From the President

Haere Mai everyone!

I hope that this eNewsletter finds everyone safe, warm, and dry. The winter has arrived, and it does not feel like there was much of a summer!

Your New Zealand Chapter Executive Committee has been working these past weeks, to deliver a wide range of Membership events around the country. In May we hosted events at the following locations:

• St Cuthbert’s College, Auckland
• St Peter’s School, Cambridge
• Palmerston North Boys’ High School, Palmerston North
• Queen Margaret College, Wellington
• The University of Canterbury, Christchurch

At these events we also welcomed and hosted our partners Giving Architects, NoticeMATCH and NZMS. We were sorry our Australian based Silver Partners, Potentiality and Enquiry Tracker were unable to send someone in person to attend the May networking events, but we very much look forward to welcoming them again in the future. These events have provided our Partners the opportunity to speak to you directly and give you all the chance to meet and enjoy some korero and networking.

This year we have established a number of Sub-Committees to help spread the workload. These are proving to be extremely productive.

• Our Summit Sub-Committee has been working hard to get the programme finalised for our Pre-Summit Workshops (31 August) and Summit PD Sessions (1 September). Registrations are now live so do not forget to register soon to get the early bird discount. Remember there are also travel grants that you can apply for to assist with your costs. To register and for more information on the Summit click here.
• Our Partnerships Sub-Committee is looking after our existing Partners and is now focused on securing additional Partners for our Summit.
• Our Leadership and Advocacy Sub-Committee is working to develop relationships with other organisations such as ISNZ, to help provide additional benefits to our members.
• Our Membership and Events Sub-Committee is working to keep you, the members, all connected and up to date. We are looking forward to a very successful year.

It is with great regret that we farewell two of our longstanding executive committee members, Jennifer Roshan (previously at Howick College, and now at the University of Auckland) and Kirstyn Sandall at John McGlashan College, Dunedin. 

Jennifer Roshan joined Educate Plus when she began her career in institutional fundraising in 2011 as Advancement Assistant at Auckland University of Technology (AUT). Jennifer has served four years on the Executive Committee, where she has held the communications portfolio and been responsible for delivering our Newsletters and social media along with head office. Her contributions over the years have been invaluable. Jennifer was previously the Director of Development at Sacred Heart College and, since 2018, Director of Community Development at Howick College. During her time at Howick College, the International Student’s Department was incorporated as part of the Community Development Office which meant Jennifer was overseeing both. She has recently joined the University of Auckland as General Manager, International Students (Faculty of Engineering). Jennifer is a former Chapter Administrator for Educate Plus NZ and was awarded Fellow at the 2022 Educate Plus Excellence Awards. To our knowledge, Jennifer is the only Educate Plus member who has served all three sectors of our Membership – tertiary, state-integrated/independent and state schools. While we will miss her on our team, we wish Jennifer all the best for her exciting future.

Previously a languages teacher and international students executive, Kirstyn Sandall has been a member of Educate Plus for six years and joined the Committee leading into the 2019 Chapter Conference in her hometown Dunedin, and quickly added crucial local wisdom to the event. Kirstyn has generously held the roles of Treasurer and Otago representative since then. Her efforts managing our Chapter finances and supporting Otago members have been invaluable. She is currently General Manager at John McGlashan College and leaves the committee to take up additional responsibilities within the school as Director of International. We are most grateful to Kirstyn for her great support and encouragement to members and non-members at schools and the University of Otago, to attend regional events in Dunedin. We will miss her on our team and wish her all the best managing exciting developments at John McGlashan College.

During their time on the New Zealand Committee, Kirstyn married Mark and Jennifer became mother to Leo – as our friends, we shared in their delight and wholeheartedly thank them for their commitment and generous contributions over many years. We look forward to seeing them both at the New Zealand Chapter Summit in Christchurch in September.

We will be looking for new Committee Members. If anyone has a genuine interest, please feel free to contact me or any other Executive Committee member and we can discuss the commitment required.

All the best everyone,

Tena koutou katoa.

Dr Nicole Bassett

Chapter President | Educate Plus NZ Chapter

Development Manager Auckland Bioengineering Institute and Liggins Institute, University of Auckland

NZ SUMMIT – The Premier Event for the NZ Chapter in 2023

Registrations are now open … 

for the 2023 NZ NEXUS Summit, taking place on Thursday 31 August & Friday 1 September in Christchurch. 

