MESSAGE FROM THE CHAIRMAN

Welcome to the Annual Report on Giving 2019 for the Haileybury Foundation.

While this publication is about our achievements over the last calendar year, it also marks our 10th anniversary. In this regard, notwithstanding the great efforts of all of those who have assisted in our growth and development over the years, a special note of gratitude goes to Tom Poulton, Chairman of Council, whom we might best describe as our ‘Founding Father’ (pun intended). While the concept of establishing a Foundation had been discussed at Council level over many years, it was Tom who placed it firmly on the action item list, making the very straightforward case that, if Haileybury aspired to be a ‘great world school’, it must have its own Foundation. The rest, as they say, is history – thank you, Tom.

While we have only started a multi-generation journey to help ensure that Haileybury lives on in perpetuity, I can say, with some pride, that we have come a long way over these past 10 years:

As 2019 ended, the combination of Foundation investment corpus and pledged bequests reached $14 million, compared to less than half a million dollars at the end of 2010

There are 13 Foundation Scholars in 2020, rising to 18 Scholars in 2021, compared to what was only an aspiration for the first such scholarship in 2010

All groups within the Haileybury community are now active donors: the parents’ Voluntary Building Fund has funded 10 projects across all campuses; the Staff Giving Fund is funding its first scholar this year; the Old Haileyburians Class Giving is well supported across multiple leaving year groups; and every Parents & Friends association provides support each year

Through the efforts of our Development team, the Haileybury Foundation emblem is now well recognised throughout our community. With such a solid base from which to build upon, we have the opportunity to grow and become a substantial philanthropic body by 2030. As your Board, we are busy formulating a long-term strategy to achieve that goal and I look forward to sharing it with you during this year’s quarterly news bulletins.

Of course, as I write, we all find ourselves, one way or another, amid a health and economic crisis in early 2020. I reflect on my words from the 2018 Report: “ ‘charity’ would be more clearly defined as ‘giving for people’s immediate needs’ – such as food, water and health – while ‘philanthropy’ would be more distinctive for its focus on ‘giving for long term betterment.’ ” I appreciate that for us all, in the immediate term, ‘charity begins at home’ – focusing, let alone donating, to a philanthropic cause, is not likely to be high on the agenda.

However, as the fog clears and normal life begins to be pieced together again, take a moment to consider: this Foundation, through your generosity, may well have funded the education of a future epidemiologist or immunologist who prevents or tackles another such pandemic – especially since Melbourne itself is a global centre for medical research. That is the true power of educational philanthropy.

In the meantime, as Chairman of a charitable trust, I would like to extend our best wishes to you and your family in this very trying time – stay well.

NEIL SUTCLIFFE CHAIRMAN, HAILEYBURY FOUNDATION