Chapter President’s Welcome

To all of our New Zealand Members,

It is hard to believe that from 1 March we are now officially at the beginning of Autumn. Many of us are still wondering where Summer went!   

To our Members who have been affected by Cyclone Gabrielle, and to those who have friends and family around the country who are still recovering, we send you much love. Please don’t hesitate to reach out to the Committee if we can assist you in any way. 

We have some exciting Professional Development opportunities coming up and we hope that you take the opportunity to join these. Check out both the Professional Development and NZ Chapter sections on the Educate Plus website to see what is coming up in your region. We are committed to making sure we host events in multiple regions across the country. 

The NZ Chapter Committee is delighted to advise that all networking events for 2023 will be FREE to Members. Our first in-person event is coming up on Monday 20 March (a lunch and PD opportunity at Lincoln University), which will be followed by a series of networking events from 3-10 May with support from our Partners. Be sure to join us in your region in May to meet new people, catch up with those you know and learn together. In addition, the NZ Chapter will be hosting a Leadership in Education Webinar on 29 March. We encourage you to register for this wonderful opportunity to hear from a Senior Lecturer in Educational Leadership from the University of Auckland.

Our NZ Chapter Summit 2023 in Christchurch has a theme of NEXUS: Stronger Together.  Make sure you SAVE THE DATES on your calendar. We are offering a half-day of workshops for specific professional development on the afternoon of 31 August at Christ’s College and our Summit conference is at Lincoln University on 1 September. Details of the programme and registration are coming soon.

To everyone, as you start the year, we know people are still under significant stress. So, be kind to yourselves. Take a breath and a moment to enjoy nature and all it has to offer – it’s not all bad out there and you all do an amazing job for your organisations.

Cheers

Nicole

Dr Nicole Bassett
NZ Chapter President | Educate Plus
M: +64 21 246 2801; E: n.bassett@auckland.ac.nz
Poutaki Whanaketanga (Development Manager)
Pūtahi o Liggins, Pūtahi Pūhanga-koiora o Tāmaki Makaurau
LIGGINS INSTITUTE AND AUCKLAND BIOENGINEERING INSTITUTE

Waipapa Taumata Rau – The University of Auckland

Introducing our Chapter Vice President …

We are thrilled to introduce you to our NZ Chapter Vice President – Emma Zigan!

Emma is the Associate Director at Giving Architects, and has been working as a consultant since May 2021 in the for-purpose sector, with a specialty in all aspects of Educational Advancement. Below are the answers to a series of questions recently asked of Emma … 

How long have you been in the Educational Advancement sector, and what industries have you been in prior to working in Advancement? 

I have spent over 10 years in Educational Advancement and School Leadership working in America, Brazil and Belgium as a Director of Advancement in K-12 International Schools. My previous 20+ years were in Sales & Marketing in the corporate sector in NZ and overseas.

What achievement or accomplishment are you most proud of? 

My most rewarding achievement was gaining 100% giving participation by Faculty and Staff to the Annual Fund at two of the three institutions worked at (the third one was well on its way to 100% before I left). Gaining giving support from this stakeholder group is often seen as an impossible task, and yet it is possible, with excellent communication, board and leadership role modelling and advocacy, face-to-face individual and group meetings, plus a lot of sharing of the transformational impact of sustainable philanthropic support. In these two institutions, the Faculty and Staff became the greatest champions of the Advancement Programme. Their 100% participation and commitment were pivotal in leveraging more donors in other stakeholder groups to give and to give at higher levels. 

What have been your greatest moments of learning or a challenge that you have overcome? 

There are many great moments I can think of, but I believe we learn most from the challenging ones, so I will tell of one that was challenging for me. It relates to my experience above. Some teachers were very upset that the Advancement team were going to be asking our school’s cleaning ladies to ‘participate in giving’. 

