As we come to the end of another school year, once again our Old Girls have put kindness and their passion for every girl in brown, white and blue into action through giving. Our bursary program has continued to grow, with 16 students receiving financial support to access or complete their St Margaret’s education, thanks to the generosity of those who donated to the Scholarship Fund.

A St Margaret’s education is lifechanging. “Receiving a boarding bursary has provided me with the privilege of attending an amazing school and receiving a unique education, at St Margaret’s, which would not be possible for me otherwise. This has significantly helped me, and my family and I will be forever grateful for this generosity and kindness towards me,” said senior student, Grace, who aspires to attend university to study occupational therapy.

Thank you to those of you who have supported this cause through donating on Giving Day, making an annual donation or contributing alongside purchasing a ticket to attend your reunion weekend events.

Our Professional Women’s Network (PWN) Breakfast Series returned to pre-COVID levels of attendance this year and we kicked off the series with Old Girl guest speaker Genevieve Gregor (’86). Genevieve is Senior Advisor to and co-founding Partner of Colinton Capital Partners, a mid-market private equity firm investing in Australian growth companies. Profits made through sponsorship and tickets sales of the four breakfast events totalled just over $60,000, which has been donated to our Endowment Fund to help support several bursaries and scholarships for Indigenous, regional, and rural girls, based on financial need.

You may be familiar with the concept of an Endowment Fund and know that many of our boys’ school counterparts and universities have had one operating for some time to ensure the long-term financial sustainability of the institution and the quality education provided. In 2012, St Margaret's Foundation received a $500 donation to establish an Endowment Fund – it was a symbol of faith in the future of St Margaret's and the important role it has in educating young women. The purpose of the fund is to invest and build on the capital, so that ultimately, the interest earned on the investment can be used to further the educational offerings to St Margaret's students. The long-term goal of this fund is to supply money in perpetuity, which can be used to support a variety of St Margaret's projects, including bursaries.

Today, thanks to the support of the Professional Women’s Network and support of our community, including those who have given the ultimate gift through leaving a donation in their Will, that $500 donation has grown into a sum of almost $500,000. This year, work was completed on our investment strategy, so that once we reach this initial half a million-dollar goal, these funds can be invested in a way that best serves the school and our current students.

Under our existing ‘Every Girl, Every Opportunity’ philanthropic campaign, we also continue our focus on the improvement of facilities for all students, and we thank those of you who have donated to the Building Fund in support. We are excited to be developing a new cafeteria, with an outdoor forest-like seating area, which will serve all 1,395 students across the primary and secondary schools. This year we have added new classrooms to the campus. With our new Masterplan set to be completed by the end of this calendar year, we look forward to sharing some exciting new plans for you in 2023, which will include a new Performing Arts Precinct.

Thank you for your ongoing support of your school and helping us to achieve wonderful things for future generations of St Margaret’s girls.

Per Volar Sunata.

Lara Pickering
Director of Philanthropy & Stakeholder Engagement