Session Description: When the cost-of-living crisis hit, advancement leaders faced a stark reality: giving patterns were shifting, mass-market giving had declined since early 2022 - with donors citing affordability concerns - and traditional strategies were under pressure. However, High-net-worth giving and structured approaches — such as trusts and foundations — remain strong, while environmental and health causes are increasing gaining traction.

For Deakin University’s this was a call to act. Instead of retreating, we reimagined our approach, launching an integrated Trust and Foundations model, with the Team transitioning to a service model in support of the frontline fundraiser. This has helped break down silos and created efficiency and economies of scale, ensuring success with domestic and international funders.

Concurrently, we mapped faculty research strengths and capabilities and matched them with national and international Trust and Foundations investment priorities. By strategically allocating prospects, and put every frontline fundraiser to work on opportunities in collaboration with the Trusts and Foundations Team, we dramatically increased the number of applications submitted and strengthened our focus within the institution.

This approach also brought to a rethinking of our interaction with Faculties, Academics and Researchers, that has evolved into Advancement playing a strategic role to support Faculties in reimagining their structure and combining Centres and Institutes to respond to emerging funding opportunities (e.g. climate and health). As a further step, Advancement worked with Faculties to identify mission-oriented initiatives, with cross-faculties collaboration, that can attract large investment both in Australia and internationally, with a mix of institutional, commercial and philanthropic funding.

This session shares the leadership decisions, organisational redesign, creative thinking and practical tools that turned constraints into catalysts for growth — and offers a roadmap for others navigating similar challenges.