President’s Welcome

Last week I was reminded why I’m a dedicated Educate Plus member. Our alumni association wondered what percentage of sons/grandsons of Old Boys other comparable schools have. So, I reached out for an ‘off the record chat’ and within a couple of hours had real answers from eight institutions all thanks to the network! I believe it’s that collegiality and drive for excellence that is behind the 21% increase in QLD Chapter’s membership in 2019. The year finished with 394 members representing a wide variety of educational institutions – schools, residential colleges, institutes and universities, and we aim to build on our reputation as the premier network for advancement professionals throughout Australasia.

Whether you are new to the sector or an experienced practitioner, the development opportunities across all four pillars offered by Educate Plus to our members in Admissions, Marketing, Alumni and Fundraising are paramount in not only assisting you to be informed of the latest innovations and trends, but providing you with actual concrete ways to develop your organisation without having to ‘reinvent the wheel’. The added advantage of informal collegial support and/or formal mentoring is simply a great bonus. You never need to feel alone in your role again because we are your ‘tribe’. I recently participated in a podcast on this topic, click to listen here.

The Chapter AGM was held on 28 November 2019 at the Gambaro Function Centre. Five committee members did not stand for re-election – they were Alice Tidmarsh, Beth Kitson, John Collins, Glenda Fitz-Payne and John Bacon. Alice completely restructured our Corporate Partnerships and hopes to return in the future, while Beth spearheaded our Conference marketing and has taken a promotion outside of the education sector. John, Glenda and John have decided that after many years of service to Educate Plus across too many areas to list, to call it a day. Thank you all for your dedication and for being genuine examples of servant leaders.

2020 Queensland Educate Plus Chapter Committee

I’m thrilled to welcome seven new appointees, Kamyra Laurenson (UQ, Institute of Molecular Bioscience), Susan Uhlmann (St Margaret’s Girls School), Suzie Hancock (Consultant), Elaine MacRae (St John’s Anglican College), Alison Walburn (Matthew Flinders Anglican College), Kristie Welsh (Brisbane Boys’ College) and Rob Needham (Shelton College) to join the seven continuing committee members. I sincerely thank each committee member for their sacrificial commitment to our Chapter. 2020 QLD Committee Members 

This dynamic QLD team has designed an incredible 2020 program which is well underway. Don’t miss the PD showcasing all QLD Conference Award winners on 25 March. I’m proud that QLD continues to lead the way with supporting our regional members with another two regional events set for Cairns (17 March) and Mackay (11 May). 

The 2020 Educate Plus International Conference will be held in Adelaide on 8-11 September, and there are $500 bursary or travel concessions available. Click here for the video and please find attached a link to the bursary application form.

Thank you to our 2020 QLD Partners:

• Major Queensland Corporate Partner – Digistorm
• Admissions Pillar Partner – Parashift
• Alumni Pillar Partner – Troop
• Fundraising Pillar Partner – Charidy
• Marketing Pillar Partner – New Word Order

We are grateful for their support of our Chapter as it enables the delivery of our quality program with exceptional value so please consider them for any opportunities you may have as we only partner with quality businesses relevant to our roles.

To each one of you, I sincerely wish you a productive and successful year as we all work within our unique institutions to be part of something special, to see growth, development and be part of them truly flourishing.

Lea Walker-Franks F.Edplus
President – Qld Chapter

QLD Marketing and Alumni SIG Feedback

On Thursday 13 February, the first Queensland SIG was held at the Anglican Church Grammar School. Focused on the Marketing and Alumni streams, attendees shared their knowledge and personal experiences in the ever-evolving sector of privacy and social media.

Attendees first enjoyed a great presentation from the Queensland Marketing Stream Sponsor, Parashift before delving into the wide and varied world of privacy in education. From the management and setup of social media groups to media consents and privacy policies, all participants were able to take away at least one tip to implement in their own workplace.

QLD Chapter Events

Cairns Professional Development Session

Event Details

This special Cairns event is for advancement team members working in leadership; principals, directors, board members and managers. Support staff will also benefit from the day, including those working specifically in: Admissions and Enrolments   l   Alumni & Community Relations   l   Fundraising   l   Marketing & Communications

Date:      Monday 16 March

Time:      8:30am – 2:00pm

Venue:    Aria Room, Hotel Bailey, 163 Abbott St, Cairns

Cost:       Members Free of Charge Non-Members $45 (plus GST)

Registration Link

Queensland Chapter Conference Award Winner Showcase

Event Details

The five award winners from Queensland Chapter Conference in September 2019, will share and present their award-winning campaigns.