The NZ NEXUS Summit offers an incredible opportunity for professional development and learning, and immense value for all those working in any aspect of Educational Advancement including:

• Fundraising & Development
• Admissions & Enrolments
• Marketing & Communications
• Alumni Relations & Community Engagement
• Educational Leadership

The full NZ NEXUS Summit experience comprises Pre-Summit Workshops (Thursday 31 August), Welcome Event (Thursday evening) and the Summit Sessions (Friday 1 September). We welcome all Members and Non-Members across all the Primary, Secondary and Tertiary education sectors of our schools and universities.

Be inspired! We are STRONGER TOGETHER!

Pre-Summit Workshops (Thursday 31 August)

Registration from 12.30pm | Workshops from 1pm-4pm

There are 4 Pre-Summit Workshops to choose from, providing delegates with the opportunity to select either:

• Workshop 1: The Power (and Pitfalls) of Becoming Data-Driven.
• Workshop 2: Building a Foundation for Success: The Future Family Journey from Enquiry to Enrolment.
• Workshop 3: Are Educational Institutions Business Brands? Helping people to think this way.
• Workshop 4: Major Gifts Fundings from Start to Finish: How to build deep partnerships with your donors.

Following the Pre-Summit Workshops, delegates will have the opportunity to relax with colleagues at the Welcome Event.

Summit Sessions (Friday 1 September)

Registration from 7.30am | Summit Sessions from 8.30am-4.15pm

The Summit Sessions will provide the opportunity to attend a choice of over 16 Professional Development Sessions, hear from 2 inspiring Keynote speakers, experience a Networking Lunch, and the chance to meet with Expert Exhibitors.

To view the Program, CLICK HERE

Registration Fees

Pre-Summit Workshops (Thursday)

• Member/Non-Member Registration: NZ$150

Summit Sessions (Early Bird until Friday 30 June, 2023)   

• Member Registration: NZ$350 (+gst)
• Non-Member Registration: NZ$400 (+gst)

Summit Sessions (Standard Fee from Saturday 1 July, 2023) 

• Member Registration NZ$400 (+gst)
• Non-Member Registration: NZ$450 (+gst)

Note:

• The Summit Session rate includes the Welcome Event (Thursday evening) and the Networking Lunch (Friday) and provided Bus transport
• The Pre-Summit Workshops rate does not include the Welcome Event
  • Members: Additional Cost for Welcome Event: NZ$40 (+gst)
  • Non-Member Additional Cost for Welcome Event: NZ$50 (+gst)

Register Now …

This conference has something for everyone, so bring your whole team! It’s a chance to come together to learn and network and be inspired by the experiences that your peers and colleagues have created, led and celebrated!

If you’ve already registered, prepare for a day and a half of inspiration and connection!

If you’ve not yet registered, be quick and secure your spot ASAP – Early Bird registration ends on Friday 30 June!

Don’t miss this opportunity to connect in person … we can’t wait to see you all in Christchurch!

More Info / Register | NZ NEXUS Summit

As always the Educate Plus NZ Chapter is thankful for the continued support of our Partners: Enquiry Tracker, Giving Architects, Potentiality, NZMS and Notice Match.

Summit – Bursaries and Scholarships

Do you need help with financial assistance to attend the NZ Summit? 

Newcomer Scholarship:

Educate Plus recognises Educational Advancement is an industry that attracts professionals who may not have worked in the Education sector before. Our Nexus Summit, “Stronger Together” is an outstanding PD opportunity that will provide opportunities to network, learn and grow your craft within the Education Advancement sector.

Individuals who are new to the industry, are invited to apply for Newcomer Scholarships (2 available) that will provide NZ$500 to assist with the cost of registration, travel or accommodation.

Applications close 21 July, 2023. 

To apply for the Newcomer Scholarship, CLICK HERE

Summit Bursary / Travel Grant:

To ensure equity of access to the NZ Summit, the Summit Committee is offering needs-based Bursaries/Travel Grants for the event to be held in NZ (31 August & 1 September, 2023).