• The challenge? Should we make a judgement on who can and can’t give or who should or shouldn’t be included? 
• The decision? Everyone was included. Everyone was asked (in a careful and differentiated way). We did not judge. 
• The outcome? The cleaning ladies participated. They told us that for the first time, they truly felt part of the school community. Whilst they may have given very low values (the money was never the ask, the participation was), their participation allowed us to reach 100% commitment from Faculty and Staff and it was one of their own proudest moments (we followed up in person). They delighted in being able to genuinely celebrate all the successes they had contributed to with the Advancement Programme (and have continued to give every year since!).
• The learning? Ask and include everyone (intentionally, carefully, respectfully and gratefully). Giving is joyful. 

What is the most impactful book you have read or podcast followed/listened to?

My absolute favourite book of the last couple of years is Humankind: A Hopeful History by Rutger Bregman. I urge everyone to read it. I read it often to counter the terrible news we see each and every day. Humankind reminds me that humans are truly deeply good people and allows me to remain positive in light of all that we see as bad in the world. 

What are three tips or words of advice you would give to new members and/or those new to Advancement?

1. Participate: Make it a priority to attend the Educate Plus Learning Summit (31 August-1 September in Christchurch). It’s going to be so good! 
2. Connect: Be sure to engage with your industry peers at the networking events Educate Plus puts on in your region. It’s a great way to regularly connect and these networking events are free! 
3. Share: Share your thinking, your knowledge and your feedback. The E+ committee wants to hear from all our members about what you need, want, like and don’t like. Sharing is caring!

What are three things you enjoy doing in your spare time?

1. I love Yoga and practice 2-3 times a week.
2. Growing my own salad and herbs is a joy. I love the ‘nature-fix’ gardening gives me.
3. Hosting big parties like Oktoberfest and Brazilian Carnaval with all my friends, family and neighbours. I love to party and dance! 

NZ Summit – Registrations Open Soon!

We are thrilled to invite you to join us for two days of Professional Development and Networking at the 2023 NZ NEXUS Summit. The Summit will be the premier event for the NZ Chapter in 2023.

With a multitude of Professional Development sessions, spanning the pillars of Admissions, Alumni & Community Relations, Marketing & Communications, Fundraising and Leadership, there’s sure to be something for everyone, and much, much more!

Save the date … Registrations for this ‘not to be missed‘ event will be opening towards the end of March!

Event Details

Dates: 31 August – 1 September, 2023

Places:

• Pre-Summit Workshops – Christ’s College, Rolleston Avenue, Private Bag 4900, Christchurch 
• Welcome Event – Christ’s College, Rolleston Avenue, Private Bag 4900, Christchurch
• Summit and Closing Networking Drinks – Lincoln University, Ellesmere Junction Road, Lincoln 

Notes:

1. Summit Grants: There will be Summit Grants available of $ 200 per person which can be used for travel, accommodation, or pre-Summit workshops. More information to follow.
2. Accommodation: We are arranging for bus transportation on the Morning of 1 Sept to take you to Lincoln University from Christchurch and bring you back again at the end of the day.

With this in mind, we have negotiated a special deal (12% discount off the flexible bed and breakfast rate) for 29 August – 2 September at the following hotels:

• • Novotel Christchurch Cathedral Square
  • Ibis Christchurch 

We look forward to welcoming all NZ Chapter members and non-members to the NEXUS Summit!

Join us for Lunch and Professional Development

We warmly welcome Members and Non-Members to join us for a light lunch and an afternoon Q&A session on Alumni and Advancement at Lincoln University. 

Bob Skillen, formerly Vice-President of Advancement, University of New Brunswick in Canada, will share his wealth of experience on advancement and alumni engagement. This is a Q&A Session so bring all your questions along.

This is a great opportunity to meet with fellow Educate Plus members.

