in a difficult situation. The invaluable information, especially around staff structure, that Global provided to us to create a cohesive team, really shone through,” she says.
Since relaunching, the Canberra Hospital Foundation has been able to engage directly with their passionate supporter network for the first time. They’ve run a successful tax appeal, as well as a campaign to facilitate giving between the community and healthcare workers during COVID-19. They’re preparing for their first Giving Day in November 2020.
“The experience [working with Global] was one of learning, with extremely valuable and beneficial results—one we can recommend wholeheartedly.”
Elissa Hill, Elissa Hill Communications, Canberra Hospital Foundation (ACT, Australia)
Loreto Normanhurst
“We were delighted to engage Nick Jaffer and the team from Global Philanthropic to assist us in a philanthropy audit at Loreto Normanhurst. Nick provided clear and detailed recommendations in order of priority, which enabled us to grow the philanthropic program by over 1000% in two years. The implementation of a CRM was a significant recommendation, and we were able to engage GP staff to assist us with scoping our requirements, creating the tender and evaluating the proposals. The confidence we had in the Global Philanthropic expertise ensured a positive implementation process, with a CRM on budget and on time. Nick has been a champion of staff and philanthropy, and leads with a gentle confidence that inspires and encourages. It has been a pleasure and privilege to work with an industry leader and partner.”
Liane Giuliano, former Director of Philanthropy and Community Engagement

Cranbrook School
“I’ve enjoyed working closely with Global Philanthropic since the start of our major fundraising campaign. The comprehensive knowledge and guidance have provided us with a great sounding board when confronted with the complexity of fundraising.”
Cameron Torrance, Director of Development

The Orangutan Project (TOP)
“Global Philanthropic worked with my colleagues and me at The Orangutan Project to develop key documents for use as promotional activities. The ability to understand our organisation, and the space we work in, was key to the document being a success. The resulting Case for Support was professional and simply wonderful—our key supporters reviewed the final document and all were very impressed. Working with Global Philanthropic was like working with other colleagues—they knew our organisation as well as we did.”
Troy Kenah, Director of Development


RAND Europe
At RAND Europe, our mission is to help improve policy and decision making through research and analysis. Global Philanthropic has helped us think through our ambitious plans to broaden our impact by exploring how philanthropic gifts could allow us to examine new and cross-cutting areas of policy importance. Global Philanthropic colleagues gathered valuable insights that helped inform our strategy and plan and put in place the essential foundations for a thriving philanthropy programme.
Magdalena Douleva, Director of Development, RAND Europe

Burgmann College
“It has been a delight to work with the team at Global Philanthropic. From planning to implementation, I was reassured by the clear communication, thorough and concise planning, and warm and professional manner. They assisted us with a Market Positioning Research Study, which involved contacting a number of our alumni and friends to ask them quite sensitive questions, with a view to understanding perceptions of the College and our alumni relationships. The report provided a comprehensive overview of the College’s current position, as well as a thorough list of strategic recommendations, which has already assisted the College practically in achieving our goals.
“I also had the pleasure of working with the team on creating a Case for Support for the College. They worked with a number of internal stakeholders to capture what is at the heart of our community—who we are and what Burgmann stands for. They took the time to listen to, and understand, each stakeholder’s perspective, and developed a compelling Case for the College that has provided us with a solid framework for future planning and messaging.
“What struck me in particular from my time working with the team at Global is how genuinely interested in and committed everyone is to the College’s mission, values, needs and strategy. I wholeheartedly recommend their services and have highly valued working with them.”
Sally Renouf, Principal
Chartered Institute of Procurement & Supply
“Global Philanthropic were quick to respond to our initial request for assistance. Pam came directly from the airport following her Christmas leave and with Ben, they evidenced that they understood our requirements and had a clear idea how to help us achieve our goals. They were agile in their approach and adapted to our changing targets. Through their advice and guidance we successfully developed a new model of grant giving and have made new partnerships along the way. We enjoyed working with the whole team and the breadth of knowledge and experience made available to us was incredible.”
CIPS