Date:      Wednesday 25 March

Time:      9:00am (registration) 9.30am – 11.30am program

Venue:    College Hall, Brisbane Boys’ College

Cost:       Members $55 Non-Members $66

Registration Link

SAVE THE DATE Regional Professional Development Session Dates for 2020

We are excited to continue to offer professional development opportunities to our regional members. The sessions planned for 2020 are as follows:

• Mackay – Professional Development Day – Monday 11 May 2020 – 8.30am – 2.00pm

• Ipswich – Special Interest Group – Thursday 30 July – 2.30pm – 4.00pm

Registration information will be finalised and distributed in the coming weeks.

If you have any particular questions, topics or issues you’d like our presenters to cover, please email them to Lea Walker-Franks.

We look forward to meeting members personally at these special events.

Lea Walker-Franks talks about Educate Plus Alumni and Fundraising

Click here to listen to the Education Vision 2020 Podcast

School alumni and fundraising expert, and Educate Plus Queensland Chapter President, Lea Walker-Franks talked with trueAU.NEWS about school community engagement, alumni, and fundraising approaches and opportunities.

Educate Plus is the only Australasian organisation for professionals in the education sector, Educate Plus is run largely by volunteers who are passionate about supporting individuals in advancement roles.

Lea Walker-Franks took the time to dispel some myths around school fundraising.

“The other thing too, a misconception, is that it’s the alumni that always give big, and it’s the alumni that are the ones that give regularly, not current parents,” Lea Walker-Franks said in the podcast interview above.

“That’s not in my experience.

“It is the current parents that are your largest body of donors, stakeholder group.

“They’ve got a vested interest in seeing these things happen while their children are there, or purely philanthropically, say towards the bursary program, to really leave a legacy and enable students to attend who, without financial assistance, wouldn’t be able to.”

Further, Lea Walker-Franks talked about alumni fundraising and engagement strategies.

“It’s the alumni that, when you actually gently make it clear exactly what level of support is there, because they presume that, ‘Oh, every other old boy is giving a big gift, they don’t need mine,’ and across all the schools I’ve worked in, boys and girls, single sex schools, that’s been the case,”

“Once you wake up the sleeping giant too, that, ‘Thank you for this level of support from this level of donors,’ they’re usually quite shocked.”

This podcast publication is part of the Education Vision 2020 series.

The Traditional Admission Funnel is Broken

This article is reproduced with kind permission from Brendan Schneider. Educate Plus are currently working with Brendan with the view of bring him to Australia to conduct a series of Master Classes.

In my opinion, the traditional admission funnel is broken. I believe this for two reasons:

1. The Rise in Ghost Inquiries

Ghost inquiries are those inquiries where the first point of contact with the prospective family is when they submit their application. The implications of ghost inquiries are huge.

Sure it was great that you received the application but what about all those families that researched your school and decided not to apply. The family has made a decision about your school without you having a voice in the conversation. I often wonder how many families have considered Sewickley Academy but never completed an inquiry form.

Let that sink in for a moment.

The implications are huge.

The traditional funnel model where a family would express interest in your school by calling the admission office with the purpose of receiving your admission packet are over. When the family made their inquiry, they were, in essence, giving you permission to market to them about your school. Those days are over!

The new model, as suggested by the ghost inquiry, is that families are doing their research about your school using Google, review sites like Great Schools, viewing your school’s social media channels, and talking to families and friends about their individual opinions.

When a family completes an inquiry form now, they have already made their decision that they are interested in your school.

Are you thinking about your marketing and admission processes in this new light?

2. The Funnel Signifies an End to the Process

I often walk around the office and say that it’s easier to re-enrol a student than it is to enrol a student. Where is re-enrolment represented in the traditional admission funnel?

It’s not!

Another reason that I think the traditional admission funnel is dead is that the point of the funnel signifies an end – that once a student is enrolled their journey is complete. I think that their journey is only beginning with your school.

There has been a change in this line of thinking in recent years as evidenced in the advancement model at schools as well as admission directors assuming the title of Director of Enrolment. Schools have increasingly spent more time strategically thinking about retention and my school even has a committee where we discuss retention beginning in the early winter of the school year.