Event Details

Date: Monday 20 March 2023
Time:  12.30pm-2.30pm
Venue: Lincoln University, Conference A & B Function Room, Te Kete Ika (Dining Hall), Corner of Ellesmere Junction Road and Springs Road, Lincoln
Cost:  Free for Members; $20 (+gst) for non-members
Register: Click here or on the button below

Thank you to the Lincoln University Alumni and Development Office who are so generously sponsoring and hosting this event.

Guest Speaker

Bob Skillen is the recently retired Vice-President, Advancement at the University of New Brunswick, Canada’s oldest English Language University. He served in this capacity for fifteen years. During his tenure Bob had responsibility for the offices of Alumni Relations, Development and Donor Relations, Communications and Marketing, and Strategic Partnerships. Reporting to the University’s president, Bob was also one of the University’s senior fundraisers, carrying a portfolio of many of the University’s largest donors. Bob cites as highlights of his tenure as VP, the establishment of two new offices including a modern marketing office and an office of strategic partnerships, and oversight over UNB’s largest ever private fundraising campaign, with more than $125 million raised. After stepping down from the vice-presidency in December 2020, Bob stayed on for the next nine months to help establish the Frank McKenna Institute for Digital Transformation.

Prior to becoming UNB’s first Vice-President of Advancement, Bob served for 11 years as Executive Director of the UNB Associated Alumni before spending four years as president of Greenarm Managment, a property management company, before returning to UNB as VP. Bob has three degrees from UNB. He is married to Gisele, and they have three adult children and five grandchildren. Bob and Gisele are currently travelling in New Zealand and have been in the country since the beginning of January.

The University of New Brunswick, established in 1785, is situated in the province of New Brunswick. New Brunswick is one of four Atlantic Canadian provinces and has a population of just over 800,000. UNB is a comprehensive university offering undergraduate and graduate programs, including doctoral degrees, in a variety of disciplines including arts, science, engineering, law and business. It has a student body of 10,000 with 8,000 being situated on the older of the two campuses, in the City of Fredericton (pop 75,000) and the other 2,000 on a sister campus in the City of Saint John (pop 100,000).

https://www.unb.ca

Click for More Information and to Register

Networking Events

Registration now open … We invite all members and non-members to join us at one of these upcoming Networking Events:

Event Details

Dates, Times and Venues:

• Wednesday 3 May (8.30am-10am) – St Cuthbert’s College, Auckland (Register here)
• Thursday 4 May (7.30am-9am) – St Peter’s School, Cambridge (Register here)
• Friday 5 May (11.30am-1.30pm) – Palmerston North Boys’ High School, Palmerston North (Register here)
• Monday 8 May (7.30am-9am) – Queen Margaret College, Wellington (Register here)
• Tuesday 9 May (8am-9.15am) – John McGlashan College, Dunedin (Register here)
• Wednesday 10 May (7.30am-9am) – University of Canterbury, Christchurch (Register here)

Cost: Free for Members and Non-Members

We do hope you can join us at one of these wonderful networking opportunities!

Leadership Webinar

We are excited to invite all Educate Plus Members and Non-Members to participate in the upcoming Leadership in Education Webinar. This is a Chapter-wide webinar organised by our very own NZ Chapter Committee – so we’d love all of our NZ colleagues to join us for this occasion!

Event Details

Date: Wednesday, 29 March 2023
Time: 1pm-2pm NZST
Location: Online (via Zoom)
Cost: Free for Members; $35 (+gst) for Non-Members.
Presenter: Dr Frauke Meyer, Senior Lecturer in Educational Leadership, University of Auckland

Dr Frauke Meyer is a Senior Lecturer at the Faculty of Education. Her academic teaching and research mainly focus on educational leadership and leadership practices. Her current research is concerned with school leadership, interpersonal leadership practices, and school improvement. The immediate focus of her research is the analysis, assessment, and development of interpersonal behaviours that promote relational trust. Another area of research is equity and bias. Her expertise lies in qualitative as well as some quantitative research methodologies and mixed methods designs. Frauke has worked on a number of small to large-scale research projects and program evaluations.