There are a number of NZ$300 grants available, with special consideration given to those who will need to fly and stay overnight in Christchurch.

The Applications for Round 1 close on 20 June, 2023. The Applications for Round 2 close on 21 July, 2023. 

To apply for a Summit Bursary/Travel Grant, CLICK HERE

Connect with Colleagues in Auckland

Registrations are now open … 

For all those who are located in the Auckland region, Educate Plus is hosting a Networking event on Thursday 22 June at the Siso Bar and Eatery, Remuera. This is a great opportunity to meet fellow Advancement colleagues, plus, an opportunity to meet and chat with the Educate Plus NZ Chapter Committee who will all be in attendance.

Event Details

Date:  Thursday 22 June
Time:  5.30pm to 7.00pm.
Venue:  Siso Bar and Eatery, 311 Remuera Road, Remuera, Auckland 1050
Cost:  Free for Members. Cash bar will be available to purchase beverages. Light nibbles will be provided.

More Info / Register | NZ Networking – Auckland

We look forward to catching up with you there!

Upcoming Webinars

Registrations are now open … 

June is jam-packed with Professional Development Opportunities! We invite you to join us for the following Webinars, where you can of course participate from the comfort and convenience of your own desk! 

Facilitating Digital Community Engagement

Event Details
Date: Thursday 8 June, 2023
Time:  3pm-4pm NZST 
Place: Online (via Zoom)
Cost: Free for Members; $35 (+gst) for Non-Members
Presenter: Merryn Parks, ToucanTech

More Info / Register | Facilitating Digital Community Engagement

Let’s Go On An Enrolment Journey

Event Details
Date: Tuesday 13 June, 2023
Time: 3pm-4pm NZST 
Place: Online (via Zoom). 
Cost: Free for Members; $35 (+gst) for Non-Members
Speaker: Julie Drew, Registrar, Strathcona Girls Grammar, Melbourne

More Info / Register | Enrolment Journey

Excellence #5

Event Details
Alumni &/or Community Publication

Date: Thursday 15 June 2023
Time: 3pm-4pm NZST
Location: Online (via Zoom)
Cost: Free for Members; $35 (+gst) for Non-Members
Presenters:

• Rebecca Bauer, Old Girls’ Association, Somerville House
• Susan McGinley, Director of Advancement, The Womens’ College at UQ

Facilitator: Global Philanthropic

More Info / Register | Excellence #5

Advanced Virtual Presentation Skills

Event Details
Date: Tuesday 20 June 2023
Time: 3pm-4pm NZST
Location: Online (via Zoom)
Cost: $35 (+gst) for Members; $50 (+gst) for Non-Members
Presenter: Caelan Huntress

More Info / Register | Presentation Skills

Register now! We are looking forward to welcoming you online to participate in these Zoom Webinars!

Engaging Community with First Giving Day – 2022

Member Showcase: Lincoln University Engages its Community with its First Giving Day … 

In 2022, Lincoln University held its first ever Giving Day, offering an opportunity for Lincoln’s entire community – both past and present – to come together to support the next generation of Lincoln students.

The campaign was an overwhelming success and the Lincoln Alumni and Development team were incredibly grateful to alumni, staff and students from across the country and around the world for the philanthropic gifts they bestowed on the university.

Giving Day was held over a 24-hour period and all gifts made during that time were doubled thanks to the generosity and support of matching donors.

More than $136,000 was raised to go towards scholarships for industry-leading study programmes, providing excellent teaching and learning in a research-rich environment, and delivering some of the finest graduates into the sector.

Giving Day included an online countdown throughout the 24 hours, with student and staff volunteers contacting alumni from a makeshift call centre room on campus. Student volunteers said they loved talking with alumni and hearing about their memories of Lincoln, and were humbled by the generosity of donors.

Development Officer Penny Curran described the event as extremely exciting and said the involvement of generous matching donors was a unique feature of the Giving Day, along with the support and encouragement of staff, students and friends of the university. who all pulled together to make it so successful.

“It was great to see the whole university community coming together to support Giving Day – from volunteering time in the call centre, through to being in promotional photos and videos, through to promoting the campaign to students, staff and alumni.  Lincoln University holds a special place in people’s hearts, and the generosity shown during the campaign demonstrated this perfectly.”

