When I first became Dean and Director at Melbourne Business School, we engaged The Phoenix Philanthropy Group to work with us to build a strong alumni relations and fundraising program. Their experience in international advancement and delivering turnkey operations is most impressive. The extensive work Phoenix Philanthropy did helped us launch this program and achieve sustainable success much more quickly than we would have on our own. 

– Professor John W. Seybolt,
Melbourne Business School

IMPACT: Melbourne Business School is Australia’s leading graduate school of business. It represents a unique business education partnership between one of Australia’s greatest universities and the Australian business community.

ISSUE: The new Dean of the Melbourne Business School was charged with taking this international business school to the next level in terms of academic standards, accreditation, and external relations and advancement – particularly in terms of its fundraising and alumni relations function. 

SOLUTION:The Phoenix Philanthropy Group created a comprehensive, turnkey advancement operation from the ground up. We conducted external market research to identify how to most effectively adapt best practices in international fundraising and alumni relations – relatively new concepts in Australian higher education – to the school. We developed strategic and annual plans; built the advancement infrastructure; hired and trained staff; and guided the new advancement team in the implementation of the plans.

RESULT: Melbourne Business School’s advancement programs have grown from a start-up operation to a program recognized as a leading model of fundraising and alumni relations for higher education in Australia.

< view more client stories