I begin by acknowledging the Ngunnawal people, the Traditional Custodians of the land on which I'm recording this message. I pay my respects to their Elders, past and present, and extend that respect to all First Nations people joining today's forum.
Fundraising is a bit like electricity - most people don't think about it when it's working, but everything grinds to a halt when it's not. It keeps the lights on - literally and figuratively - for civil society. And yet too often, it's treated as incidental rather than essential.
Fundraising doesn't just keep organisations afloat - it animates civil society. It links private generosity with public purpose. It ensures that local energy and national ambition aren't just expressed, but resourced. It's the engine room of good intentions - but one that still requires careful tuning.
That work is both human and strategic. A small shift in timing, message or medium can translate into deeper engagement. It's rarely linear - often more trial and error than formula. Sometimes more error than trial. But over time, thoughtful fundraising builds trust, amplifies voice, and enables sustained impact.
This is especially important now, as artificial intelligence begins to reshape how organisations work. AI can personalise donor engagement, identify patterns in real time, and sharpen campaign targeting. Used well, it can extend your reach and help you spend less time crunching data and more time building relationships.
Used carelessly, it risks generating the kind of insights that are technically accurate - and completely useless. Technology can assist - but it can't replace insight, tone, or tact.
The most successful fundraising efforts of recent years didn't begin with a data model. The Ice Bucket Challenge worked not because it was optimised, but because it was unexpected, participatory and fun. The Five Bucks platform resonated because it made giving simple, social and visible. These were human ideas - amplified by technology, but not produced by it.
That's worth remembering as new tools proliferate. AI can help refine messages, but it cannot create meaning. It can analyse behaviour, but it cannot build trust. When used carelessly, it risks turning supporters into data points - and eroding the very foundations of civil society.
We've seen what that looks like. The Pareto phone scandal was a reminder that even well‑intentioned fundraising can veer off course when respect for donors is lost. Trust, once broken, is hard to restore. It's a little like hitting 'unsubscribe' in real life.
That's why your role as leaders matters so much. The task isn't just to adopt new tools, but to shape how they're used. That means asking not only what's possible, but what's appropriate. It means keeping your mission in clear view - and ensuring that every innovation serves that mission, rather than distracting from it.
Government has a role to play too. As technology changes, so must regulation. That is the thinking behind the national fundraising principles, which mark an important step toward clearer and more consistent regulation. We have been encouraged by the efforts of states and territories to follow through on the shared commitment to harmonise fundraising rules. That momentum matters, because when governments provide a strong and reliable policy foundation, they help enable the kind of leadership that allows fundraisers to make the most of new tools, reach more people and serve their communities more effectively.
Our aim is a regulatory environment that supports ethical innovation, reduces administrative burden and recognises the vital role that fundraising plays in sustaining civil society.
Fundraising is not merely a matter of revenue. It is one of the ways we hold civil society together - by offering people a meaningful way to contribute to the common good. You help make that possible. And in doing so, you help keep alive the idea that we owe something to one another, and that we can build something better - together.
So thank you - for chasing donors without hounding them, for trying new things without losing the plot and for keeping the lights on in places that matter. I look forward to seeing how you continue to lead this evolving field - with principle, imagination and just enough spreadsheets.
