The Graduate Union Annual Report
Fundraising and Benefactions Working Party Fundraising and Benefactions Working Party Subcommittee The Fundraising and Benefactions working party was established in 2013 as a mechanism for the Association to strengthen a systematic and strategic approach to its advancement activities. This working party has met at least four times each year since then and has overseen many new and successful initiatives, including the now-regular Annual Appeal, the establishment of the Graduate House (bequest) Society, the annual Thank You to Donors event, the development of a range of advancementrelated processes and policies, the planning for and launch of the Diamond Jubilee Redevelopment Campaign, the development of a soon-to-be-launched crowdfunding site, an advancement-specific database, and increased resourcing for fundraising and benefaction activities. Recognising the significantly expanded governance charter of this group, Council resolved in late November 2017 to reconstitute the working party as a subcommittee of Council. As set out in regulation 30.2, the roles and responsibilities of this new Fundraising and Benefactions subcommittee are to: (a)
monitor and review policies and practices that relate to advancement activities (donations, fundraising, benefactions, sponsorship, endowments and trust fund management);
(b) provide advice to Council on an appropriate gift acceptance and review framework that aligns with the Association's objectives; (c)
oversee the reporting to Council and donors on the overall management and administration of philanthropic income;
(d) oversee the management and review of the investment performance of the Association’s philanthropic funds;
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(e)
onitor the meeting of endowed trust m fund obligations and expendable gift expectations for compliance with the expressed wishes of donors;
(f)
oversee the Association’s stewardship of donors including, where necessary, responding to individual donors;
(g)
ensure the proper administration and performance of trusts and other funds involving fiduciary obligations, including the proper content and form of the Association's instruments recording trust obligations and related administrative arrangements; and
(h) monitor the mitigation and management of risk which applies to advancement activities, including the adequacy of internal systems of risk identification and risk treatment.
Advancement Governance and Engagement of Networks The roles and responsibilities provided in the Regulations of the Association also reflect the key result areas (KRAs) of the ‘Benefaction’ priority in the 2016–2018 Strategic Plan. The first KRA — Council is driving advancement and the engagement of influential networks with the Association — has been progressed through development and adherence to the Association’s Major Donor Strategy. To ensure appropriate governance for advancement, a range of structures was explored in depth over 2017, including during a session at the 21st October, 2017 Strategic Planning Day. A presentation in this session by Ms Deborah Cutts, Senior Manager of Fundraising and Philanthropy at the Royal Victorian Eye and Ear Hospital, entitled ‘Successful Governance in a Major Fundraising Campaign’, highlighted to Council the importance of agreed and well-defined governance structures and processes, and of board engagement, advancement training and commitment to influencing their networks.