Save the date … registrations will be opening shortly. 

Excellence Series #2 – Marketing & Communications

We invite you to register for our second Excellence Webinar Series where we will be showcasing the 2022 Marketing & Communications Video winners.

This is an excellent Professional Development opportunity to learn about best practice, share the challenges and achievements.

This exciting webinar will focus on two very different approaches to video storytelling. Jackie Dalton from Frensham Schools and Natasha Camilleri from Sacred Heart College in WA, will share their journeys and the outcomes of their award-winning videos. Both are cinematic, engaging and innovative and tell the story of their communities so powerfully.

Please click here for the Frensham Video.

Please click here for the Sacred Heart College Video.

Event Details

Date: Thursday 16 March 2023
Time:  3pm-13.30pm NZST
Location: Online (via Zoom)
Cost: Free for Members, $35 (+gst) for Non-Members
Presenters: 

• Jackie Dalton, Director of Philanthropy, Frensham Schools
• Natasha Camilleri, Community Relations & Marketing Coordinator, Sacred Heart College WA

Thank you to our 2022 Excellence Awards Partner Global Philanthropic for facilitating this session.

Click for More Information and to Register

Invest in Yourself – APT Training

Are you looking to enhance your skills and develop your career? Are you interested in learning more about other areas of Advancement or do you want to learn about best practice from experienced practitioners and consultants?

The Educate Plus Advancement Practitioner Training is exactly what you need!

Andrine Terry, Director of Philanthropy at Hale School, attended the Advancement Practitioner Training in Melbourne last year. Andrine comes to fundraising from a career in physio, followed by a degree in art history and many years of grass roots volunteering in the community.

She commented that, “I can highly recommend this training to fundraisers at any stage of their professional journey. The insights gained have made me far more effective in my role and I have saved myself years of hard work by gaining the presenters’ expertise and IP. The real-life experience was so valuable and clarified where I need to head to elevate my own practice as a fundraising professional.”

Seize the opportunity to enhance your skills, broaden your knowledge and deepen your understanding of the principles underpinning contemporary practice and standards in Advancement within the education sector. This is the only time that the Advancement Practitioner Training courses will be run in 2023. Options include: Admissions, Alumni & Community Engagement, Marcomms and Fundraising … don’t miss out, register now.

Event Details

• Dates: Monday 27 March and Tuesday 28 March 2023 (All courses are 2-days, except for Alumni & Community Relations, which is a 1-day course on Monday 27 March only)
• Venue: Level 7, UTS Building 10, 235 Jones Street, ULTIMO NSW 2007
• Format: Each session is 1.5 hours (incl Q&A) with 4 sessions per day and breaks for morning tea, lunch and afternoon tea.
• Includes: Networking Drinks on Monday afternoon/evening

Click for More Information or to Register

A Word with our Chapter Partner – Enquiry Tracker

Enquiry Tracker is a fully integrated CRM, event management, database, online admissions, reporting & analytics solution all packaged into one seamless and easy to use system.

Designed by marketing and admission professionals for K-12 schools, our solution is used to manage and grow enrollments in over 300 schools!

Enquiry Tracker can replace a range of existing and often expensive platforms including:  Constant Contact, Mailchimp, Campaign Monitor, Active Campaign, Eventbrite, Google Sheets, HubSpot, Hubbli and Try Booking.

Importantly, Enquiry Tracker forms can render in any language such as Maori and Chinese, but best of all data can be imported into Kamar, Synergetic and PCSchool which offers significant time savings.

Apart from being a brilliant system that is so easy to use, the friendly team at Enquiry Tracker genuinely cares. The onboarding process is fast, we were literally up and running in days. The training is engaging and fun and any support request is always handled – just superb. They listen to our suggestions. They just get schools. – Gabrielle McClelland, Admissions Manager, Kristin School, New Zealand

Join our 300+ schools globally, with our ‘world’s best’ enquiry to admissions technology. It’s a game changer for schools.