What replaces the funnel?

This is a great question and one that I’ve been struggling with for some time. While I’m honestly not sure what form the new funnel should take I have recently settled on The Enrolment Rings.

Here is the general concept – a student moves from one ring to the next based on their level of attraction or commitment to the school. The goal of the school is to move a child into the ring in the middle which signifies an Evangelist for the school.

Here are the Rings:

Ring 1: Awareness (of your school)
Ring 2: Interest (in your school)
Ring 3: Application (to your school)
Ring 4: Enrolment
Ring 5: Re-enrolment
Ring 6: Alumni
Ring 7: Evangelist

The Enrolment Rings help to address the two weaknesses above of the traditional admission funnel: 1. A school cannot simply focus upon Ring 2: Interest (or Inquiry) anymore, they must also focus on raising awareness of your school for mission appropriate families, 2. The Enrolment Rings have no end, as the funnel does, once a family reaches Ring 7: Evangelist a school will have to work hard in order to keep the family in Ring 7. There is never an end, or finish line – schools, must continue to cultivate individual families to keep them in the Evangelist ring.

International Conference Adelaide 2020

Regional Bursaries Announced for Educate Plus International Conference
Adelaide, 8 – 11 September 2020

We are excited to announce that Queensland has five bursaries available for low fee institutions of $500 each. We also have 10 travel concessions of $500 each.

The application process is simple and short, and you’ll receive a quick response from the President. We are very keen to have as many of our regional members at the conference.

Follow the link for more information: https://www.epadelaide2020.edu.au/bursaries

Please do get in touch if you have any questions about bursaries, travel concessions or the international conference.

This is the premier event for advancement professionals across Australasia. It will provide you with significant opportunities to learn about leading practices, with over 80 leading practitioners from Australasia, USA and UK presenting. There will be plenty of opportunities to network with your peers and gain industry knowledge through discussion and building connections. You will gain insights from project leaders and industry influencers over the 3 days of workshops in 7 streams.

CONFERENCE WEBSITE

The Educate Plus 2020 International Conference provides an invaluable opportunity to:

• Learn and up-skill by attending a variety of conference sessions, including keynote presentations, concurrent sessions and workshops.
• Over 98% of delegates achieved their outcomes in attending the last Educate Plus International Conference. 
• Hear from local and international thought-leaders on emerging topics and trends.
• Network with 700+ advancement practitioners and like-minded peers.
• Discover the latest innovations, products and services on show at the exhibition.

The conference has seven concurrent streams which will cover:

• Admissions
• School Fundraising
• Advanced and Tertiary Fundraising
• School Alumni and Community engagement
• Advanced and Tertiary Alumni and Community Engagement
• Marketing and Communications
• Leadership and General Advancement

In addition to the pre-conference masterclasses and workshops on 8 September, the following 3 conference days (9-11 September) will include round-table opportunities to discuss key challenges, as well as practical sessions with the aim of providing attendees with a range of strategies to implement in their roles. There is a full social program to encourage and provide time to network. Our draft program has just been published. Please note that content and speakers are open to change.

CONFERENCE PROGRAM

Don’t miss out, early bird tickets are on sale now!

Pre-Conference Masterclasses and Workshops

Our pre-conference workshops and masterclass offerings for the 2020 International Conference surpass previous years. You are welcome to register for any class/workshop you wish, there are full or half-day options.

Led by a hand-picked group of the world’s most innovative educators, combining focused, relevant information and tips, that are guaranteed to keep you engaged, delegates can immerse themselves in the day to learn the tricks of the trade.

Our Capital Campaigns Masterclass will include focused talks, interactive discussions and current trends from world experts. This workshop will be relevant to the Alumni and Fundraising staff, and will make you think, review and implement best practice.

Our iPhone & Cinematography workshop is guaranteed to get the creative juices flowing. Creative communication forms the beating heart of marketing communications/ social media/ telling your story, but not all of us feel comfortable delving into our creative brain in order to produce new and inspiring material. Our workshop will explore elements of videography, empowering you to communicate with elegance and eloquence.