Campaign Exceeds Goal – Empowering a Decade of Student Success

Member Showcase: Congratulations to Victoria University of Wellington, on the success of their recent Philanthropic Campaign … 

Ten years ago, the University launched the ‘What if…’ campaign, enabling real, local change by providing support to students and increasing research capability.

Over that time the campaign has raised $157 million from over 13,000 gifts, exceeding its initial goal of $150 million by 2022. Acting Vice-Chancellor Jennifer Windsor says this demonstrates the extraordinary generosity and commitment of those who have donated.

“Our deepest gratitude to the many people who believe in the potential of our students and in the difference our research makes.”

“Thousands of students are being supported through scholarships, hundreds of awards have been given, and countless voluntary hours of mentoring through our Alumni as Mentors programme. There are nearly 100 new endowments, meaning that the legacy of support continues into the future. Each of you has enabled us to do things that simply wouldn’t have happened without you.”

Chair of the Victoria University of Wellington Foundation Dame Kerry Prendergast DNZM says the campaign has played a pivotal role towards supporting research at the University, but the good work isn’t over yet.

“It has meant that world leading academics are here, in Wellington, undertaking important, challenging, and tangible research into a wide variety of fields.

“Our world-leading research—in areas as varied as marine conservation, public policy, and understanding neurodegenerative diseases such as multiple sclerosis—has all been advanced because of the continued generosity of our donors.

“While we’re excited to celebrate the end of this campaign, it is important that we continue to work alongside our community to ensure we can keep changing lives and keep making a difference.”

Another key success of the campaign includes $21 million raised towards the new national music centre.

Dame Kerry says the collective effort of the campaign has also meant that the University’s Student Hardship Fund was able to reach even further and support more students facing emergency financial difficulties.

“The Fund saw a significant increase in applications during the different COVID-19 lockdowns. With students relying on part-time and casual employment, many saw their incomes impacted by the alert level changes.

“In the weeks that followed each lockdown, we were very moved by the support of our alumni and donor community, with over $48,000 donated to our Student Hardship Fund across 2020 and 2021.”

Article from Victoria University of Wellington

University’s philanthropic campaign exceeds goal, empowering a decade of student success | News | Victoria University of Wellington (wgtn.ac.nz)

Alumni Sport Stars Inspire

Member Showcase: Lincoln University Alumni Sport Stars Inspire at SailGP Event … 

In a unique collaboration with local and international organisations, local schools, and Lincoln University students, staff and alumni, a special event took place at the university earlier this year.

Christchurch city and Lyttelton hosted the New Zealand leg of the international sailing event, Sail Grand Prix, in March.  As well as the racing part of the event, SailGP manages a community, education and outreach initiative called Inspire – promoting that sailing “can be a force for good”. 

In a partnership between Lincoln University, Christchurch NZ and SailGP, the event showcased sport as a vehicle for change, promoting healthy living, and connecting with others by providing an opportunity for high school pupils to meet high performance sporting men and women, hear their stories and be inspired.  Held in the Whare Hākinakina Lincoln University Gym, Years 9-11 students from 14 Canterbury schools were invited to learn about the life-changing power of sport.

Lincoln alumni and world Champion rugby players, Kendra Cocksedge and Andy Ellis, shared insights from their sporting careers, and participated in a discussion panel which also included head of the New Zealand SailGP event, Karl Budge, and Swiss co-driver Nathan Outteridge, who is also an America’s Cup sailor and Olympic gold medallist.  Recently retired Black Cap Todd Astle, another Lincoln alumnus, emceed the event.

Pupils had a chance to test their fitness on ski machines and take part in sessions on sustainability which included learning about new plant proteins from Leaft Foods and kayaks made from wool by Shear Edge.  They were also introduced to sport science, a subject that Lincoln offers through its Sport and Recreation speciality.

Sail GP’s logistics partner Kuehne + Nagel, a global company that has a close relationship with Lincoln and offers graduates a chance to intern in New York, were also represented at the event.  They discussed the efforts they had made to reduce the carbon footprint of Sail GP’s 110 containers, which were shipped around the world using biofuels, to cut emissions by up to 90% when the event was held in Europe.