ActionAid
“Global Philanthropic really helped us focus our principal gift strategy, streamlining the programme and identifying ways to engage prospects. In addition, an introduction to a new prospect led to a major gift which is incredible. Pam and Jane worked incredibly hard throughout the whole process and we are extremely grateful for their continued support.”
ActionAid
Cambridge Judge Business School
“Upon the invitation of Dr Pam Davis, President of Global Philanthropic, Europe, Cambridge Judge Business School attended Global Philanthropic’s “Talking Philanthropy” conference in London in summer 2018. The conference was extremely impressive, with a diverse mix of organisations, both for profit and non-profit, together with philanthropists, trusts and foundations.
Pam was a trusted colleague of ours, as she had previously led fundraising for the University of Cambridge, and in that capacity, she had worked closely with the business school on donor cultivation, solicitation and stewardship.
The conference offered informative talks and sessions ranging from “Solving Real-Life Fundraising Issues”, “Family Philanthropy”, Case studies on fundraising from specific organisations, among many others. The various individuals who participated offered a substantial chance for peer to peer learning and networking.
But, the seminal message that emerged from the conference for us, was the importance of harnessing the rising economic prowess of Asia to further the goals of Cambridge Judge Business School, chiefly advancing meaningful research and thought leadership and enabling more students to study at the business school, as well as learning from the management styles in Asia to feed back into our teaching programmes in Cambridge. We came away impressed with the depth of cultural knowledge that the founder of Global Philanthropic founder, Ben Morton Wright, has about Asia, from living there and founding his company there over a decade ago.
As a result, we hired Global Philanthropic to help us articulate and define the specific niche that Cambridge Judge Business School’s breadth of research, executive education and teaching offered for our alumni, advisory council members and other key relationships in Asia. Global Philanthropic then tested and sharpened our case for support through consultations and interviews with select stakeholders in China and wider Asia.
We continue to work with Global Philanthropic to position Cambridge Judge Business School’s specific value proposition to resonate and ensure deliver on mutual objectives with our Asia based stakeholders, and we find that their expertise in Asia is invaluable and unique.”
Cambridge Judge Business School

LSTM
“Global Philanthropic were recommended to us by an industry colleague as we were keen to explore the potential around fundraising for a new capital project. The team interviewed key donors, potential donors, stakeholders and staff to understand their attitudes to the project and the organisation, and to assess what the projected income might be from a successful campaign. Our experience working with Global Philanthropic was very positive, with a clear, structured approach to the project, great feedback from our donors and staff and excellent suggestions as to the way forward. We now have a clearer idea of what the next steps would be in undertaking a campaign and valuable information to support this.”
LSTM
Saffron Hall
“Global Philanthropic collaborated with Saffron Hall Trust on a series of Trust and Foundation Bids. The team was always professional, well prepared for meetings, and their advice was well informed.
One successful outcome was a trust and foundation bid of £100,000 over three years, the largest amount currently that Saffron Hall has received and we hope this will springboard further support from other Trusts.
We found Global Philanthropic very easy to work with and would definitely recommend them to other organisations.”
Saffron Hall


Nature Kenya
“Nature Kenya is 110 years old. Funding for most of Nature Kenya’s conservation comes from foreign donors. To expand its domestic funding, Nature Kenya decided to venture into high net worth individuals fundraising. This was something new that required learning on how to go about it. Global Philanthropic, led by Pam Davis, came in handy.
Pam trained Nature Kenya senior management on the high net worth individual fundraising approach. The training was very interactive and for three days we rehearsed. As a result of this, we have set up ‘Friends of Nature Kenya’. We currently have ten individuals on our list and are still reaching out to more prospective friends. Pam continues to follow up and guide us. Global Philanthropic is a trusted partner.”
Nature Kenya
St Mary’s Anglican Girls’ School, Perth, Western Australia
St Mary’s Anglican Girls’ School recently commissioned Global Philanthropic to conduct a positioning study and advise on their case statement for a proposed capital campaign. The client’s proposed capital developments address the learning needs for a future of unprecedented technological change. We are thrilled to support the School with this fundraising effort.
“A successful capital campaign requires many elements to be in place. We recognised it was crucial to assess our readiness for, and determine the scope of, our proposed campaign before proceeding. The positioning study carried out by Global Philanthropic has clearly identified how we can best move forward and engage our school community in realising the school’s vision for its second century. The Global team was always readily available with considered advice and guidance, and were a pleasure to work with.”
Linzey Allinson, Director of Philanthropy, St Mary’s Anglican Girls’ School
Methodist Ladies’ College (MLC), Melbourne, Victoria
Two critical success factors for effective fundraising are influential fundraising volunteers, and strong and enthusiastic governing bodies. In preparation for their own upcoming campaign, MLC wanted to ensure its Foundation Committee was structured for optimal results. The College commissioned Global Philanthropic to undertake a foundation review, providing advice on different foundation models and functions, and making recommendations for roles and responsibilities, recruitment, and cohesive operations across governing bodies and advancement office staff.
“In support of our governance arrangements, Global Philanthropic was readily able to review our structures and make insightful recommendations for change. The paper was incredibly timely, exceptional in synthesising our position, and has provided much in the way of invigoration of purpose and process.”
Fiona Dickson, Director of Community Engagement, Methodist Ladies’ College, VIC

“Global's Philanthropic Naming Assessment was extremely valuable for us. It was completed with the highest quality, and provided us with a road-map for our donor's generosity.”
Jonathan Lyon, President & CEO, Health Sciences Centre Foundation
Lake of the Woods District Hospital Foundation
“Working with Global Philanthropic has changed the way Lake of the Woods District Hospital Foundation works with our community partners and what we’re ultimately able to deliver to the community.
Under their strategic counsel, we now operate very differently and more effectively. We have gone from a two-person shop to a three-person shop. Our transition into Major Gift fundraising is forecasting a seven figure impact on what we can do for our hospital over the next couple years. Our small shop is very lucky to have caught their eye and are thankful that they saw our potential and was were willing to take us on and lead us down this new road.
The question isn’t “Can we afford to?” The questions is “Can we afford not to?””
Jess Rheault, Executive Director, Lake of the Woods District Hospital Foundation
“Global Philanthropic is very knowledgeable, professional, punctual and makes learning and inevitably change, fun and exciting and a no-brainer.”
Jess Rheault