This expert is an experienced presenter, writer and content developer and at #epadelaide2020, he will share the secrets to Delivering an amazing Presentation. Delegates will learn the core components of every great talk:

• The story – making sure the message has a coherent structure
• The media – enhancing the story not distracting from it
• Presentation – making sure the message is delivered with presence

This incredible handpicked lineup of experts will take you through Discovering Advancement. There will be a lot of shared knowledge from people at different stages in the Industry from those newly joined, fresh faced members to those experts who have lots of insights to help you on your journey. This unique workshop will be an unforgettable opportunity to update your Advancement knowledge, and is relevant to everyone in the Educational Advancement sector. Do not miss out.

You can get totally overwhelmed when it comes to social media, the new platform developments, algorithms, how do you keep up? In our Social Media Advertising workshop, you will come away from this session and you will be so incredibly excited and pumped that you will just want to do everything now!! DO NOT MISS THIS SESSION! You will learn from someone who has worked in the industry (MySpace, Bebo, Facebook). Want some insider tips? Register for this session.

Take advantage of our free Sponsor workshops, where you will be provided with information and training on their services and products, with Q & A session to follow.

• Synergetic: Empower Education through world-class Management Solutions.
• Charidy: Leading Nonprofits use Charidy to accelerate their growth and strengthen their communities, fundraising solutions.
• Digistorm: Apps, websites, enrolment automation and much more.
• Potentiality TBC : Provide an all-in-one solution that encompasses a powerful Fundraising Database, a social network integrated Online Community, a Website, Emailing facility, an Events Management System, inbuilt Payment Gateway, Campaign Manager and Microsoft Outlook integration.

Click on the button below to find out more and to register.

FIND OUT MORE

Main Conference

HIGHLIGHTED SPEAKERS

We have a broad range of fantastic National and International speakers to share their expert knowledge. Hover over speaker to find out more.

SOCIAL PROGRAM

Our exciting social program provides an excellent opportunity to network with colleagues and suppliers and most importantly, have fun. The networking focal point of #epadelaide2020, the Welcome Reception at one of the most picturesque sporting grounds in the world the Adelaide Oval, provides the perfect opportunity to catch up with colleagues. Included with your full registration. The exhibitors area will be open throughout the pre-conference and 3 day conference, where you can grab a coffee at one of the stations, meet with suppliers and build new business relationships in a relaxed environment. Our Fuego Gala Evening, featuring exciting entertainment, a highly anticipated event provides the perfect opportunity to network and create amazing memories with colleagues. Join us for the social highlight of the Conference, to be held at the National Wine Centre of Australia. Unwind with friends and colleagues over fabulous food and drinks while being entertained! Dress code: a touch of red!

To find out more about our social program click the button below:

NETWORKING OPPORTUNITIES

CONFERENCE TOUR PACKAGES

While in Adelaide, don’t miss out on some of the local attractions which have been carefully selected by our local Conference Committee as must see places. Adelaide is a gateway to some of Australia’s best wine country and is home to Australia’s official best restaurant, hotel, wine, gin and beach. As Adelaide has suffered losses during the recent tragic bushfires some of these tours may be unavailable but you are encouraged to help support Adelaide tourism as much as possible as locals try to rebuild and bring their beautiful tourist destination back to its former glory. There is lots of information on some special offers, planning for your trip and also if you decide to extend your visit to enjoy everything that Adelaide has to offer.

PLANNING YOUR TRIP

CONFERENCE APP

Our Conference App is under construction at the moment and will be available end of April, start of May. This app will provide you with an up to date itinerary.

THANKS TO OUR CONFERENCE SPONSORS

Certified Advanced Practitioner Training 2020

There are many reasons to invest in your training and professional development. Upskilling and keeping up with the latest trends and industry changes are high on the list but considering new or alternative methods can also lead to greater efficiency and reduced work burdens. Educate Plus Certified Advancement Training Courses are ‘advancement-focussed’ and are developed with relevance and convenience in mind. The training programs are delivered by and grounded in the day-to-day practice of advancement professionals and our Industry Experts who have a real understanding of what staff need in their roles.

Our vision is to improve the capabilities of participants by providing courses that have an immediate positive impact on their working lives. through engaging and relevant content with maximum value in a short timeframe.

