How Hard Can it Be?

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We’re thrilled to introduce our conversation with Sophie McCarthy,  CEO and owner of McCarthy Mentoring, a Sydney based consulting firm working globally to inspire and enable current and emerging leaders to perform at their best.  

A coach, mentor and passionate advocate for diversity and community, Sophie has spent much of her career helping people and organisations grow. Her own approach to leadership has been shaped by a lifetime of mentoring - including the influence of her mother, social change advocate Wendy McCarthy - and by a strong belief in the value of different perspectives. And so, it's no surprise that Sophie brings a wealth of experience to her role as Chair of the Sydney Community Foundation.

In this thoughful conversation, Sophie offers a rare dual perspective: she is both a fundraiser, helping champion the many causes supported by the Foundation, and a donor herself.

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This conversation is with Peter Winneke. Peter is widely regarded as one of Australia's leading voices in philanthropy and strategic giving. He has played a pivotal role in shaping modern philanthropy in Australia.  Peter is a trusted advisor to many of Australia's wealthiest private families; he has helped design and establish more than 100 family foundations and was the architect behind the philanthropic services team at the Myer Family Company. And if that's not enough, he is also the author of Give While You Live, a practical guide for both individuals and families to think more deeply and act more urgently about their giving.

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We’re delighted to be joined by Tim Dolan ,CEO, University of Hawai’i Foundation and Vice President of Advancement at the University of Hawaii, for a conversation about what fundraising looks like when relationships are at the heart of every major gift.

Tim makes a thoughtful case for listening as one of the core disciplines of major gift fundraising: understanding what donors care about, where their values lie, and how organisations can respond with authenticity rather than assumption. He also questions whether long-held models, like the traditional donor pyramid, still serve us today. 

Tim is one of the most thoughtful voices in fundraising and is certainly, one of the most loved. 

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In this conversation, we’re joined by Anna Marsden, Managing Director of the Great Barrier Reef Foundation, and one of Australia’s most compelling voices in purpose-driven fundraising. In this conversation, Anna shares what it really takes to inspire generosity at scale: how to bring donors on the journey, build trust, and turn urgency into action. It’s a thoughtful, honest look at fundraising as both an art and a responsibility.

Anna is delightfully warm, insightful, and deeply grounded in purpose. She generously offers lessons that go far beyond environmental giving; this is a conversation about impact, connection, and why the stories we tell truly matter.

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We are delighted to welcome Yvonne Zammit to this episode. Yvonne is an arts and non profit strategist and practitioner with over 18 years' experience in raising funds for some of Australia's leading arts companies including Sydney Symphony Orchestra and Opera Australia. Most recently, Yvonne was Executive Director of the Powerhouse Museum Capital Campaign where she was instrumental in securing a $20 million gift which is one of Australia’s largest donations to a cultural organisation. 

We hope you enjoy this conversation 

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We are delighted to welcome Louise Walsh to this episode of How Hard Can It Be.  Louise is founder and CEO of Walsh Capital, a bespoke, third-party capital raising business based in Sydney. Before launching Walsh Capital in 2021, Louise was the CEO of the Future Generation companies where she grew Australian stock exchange listed funds by $1 billion dollars in assets in just six years. Additionally, Louise’s illustrious resume includes roles at the law firm Allens, the Sydney Olympics, Sydney Symphony Orchestra, Artsupport Australia and Philanthropy Australia.

Louise is widely regarded as one of Australia’s leading philanthropic advisers and fundraising experts. 

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In this episode we’re thrilled to speak with Louise Baxter, CEO and Executive Director of the Starlight Children’s Foundation. Louise began her career in marketing in the corporate sector, transferring to the non profit world in 2001.  She’s had over 17 year’s experience with Starlight and has been leading the organisation since 2009. Louise steered Starlight through the immediate aftermath of the global financial crisis as well as through the Covid-19 pandemic and yet despite these signficant challenges, under her leadership Starlight’s revenue has grown exponentially. Louise is a stunning and ever so compelling example of a CEO taking on the role of Chief Philanthropy Officer.

We hope you enjoy this conversation.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Send us Fan Mail

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Send us Fan Mail

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.