“I appreciated the flexibility of the Global Philanthropic consultants and that they were respectful of the different context of working in Netherlands.”
Eelco Keij, Director of Fundraising and Development
Read about our fundraising feasibility work with Radboud University in the Netherlands, and how we helped them answer the big questions surrounding the university’s philanthropic potential.
Download Radboud Case Study
“Given our previous experience with working with consultants in this area, it was gratifying to know that there were still good consultants out there.”
Christina Collard
Read about how we worked with the St Lawrence River Institute of Environmental Sciences to help them create a practical and actionable plan for a new mid-level donor programme.
Download St Lawrence Case Study


STARS Foundation
Muna Wehbe, Chief Executive for the STARS Foundation gives a talk about what makes her foundation different: through the use of unrestricted funding for local organisations, the STARS Impact Awards, as well as the use of Global Philanthropic’s Advisory.
Also included are talks from Priti Patkar, Hassan Ibrahim, and Garj Banerji.
STARS Foundation
Calgary Zoo
“I needed to learn, I think the institution needed to learn, we needed to understand where we were and where we needed to be to move this forward. So partnering with Guy was very instrumental.
“Today, months later, we are definitely in a better shape than we were a year ago, because of that report and because also our ability to understand more about what needs to be done to be successful in fundraising.”
Clement Lanthier, President and CEO
King’s College London
“I think all institutions should be aware of the different cultural challenges of any new fundraising market that they are interested in exploring. For King’s College London, the advice that we received from Ben Morton Wright at Global Philanthropic has certainly been invaluable. We worked with them for many years and we anticipate doing the same for many years to come. And yes, I would recommend them to other institutions that are keen to move into Asia fundraising.”
Matt Ferguson, Associate Head of Principal Gifts
Humber College
“I really like the international perspective that Global brings to its clients, and I think in the Canadian market that’s fairly unique. We’ve got a really solid report of recommendations that will give us a help to develop an action plan for moving forward. One of the things that I found particularly valuable is that they take a boutique approach to provide service to their clients. I felt that every tool that they provided us or the councils was very tailored and customised to our unique situation.”
Julie Castle, Chief Advancement Officer


YMCA of Greater Toronto
“The unique value proposition if you work with Global is the major gift expertise and the best practice. You would swear that they were staff members, just as committed to the achievement of our campaign plan as we were. We’ve had a very positive experience. It was an intense piece of work and utmost professionalism from Guy and all of his team. We really felt that they were 100% if not 110% committed to our project.”
Mridula Joyner, VP, Philanthropy and Corporate Sponsorships
Murdoch University
“In 2007 we started planning our largest campaign to date to support the establishment of an institute focusing on immunology and infectious diseases … we decided that we need assistance in the planning of such a large campaign. But rather than appointing a consultant to run the campaign we decided to take a different approach. We wanted to work with someone who could help to upscale our team, to prepare as for this and future campaigns. We wanted an organisation that could provide strategic advice and coaching to our team, and one with awareness of national and international funding sources.”
Vicky Dodds, Director of Development
Hadrian's Wall Trust
“We have found with several of the funders that Global Philanthropic have introduced us to that they also share that ambition to create learning and understanding around our heritage, and they are very interested in our role in terms of conservation and protection of world’s heritage.
“Global Philanthropic have been there holding our hand making sure we do the right things in the right order. So for us to bring in that capacity to help us at a critical moment in our development has been really really important, and it’s given us a great confidence actually to step into the future.”
Linda Tuttiett, Chief Executive
Birmingham Royal Ballet
“We were looking for a company that could add value to our own fundraising effort. We’d achieved a lot in a very short amount of time, and the challenge for us was how we could achieve another step-change. Having the expert advice and experience of a company like Global has been really important because they’ve helped reassure senior members of the company that the journey that we’re on will lead to a destination that will actually get results.”
Geoff Sweeney, Development Director
STARS Foundation |
Telethon Kids Instithttp://telethonkids.org.au/ute |
Uniting Church Foundation |
Wunan Foundation |
Youngcare |
Elijah Interfaith Institute |
Samaritans |
Queen Elizabeth’s Foundation for Disabled People |
Alex Community Health Centre |
The Anglican Church of Canada |
Christian Children’s Fund of Canada |
Catholic Mission |
Centre for International Finance and Regulation |
Community Living Hamilton |
Daily Positive |
The Highland Vineyard Foundation |
TELUS World of Science – Edmonton |
Vecova |
YMCA of Greater Toronto |
YWCA – Calgary |
Masonic Homes |
QR National |
CentrePoint Canada |