‘Brilliant! Real life presenters who currently work in the sector who added an invaluable array of information and experiences. So many options to take back to my team for consideration. I would highly recommend this course.’ Megan Henriksen – 2018 Participant

Our courses cater for those new to the education sector and those already experienced employees who need information and skills to support their growth and gain more advanced knowledge. Educate Plus provides training that is current and relevant, incorporating leading practice across our four key Advancement pillars:
+ Admissions
+ Fundraising
+ Alumni & Community Relations
+ Marketing & Communications.

The course learning materials are rich with case study scenarios, checklists and sample forms. In 2018 we introduced a new learning management system (LMS) which improved the learning experience for our 75 participants. All of us are time poor, so this course work is designed to be completed and submitted online with an on-line discussion forum so participants can get to know their classmates in advance of the face to face training.

Based on feedback from our students the content and structure of our 2020 courses has been further improved to reflect learning needs and requirements through more workshop and adult learning techniques such as peer-to-peer round table discussions. In addition, a new educational marketing resource, with an Australian focus has been specifically developed for this course. Besides improving everyday skills and knowledge, participating in the Advancement training allows for valuable networking and building of relationships with other like-minded professionals. These collaborations help to improve the learning experience. Through workshops and question and answer sessions our participants can connect, engage and discuss important problems of practice and share solutions. This networking strategy can lead you to individuals who are ready and willing to help. Also connecting with industry peers and leaders can provide unique growth and learning opportunities for participants.

Educate Plus is keen to offer this experience as part of its service delivery by bringing together diverse professionals and connecting them with each other in-person and online through the learning management system. In our experience participants offer insights based on their own experiences, discuss professional challenges and offer encouragement and support, as well as professional expertise.

Upcoming Certified Advancement Practitioner Training
The 2020 Certified Advancement Practitioner Training program will be held in Melbourne on 7/8 May. We will be running the following courses:
+ Admissions
+ Fundraising
+ Alumni & Community Relations
+ Marketing & Communications.

Each of the courses outline the basic principles underpinning contemporary practice and standards in that stream. These courses are suitable for beginner to intermediate-level Advancement practitioners.

Registrations for the Certified Advancement Practitioner Training are open now. From past experience we do anticipate that some courses will sell out. If you have any suggestions and feedback on our training programs, please do not hesitate to write to sheila@educateplus.edu.au.

Dates: 7-8 May, 2020 

Location: University of Melbourne

Registration:  OPEN here

Cost:

To find out more about the 2020 training programs click here.

REGISTER

Mentoring

One of the many benefits on offer with your Educate Plus Membership is our Mentoring program. Educate Plus recently subscribed to, what we believe to be, the world’s leading online mentoring platform.

This is an innovative, new mentoring platform enables users to take control of their own mentoring activities.

We already have 79 users, 45 mentors and 50 mentees up and running on the platform.  With 26 active mentoring partnerships in place we are receiving very positive feedback on the platform and on the relationships that have been formed:

” John has given me some ideas and thoughts about how to improve our fundraising. He has been honest and forthcoming with help.”

” I met with Mike recently for the first time and it was fantastic to talk about some of the hurdles I face at work, especially with helping my school Board understand the importance of some of the initiatives I would like to roll out. It was also great to chat to Mike about what other career paths are available to me as a fundraiser – such as in the tertiary industry, which I am not familiar with at all.”

” The meeting room on the platform has enabled me to be mentored by someone in another state.  Fantastic!”

” We have exchanged emails and I have shared a presentation I gave at the Ed Plus Dunedin conference. Sophie said that she found our meeting very helpful and has been able to put some of things we talked about into practice already.”

” Being able to meet on the platform has meant that we can fit in our catch ups more regularly.”

Joining our Mentoring network is incredibly easy: Just click here and create your profile to get started If you are already on Linkedin most of the work is done for you!  Once registered the platform will find you a match and away you go.  Alternatively, we can match for you.  Just let us know: mentoring@educateplus.edu.au

So, whether you would like to find a mentor to help you set your career goals for 2020 or if you are an experienced practitioner looking to give back to your community jump on board and kick-start the year with a new mentoring partnership. 

Here is a short webinar to help you navigate the platform too.

Get in touch if you need some help:  mentoring@educateplus.edu.au

Welcome to our new members

A very warm welcome to our new members! We look forward to meeting with you at one of our 2020 SIG’s, PD or networking sessions. Please feel free to jump onto our website forum to ask a question, seek advice or listen to other hot topics. We also invite you to join our FB Group which has up to date discussions with Educate Plus members.