Event attendees had the opportunity to sign an oversized card wishing good luck to the New Zealand team in their races, and enjoyed a Kapa Haka performance from Te Kura Kaupapa Māori o Waitaha.

Naomi Wilde, Director, Alumni and Development, and keen SailGP fan, commented,

“It was fantastic to bring this synergetic event together and embrace the opportunity for Lincoln University to be part of a such a renowned international sporting event.”

“Not only did we help to raise Lincoln University’s profile locally and internationally, but it was so gratifying to be collaborating with the many people and organisations involved.  Just from Lincoln University alone, the Alumni and Development Office, Marketing team, Student Recruitment team, Sports and Gym staff, Vice-Chancellor’s office, university academics and staff, university students and alumni all had a huge part in making the day happen.”

“We are very grateful to ChchNZ, SailGP and partners. It was a great project for Lincoln University to be involved in, and demonstrated the positive impact of collaboration and team work on alumni and community relationships.”

Networking Events Net Success

Connecting and Collaborating with Colleagues … 

The Educate Plus New Zealand Chapter is excited to have wrapped up a fantastic two weeks of networking events across the country in Term 2! The events saw 113 Members in attendance, which equates to an astounding 78% of our membership attending. To every single member who has joined one of our recent events, we thank you!

It has been a pleasure to provide these networking events to all our members. The feedback has been super positive about the opportunities to connect and collaborate with fellow colleagues from the local universities and schools in each region. Below is a selection of photos from across the five events hosted.

We also wish to extend a big thank you to all the wonderful institutions that hosted our events:

• St Cuthbert’s College, Auckland
• St Peter’s School, Cambridge
• Palmerston North Boys’ High School, Palmerston North
• Queen Margaret College, Wellington
• The University of Canterbury, Christchurch

At each event, the Chapter committee presented the diverse opportunities Educate Plus offers members to Unlock Your Potential. For easy reference, the booklet (here) provides the detail covered and more. We encourage all those who attended to take a good look at the booklet to really gain a great understanding of the value of your Membership and connection to a wide network of Advancement Professionals. We also ask you to share this with your fellow Advancement colleagues in your institutions, Heads of School and peers you know working in other schools, who may not know of Educate Plus and the benefits.

Once again, thank you for your support of all of our Educate Plus events – we look forward to seeing you all again soon at an upcoming Webinar, the Summit or future networking event!

Introducing … Mary Sherratt

Meet a Member … 

Each eNews, we would like to introduce you to one of our wonderful Chapter Members, through a Question & Answer type interview article. 

Therefore, in the hotseat this edition, is Mary Sherratt: Woodford House Archivist and Database Administrator; Woodford House Old Girls’ Association President; WH Board of Proprietors member (WHOGA Representative)

Tell us a little bit about the Woodford House Old Girls’ Association

Although Woodford House first opened its doors in 1894 it took several attempts to muster an Old Girls’ Association that would survive – several times Old Girls were asked to consider what Wanganui Collegiate and Christ’s College Old Boys were contributing to their schools!

In 1933 Mrs Dorothy Campbell rallied 85 Old Girls to a meeting in the committee room of Hawke’s Bay Farmers and they unanimously agreed to form the Woodford House Old Girls’ Association. The Association has remained strong since then and we look forward to celebrating our 90^th anniversary in September this year.

A trust was set up and funds raised have been distributed as scholarships to enable many daughters of Old Girls who might not otherwise be able to attend the school. Today the Scholarships are open to any girl with a financial need.

Originally there were seven branches of the Association throughout New Zealand and as time has gone on, and digital communication has increased, the branches have all folded and the National Executive Committee now manages the whole Old Girl Database. We have over 4300 members on our database, and we continue to promote and keep alive an active interest in the welfare of our old school. The establishment this year of an Alumnae Relations Office within the Communications Department at Woodford House has cemented the relationship between the School and the Old Girls, and we are delighted with the connection.

Length of time in Educational Advancement (& prior industry if applicable)

Throughout my life I have been involved in education and educational facilities. I was a primary school teacher, a Weight Watchers Leader, and Field Coach (training the leaders), a primary school receptionist (Director of First Impressions!). Since 2019 I have been the Archivist and Database Administrator at Woodford House. I joined the WH Old Girls’ Association in 2013 and became President in 2018. My role as President of the Woodford House Old Girls’ Association is a voluntary one, as is my position on the WH Board of Proprietors.

