The impact of your giving

This report is being compiled just as our campuses are being reinvigorated with the return of many thousands of students eager to begin the new academic year. This is all the more heartening after the difficult few years experienced by many since 2020.

Just as I welcome today’s new and returning students, with their energy and optimism, so I am extremely grateful for the continuing commitment and the great dedication of our generous community of supporters.

Last year, over 2700 donors contributed funds and nearly 3000 alumni engaged with their alma mater to volunteer and provide mentorship to our students.

As this report illustrates, these generous gifts have provided essential support for our students and made scholarships possible across all study disciplines, allowing more students to focus on success in their studies and future careers, irrespective of their financial circumstances. I hope you will enjoy reading some of their stories.

The University is one of the world’s great research institutions, and this year our research ambitions have been greatly enhanced by the establishment of the Cumming Global Centre for Pandemic Therapeutics. Created with an extraordinary $250 million donation from international businessman and philanthropist, Mr Geoff Cumming, the Centre will aim to provide greater resilience for societies around the world in dealing with future pandemics. This is the largest philanthropic donation to Australian medical research and one of the largest gifts in Australia’s history.

As always, this report is a welcome opportunity for me to say thank you to all of you who contribute in vital ways to our endeavours as a University. It is also a succinct way to highlight some of the great things your generosity is making possible.

My warm thanks to everyone in our donor and alumni community.

On behalf of the University of Melbourne, I would like to say thank you for your continued support. Your ongoing generosity has allowed the University to make an extraordinary impact on the world.

It has been truly remarkable to see what can be achieved when we connect you – our visionary donors, alumni and supporters – with our changemaking students and researchers. Thank you for committing to us, engaging with us, and for trusting us.

Together we achieved so much in 2022. You gave $347.9 million in philanthropic support to all areas of the University community. From investing in scholarships that seed opportunity and grow potential in our future leaders to investing in research that creates a healthier future for our population and planet, every one of the 2706 of you have given to projects which you are passionate about.

You all share a commitment to make a difference to the world around us and a belief in the University of Melbourne as the place where that can best be done. Your dedication and loyalty has had a profound impact on our students, our research, and on the landscape of our society. You have shown us the impact that an engaged, aware, and committed donor and alumni community can have.

It has not just been the generosity of your gifts that has made an impact. You have contributed your time and knowledge as well. Nearly 3000 of you volunteered your time for the University, sharing your expertise and mentoring the next generation.

However, there is still so much to be done and there is still so much to be excited about. We are developing several initiatives that tackle some of humanity’s biggest challenges. With your help, we can arrest climate change, develop sustainable energy sources, and prevent the extinction of species. With your support, we can build Indigenous opportunity and unleash the power of Indigenous knowledge. And through your generosity, we can work towards a future with a safe and rapid response to infectious diseases and harness the power of higher education to transform opportunity. Let’s continue to work together to build a better world.