Elite schools call in well heeled supporters to fill coffers
Private schools are recruiting famous faces — alumni like Cameron Ling — to fundraise for cash windfalls that public schools could only dream of. A Ling-led blitz last week raised an eye-watering figure for his former school.
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As the end of the financial year looms, top schools are wheeling out high calibre alumni such as AFL champion turned commentator Cameron Ling to ask families and networks for money for new facilities and to fund scholarships.
Despite paying big money for tuition at some private schools, the families are being asked to support a range of tax deductible efforts.
While many government school are relying on cake stalls, sausage sizzles and labour intensive fetes and events to raise cash, the elite schools are tapping into the influential old school tie network.
Geelong’s St Joseph’s Catholic School enlisted old boy and Geelong premiership player Ling for a fundraising blitz last week that netted the school more than $500,000 in two days.
St Joseph’s used the Charidy platform where generous benefactors, including the Anthony Costa Foundation, quadrupled every dollar donated.
The school, which has comparatively modest fees and is a nurturing ground for top AFL players, such as Ling, Jimmy Bartel, and Nick Maxwell, is looking to add seating to its performing arts centre as it can only accommodate two thirds of the more than 300 Year 7 students.
Media sports doctor Peter Larkins and Cotton On boss Tim Diamond, both alumni, also supported the Every Boy, Every Dream to fund a gymnasium and extend the performing arts centre.
The school levies a $450 building levy each year.
Over 32 hours early last week, Jewish school Yeshivah-Beth Rivkah Colleges raised more than $320,000 for refurbishment of classrooms.
Top selective entry government school Melbourne High School is running a Tax Time campaign to fund a number of projects including the River Centre, a multi purpose facility for rowing, workshops and gatherings at Como Park.
It has mailed out to its networks and is promoting the tax time appeal with sponsored posts on Facebook.
It has raised about $400,000 of a $2 million target and will publicly acknowledge donations of $5000.
Last December, the sought after school, which caters to boys from year 9 to 12 and provides an education on par with the top private schools for the fraction of the cost, used the Charidy platform to raise nearly $500,000 in less than a day, smashing its $210,000 target.
Although among the top performing VCE schools across government and private sectors, the school, which counts Lindsay Fox and Seeker Athol Guy among its alumni, has outdated classrooms.
It has set a target of rejuvenating classrooms by 2027.
In its pitch to families and alumni, it said the current government funding only paid for basic facility maintenance and made no allowance for the age and heritage status of the buildings.
“We need the support of the whole community to ensure our classrooms reflect our state-of-the-art education. To date, we have raised the funds to renovate 3 classrooms, please get behind our campaign to upgrade as many as we can in 2019,” the school said.
Melbourne Girls’ Grammar is running an ongoing Charidy campaign to raise money for building projects and scholarships.
While it’s not a match funding it is looking to raise $200,000 to put towards building projects. Among the donors is the new principal Dr Toni Meath, who was MacRobertson Girls High principal before exiting the government system for the elite South Yarra girls’ college.
The school was at $130,000 by Monday this week.
A number of schools have been using the platform for bursaries and scholarships for families who may not be able to afford fees.
Last month Brighton Grammar concluded a five day Creating Brighter Futures campaign in which it raised $339,140, smashing a $250,000 goal.
The Old Brighton Grammarians Association was among the matchers for funds donated through the Charidy platform. The funds will support means tested scholarships.
Matchers for the funding included the Dylan Alcott Foundation.
Marcellin College raised $130,000 last month for its Marcellin College Foundation bursary to support families in financial need.
Charidy Australia managing director Peretz Shapiro said the platform was a different way of fundraising.
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He said in the past schools relied on direct mail outs and other fundraising but the platform, which required matching donors, had a knock on effect.
He said the scheduled online giving prompted other people to give as they saw the target being met and wanted to be involved.
While some campaigns are for building works, others are for bursaries to ensure families who fall on tough times can remain at the school.
Others are for scholarships for people who may not be able to get into the school and offered on a means tested basis.
Mr Shapiro said matching donors, who committed to match donations up to a certain dollar amount, were usually drawn from old boys and old girls networks.
“It might be current parents who have the capacity and the desire to give towards an education for someone else,” he said.
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