Achievement / Accomplishment most proud of

Although my roles as Archivist and Database Administrator are two separate jobs they often overlap. I feel really pleased when I find a connection with an Old Girl who has been missing from our database and by reconnecting with her, I receive items or photos for the Archives – often these are mementos from her mother! Sometimes the reconnection leads to discovering an interesting life story which we publish in our newsletters and the Tempus Magazine. It is an important job to be storing the memorabilia and photos in the Archives to preserve the history of the school for future generations. When I started in the Database role, I discovered that there were close to one thousand girls who were not registered in Potentiality (our Database software). I am proud to have loaded all those missing names in and am making it my mission to track them down and connect with them.

Three tips / words of advice for new members and/or those new to advancement

I was encouraged to attend the NZ Educate Plus Conference in 2022 both by the Old Girls’ Association and the School and it was the best thing I have done! Educate Plus opened up the alumni world to me and has given me so many connections and ideas. The ideas are shared at our Old Girl meetings and have guided us in some of our decision making. This year, our Alumnae Relations Officer and I have joined Educate Plus, and I have already attended our regional meeting in Palmerston North for great networking. I am looking forward to the Conference in Christchurch later this year.

Three things you enjoy doing in your spare time

When I am not at work I like to meditate on a daily basis – I learned Vedic Meditation five years ago and it has changed me and my outlook on life! I love reading, and I am researching my family tree. Becoming a grandmother has sparked a whole new passion in me and I love spending time with my granddaughter, Roxie, when I can. The past year has seen me learning about growing my own nutritional vegetables and preserving food. I regularly bring dehydrated feijoa to work which is well liked in our office!

Thank you Mary! It’s been wonderful to get to know you!

Seven Secret Ingredients to Successfully Engage Young Alumni

Article from AlumGrow Consultancy … 

(Exhibitors at the Educate Plus New Zealand 2022 Summit.)

If you’re responsible for Alumni Relations at your organisation, you no doubt find engaging young alumni to be one of the most challenging aspects of the role.

I’ve always found engaging young alumni one of the more frustrating, yet at the same time, most rewarding parts of my job.

Compared to other alumni cohorts, it always seems that we need to do so much more work to get their attention and then keep them engaged for any length of time.

So why do we bother then? Why go to all the effort of engaging this recalcitrant group of alumni?

Well that is an easy one! Because young alumni are the future of your organisation. They will play a major role in the financial prosperity of your organisation going forward. They will ultimately be your organisation’s future proofers.

When done well, engaging young alumni leads to many important benefits for education institutions such as volunteering, growing industry influence, increase brand recognition, enrolments and even fundraising.

Yet as an industry, we are getting it badly wrong when it comes to engaging young alumni – and sadly as practitioners we know we are making a hash of it too.

Recent research by the Council for Advancement and Support of Education (CASE) shows that globally:

• 91% of alumni professionals believe they do a “poor job” or they “need to do much more” to attract and engage young alumni.
• 83% of young alumni think their alma mater should be doing more to engage them.
• On average only 11% of young alumni actively engage with their alumni programs.
• New alumni donor acquisition has declined by over 9% since 2016 in private education.

Hmm Houston it seems we have a problem…

So what is the solution? How can we more effectively engage younger alumni?

Well, there is no simple and magic fix here. It is going to take a lot of time, hard work and patience (especially from senior leadership) before realising any of the benefits that flow from engaging young alumni – let alone holding their attention spans long enough to engage.

However fear not! I am going to share with you my very own special never-fail seven ingredient recipe to help set you up for success and save you some valuable time and work in the process.

