Annual Report 2011 - Cranbrook School

The Cranbrook Foundation 24
Report from the Chairman
On 22 February 2012, the Foundation
hosted a function at Dangar to thank
all those who had contributed to the
fundraising for the new Junior School.
More than 150 people attended,
representing those who had supported
the original purchase of the Rose Bay
Bowling Club land through to those who
had supported the Headmaster’s Breakfast
Program, and of course those who had
given to the Building a Better Cranbrook
Appeal that closed last year. It was a broad
cross section of the Cranbrook community.
The Foundation was also involved in
successful campaigns for the Indigenous
Scholarship Fund which was organised by
Susie Manfred and launched at a superb
evening in August. Guests were extremely
generous with gifts in excess of $190,000
received on the evening. The Martin Pitt
Scholarship Fund, launched in February,
has been supported in particular by Old
Cranbrookians and past Cranbrook
parents. The Foundation’s Annual Giving
was reintroduced after a break in 2010
and received support from the wider
School community.
Elizabeth Pont and the Foundation Board
have also been active in reviewing the
strategy for fundraising in the School going
There was a feeling of achievement and
forward, learning from our experiences
pride in the air as we could all see and feel
with the Building a Better Cranbrook
what the efforts of so many had made real.
Appeal and Elizabeth’s experience at other
It was also wonderful to hear the comments
schools. Philanthropy sits at the heart of all
of those who were seeing the School for the
Tim Burroughs
we want to achieve in further improving
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Cranbrook and the Foundation’s aim is to
the development and maybe had become
keep developing the culture of giving, that
used to its scale, the range of facilities for
has served the School so well, throughout
boys and staff and the quality of the design,
the broader School community. This has
but those for whom it was new were clearly
been discussed at School Council and work
delighted by what they had helped build.
has commenced to further improve the
This is what the philanthropic culture
School’s ability to communicate with all
of the School allows to happen and we
Old Cranbrookians and past Cranbrook
know that if the private sector schools are
parents keeping them informed about what
to continue to thrive, they will continue
is happening at the School. Many people
to have to rely on private funds for their
want to remain connected with Cranbrook
capital works.
and we plan to improve the ways in which
2011 was a challenging year for the this can happen.
Foundation. The Building a Better
All of this takes a great deal of work and is
Cranbrook Appeal closed in June and
managed with limited resources. I would
there was only limited further support to
like to thank Elizabeth Pont as Foundation
add to the $5m we had announced at the
Director and also to Gayl McLachlan who
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retired as Personal Assistant to Director
which continued to haunt the economy,
of Foundation at the end of July after
caused uncertainty among some within the
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Cranbrook community. This uncertainty
contribution to the Foundation was very
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much appreciated. Rhonda Nelson replaced
Foundation in what it had hoped would
Gayl and I thank her for her contribution
have been a better outcome for the Building
to the Foundation in the second half of
a Better Cranbrook Appeal. Having said
2011. Of course, the Headmaster has
this, many members of our community,
been at the centre of all the fundraising
Old Cranbrookians, and past and present
for Dangar. I would also like to thank all
families and friends were generous in
my colleagues on the Foundation Board
their support. However, the number
for the time and wisdom they have made
of contributors as a proportion of the
available as well as their very tangible
community was similar to our other recent
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appeals, and we had hoped for more. Clearly
we can all only contribute what we can but
equally, we all need to contribute if we can
for the School to continue to prosper.
I have served as Chair of the Foundation
for over nine years. Now that the Building
a Better Cranbrook Appeal is completed
and Elizabeth is well established as
Director, I feel this is the appropriate
time to hand the role over to someone
who can lead the Board in the next phase
of its development. I am delighted that
John Porter has agreed to step into the
role of Chair and also to replace me as a
member of School Council. John has a
very successful business career as a Chief
Executive and has also been very involved
in the Cranbrook community as a parent
for over ten years. I believe he has the
skills and energy to make a wonderful
contribution and I wish him every success
in the future.