Click to Book a demo today and go in the draw to win tickets to USA!

Click the image below to view an animated video (1 minute)

Advancing Effective Leadership in Alignment

By Garth Wynne, Executive Principal, Christ’s College, Christchurch

Leadership, fundamentally, is about alignment. When we are aligned, we achieve our goals. The most effective leadership, in an increasingly disruptive environment, reflects on the core needs of leadership. That is, an alignment of people within an entity – in our case, a school – to our purpose and mission.

Together, we can achieve our goals. We do so in a changing and moving context, but if we are true to our core goals, beliefs, and mission, then we will be effective.

In independent schools, we are often fortunate that we have a clear idea of who we are, why we exist and where we wish to go. I have been fortunate that the schools I have led have been faith-inspired Anglican schools.

At Christ’s College, our core gospel virtues are honesty, learning, spirituality, respect, compassion, stewardship, and justice. From a biblical sense, they set different expectations than those created by non-religious entities.

With those virtues guiding us, and how the various groups within our community behave, we can go about achieving our mission. Our mission is ‘Each boy at his best’. So, every decision is based on achieving that outcome, with a knowing that boys at their best will be quite different throughout their five-year journey at secondary school.

Our Director of Advancement is part of our Executive team and oversees Admissions, Alumni, Philanthropy, Marketing, and Communications to engage the wider community. 

Our Advancement team is core to enhancing connections within our entire community, with a strong focus on the giving of time, treasure, and talent. This starts by talking to our boys about the importance of philanthropy and how they can play their part. In our Christ’s College Diploma, all boys must fulfil a service element. An ongoing commitment to service is also nurtured through our House system.

We always take on the learnings of the past, so that we can continue to enhance more opportunities in the future. When considering time, treasure, and talent, we come back to alignment. People will not give to an organisation unaligned to its purpose. Within Advancement, we must lead by example and demonstrate that alignment. It comes back to that core leadership mantra. 

From a personal perspective, learning to lead is a lifelong experience and learning leadership is a lifelong activity. As the dynamic of the community that we serve changes, so too must the behaviour of its leaders. You cannot lead from last century and deliver the vital community alignment of today. We need leadership that connects strongly with all elements of our community and adapts to the changing environment while reflecting contemporary attitudes and behaviours.

In 2025, we will celebrate our 175th anniversary. While we hold onto the values of our past, we maintain our innovative and contemporary approach to deliver ‘Each boy at his best’.

In closing, below is a summary of thoughts on Leadership:

• Leadership is about alignment
• Stay aligned with your purpose
• Decisions should always support your values
• Reflect on learnings of the past
• Consider Advancement in terms of time, treasure, and talent
• Be dynamic to adapt to changing environments
• Learning to lead is a lifelong journey

Welcome to our New NZ Chapter Members

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 invite you to join us for an introductory webinar, designed specifically for new members.

Event Details

• Date: Thursday 23 March, 2023
• Time: 3pm-3.45pm NZST
• Place:  Online via Zoom Link (sent after registration)
• Cost: Free

Member Benefits

Bring your lunch and hear more about the benefits of being a member:

• Professional Development Opportunities
• Networking & Knowledge Sharing
• Information & Communication
• Awards & Post Nominals
• Affiliations

The Webinar will also help you to navigate our Website and will be an opportunity for you to meet the team from Head Office, and fellow colleagues from around Australia & New Zealand, who have also recently joined Educate Plus.

Click For More Information and to Register

Thank You to our Valuable Partners

We’d like to extend a huge ‘Thank You’ to our valuable partners, who support the NZ Chapter 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.

Are You Connected Online?

We invite you to connect on the Educate Plus Socials! 

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

To keep you to up to date with what’s happening in the Advancement sector, please connect with Educate Plus on LinkedIn, Facebook, and on the NZ Facebook Page.