Read more 7 secret ingredients to successfully engage young alumni (alumgrow.com.au)

Strategic Partner Spotlight on … Potentiality

Potentiality Leads the Way with the “Privacy Detector” Booth

Article supplied by Isabella Blick | Head of Asia Pacific Customer Experience | Potentiality

At the recent Northampton conference, we rolled out an unprecedented experiment: a “Privacy Detector” booth. Participants from academic institutions across the UK and beyond had the opportunity to delve into the privacy health of their school websites. Utilising a custom Chrome extension and some smart circuitry, this detector would trigger an alerting siren if it detected user engagement data being channeled to marketing powerhouses like Google or Facebook. Instead of the “out of sight, out of mind” approach, we turned it on its head and sirens took center stage! Schools with no data leakage would walk away with a £50 gift voucher. Over 100 schools dared to test, but the results were staggering: none passed. *

We were aware these tools were common, but the unanimous adoption was a jaw-dropper. As the time-honored saying goes, “if you’re not paying for the product, you are the product.” but here the narrative takes a more sinister turn. When schools or software providers decide to use free tools offered by giants like Google or Facebook, they turn their communities into the product without any reasonable opportunity to consent. There’s a lot of controversy about the privacy implications of individual usage of online resources like Facebook and Tik Tok, but at least with those sites it’s a conscious decision which each individual controls.

In today’s digital landscape, schools and educational institutions are increasingly leveraging potent web analytics to optimize their online presence. Industry bigwigs such as Google Analytics and Facebook Pixel offer insights that can significantly enhance the user experience and amplify website functionality. So if all this is free, who’s footing the bill?

On inspecting one site, we discovered that user donation amounts were shared with these marketing companies. The eventual fallout? The user ends up being marketed to based on a donation made to the school. That’s a pill I doubt they’d swallow willingly…

Navigating the privacy policies of these companies can feel like walking through a maze. Google Analytics, arguably the most guarded, sports a very complex set of policies. They claim data anonymization, but truthfully, they don’t need to know who you are to market to you. They also note that site visitors can control their marketing exposure via their Google profiles – a process trickier than visitors would reasonably anticipate. I won’t dive into all the legal intricacies in this article, but if these companies weren’t planning on marketing based on site usage, wouldn’t they simply state “we don’t use this data to target marketing to your visitors”? 

A recurring misguided belief among the UK schools we interacted with was that these tools were vital for boosting their Google Search visibility (SEO). That’s a completely different ballgame. They were also caught off guard to learn that switching to incognito mode or disabling cookies had zero impact! These tools aren’t cookie-dependent so that makes no difference. In my view, the offer to disable cookies which is creating a false sense of security is not just misleading,but ethically questionable.

In almost all instances, schools were employing website providers that had their products integrated with these free tools. Marketing companies simplify this integration, consequently bolstering the website provider’s product offerings. However, at day’s end, it’s a shortcut that compromises the privacy of the client’s community to enhance their own product features. Implementing private and secure analytics tools does require time and effort, but the payoff is retaining ownership of the engagement data within the school, yielding more profound and relevant analytics than what Google Analytics and Facebook Pixel can offer. As an example, our latest product release – “Potentiality Shield” (purposefully named) enables us to track not just the hits, browsers, devices, and locations of each visitor, but often precisely who is visiting what pages. This can be used collectively with all other automatically collected engagement data such as purchases, event attendances, archive views, click and reads on emails etc, to build warmth profiles for fundraising or volunteer management. You can even use the data to train our bulk AI comms tools which draft mass individually personalized messages based on user engagement. The possibilities are powerful, exciting and scary all at the same time. Which is the reason why these companies want schools to give the data to them. For a school to manage and utilize this data themselves also introduces a host of ethical questions, but at least the school and their community retain control and aren’t unknowingly feeding data to major marketing companies.

So what can we learn from this experiment and where to from here? There was certainly a lot of surprise amongst our stall visitors when they saw what was going on. So it’s certainly a positive that our participants are more aware and perhaps making a more informed decision on what technologies they use. However the tricky part here is that it’s their community paying the price, so shouldn’t their community be granted the same awareness if the commodity in question is their engagement data? Do schools replace the cookie control popups with warning banners telling visitors that there’s nothing they can realistically do to prevent marketing companies targeting advertising to them based on their use of the site? One suggestion by a school, as the only way to guarantee privacy, was for their site visitors to use a Tor Browser (a browser used mostly to access the dark web). I’ll leave it to the readers of this article to decide if they want to put that on their school website!

While I loathe being the purveyor of grim tidings, I can’t see that these tools are acceptable or even ethical to use in an educational environment. Schools aren’t just institutions; they’re communities, distinct from regular websites. If an airline site shares data with marketing sites, they might just shrug it off as “business as usual”. Schools however embody a community and should hold the privacy and security of that community sacrosanct. If community members are uncomfortable being tracked by marketing companies without their express permission or even knowledge, then their data simply shouldn’t be shared.

It’s time to shield our communities and ensure their digital safety. Remember, privacy matters. Let’s act like it does.

* Potentiality clients were excluded from the free voucher giveaway, as we utilise our proprietary analytics tools which naturally pass the privacy test. The data collected stays wholly owned by the school and is not shared or used by other companies or clients in any way

Vale

Emeritus Professor Stuart McCutcheon … 

It is with very great sadness that we heard of the death of Professor Stuart McCutcheon. He died suddenly of a heart attack on 6 January 2023. A huge congregation filled St Mary’s at Holy Trinity Cathedral, Auckland on Friday 13 January for his funeral service. This great attendance is a testimony to the number of people whose lives and careers he touched and his genuine interest and concern for others.

After 25 years as an academic, Professor McCutcheon was Assistant/Deputy Vice Chancellor at Massey University, 1994-2000, Vice Chancellor at Victoria University of Wellington 2000-2004 and Vice Chancellor of the University of Auckland 2005-2020.He was the only person to be Vice Chancellor at two NZ universities and strongly believed that every great country and city should be home to a fine university.

All those who attended the Educate Plus NZ Chapter Conference on Friday 9 September 2022 will remember his stimulating and informative keynote address, ‘Philanthropy: the exchange of value’, and how that exchange can form a foundation on which enduring philanthropic relationships can be built.

Stuart’s keynote address was a brilliant start to our conference day. After his presentation, delegates had the opportunity to meet him and enjoy further discussions over morning tea. Stuart was warm and welcoming, conversing easily with everyone. He was a person gifted with natural mana, good humour, sound judgement and showed amazing leadership qualities.

A number of us have known and worked with him during these past years and as a mentor he has inspired us. His selfless, humble and genuinely caring personality greatly endeared him to all those he met. 

We are so grateful to him for his enthusiastic and encouraging support for the Educate Plus NZ Chapter and its work assisting members in schools and universities. 

Here are a few sentences from the obituary written by his colleague and friend, Professor John Fraser, Dean, Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences, University of Auckland.

‘The world is a less interesting place without Stuart, but he leaves an indelible legacy. He modernised our university, led two philanthropic campaigns that were the largest in the country, and built a community of committed donors and friends through his personality and ability to convey a vision’.

Stuart is greatly missed. 

From Mandy McFarland our CEO Educate Plus Australasia, Dr Nicole Bassett our NZ Chapter President, Emma Zigan our NZ Chapter Vice President, and the Committees and Members throughout Australasia, we send our deepest sympathy to Stuart’s wife Deborah and their sons Alex and Charles.

Waiho ra kia tu takitahi ana nga whetu o te rangi

New Member Welcome

We can’t wait to meet you … 

We extend a very warm welcome to our latest Members, who have recently joined us this quarter. We are thrilled to have you as part of our NZ Chapter community!

We hope that you were able to join us at yesterday’s ‘New Member Meetup’ (7 June, 2023). But if not, information regarding the next ‘New Member Meetup’ in August will be sent closer to the date. 

These sessions are a wonderful, informal way catch up with other new Members, and to hear more about the benefits of being a Member and what is available to you on our website. 

And of course, we look forward to welcoming you to the upcoming NZ in-person events, and to our Summit on 31 August-1 September. For further information about these events, CLICK HERE

Thank You To Our Valuable Partners

With Gratitude … 

We’d like to extend a huge ‘Thank You’ to our valuable Educate Plus Strategic Partners and our NZ Chapter and Summit Partners, who support us in our activities and enable us to provide wonderful opportunities to our Members and Non-Members. We ask that you please consider supporting them, so that in turn, they can continue to support us. 

Thank You to our Educate Plus Strategic Partners

Thank You to our NZ Chapter Partners

Stay Connected

Stay Connected … 

Keep in contact with your fellow Advancement professionals to keep abreast of best practice, discover new approaches and technologies and gain valuable industry insights.

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