The University of Auckland Annual Report to Donors 2020 CONTENTS 2020 OUTSTANDING OUR DONORS HIGHLIGHTS CHANCELLOR’S OUR 2020 OUR BOARD INVESTMENT FINANCIAL CONTENTS 2020 OUTSTANDING OUR DONORS HIGHLIGHTS CHANCELLOR’S OUR 2020 OUR BOARD INVESTMENT FINANCIAL OVERVIEW SUPPORT KINDNESS OF 2020 CIRCLE DONORS VOLUNTEERS REPORT STATEMENTS OVERVIEW SUPPORT KINDNESS OF 2020 CIRCLE DONORS VOLUNTEERS REPORT STATEMENTS Contents 4 9 26 38 2020 overview Highlights of 2020 The Chancellor’s Circle University of Auckland Foundation endowment investment report Circle of philanthropy: the benefits we share ............ 9 An unexpected collaboration ................................ 14 7 Creating leaders for a fast-changing world ............. 16 30 Reaching a hand back to help others up ................ 19 39 Outstanding support Our 2020 donors in uncertain times From surviving to thriving .................................... 20 University of Auckland Foundation Raising an army of cancer-killing cells ................... 22 financial statements World-first approach to tackling lung disease ......... 24 For the love of frogs and reptiles ........................... 25 37 8 Our board volunteers The kindness of our donors 2 The University of Auckland Annual Report to Donors 2020 3 CONTENTS 2020 OUTSTANDING OUR DONORS HIGHLIGHTS CHANCELLOR’S OUR 2020 OUR BOARD INVESTMENT FINANCIAL CONTENTS 2020 OUTSTANDING OUR DONORS HIGHLIGHTS CHANCELLOR’S OUR 2020 OUR BOARD INVESTMENT FINANCIAL OVERVIEW SUPPORT KINDNESS OF 2020 CIRCLE DONORS VOLUNTEERS REPORT STATEMENTS OVERVIEW SUPPORT KINDNESS OF 2020 CIRCLE DONORS VOLUNTEERS REPORT STATEMENTS OUR DONORS GAVE THE LARGEST NUMBER 3,287 OF GIFTS IN 2020 In 2020 ... GIFTS FROM $19,249,229 WAS TO SUPPORT STUDENT PROJECTS 1,157 TO SUPPORT AND SCHOLARSHIPS – WE RECEIVED A TOTAL OF DONORS RESEARCH were made through ACROSS THE 3,472 online giving, UNIVERSITY. IN TOTAL. $44,076,271 These gifts added up to from donors large and small, in New Zealand and around the world, for research, A TOTAL OF for student initiatives and for many projects and positions across the University. contributing $5,275,122 THIS WAS RECEIVED FROM 2,302 GENEROUS DONORS, $1,299,285 for student support. WHO MADE A TOTAL OF 4,898 GIFTS. $430,000 was received to support to the University’s work in ACADEMIC CHAIRS teaching and research. AND FELLOWSHIPS. 867 STUDENTS WERE AWARDED Canada (20) $4,466,735 United Kingdom (60) THE MEDIAN GIFT in donor-funded scholarships. 1,517 FOR 2020 WAS United States (91) GIFTS WERE MADE BY Hong Kong (39) STAFF AND FORMER STAFF IN 2020, $75 Malaysia (17) up from 992 in 2019. Singapore (20) These gifts came from WE WELCOMED Australia (66) 590 38 New Zealand (2119) DONORS new members to our cumulative giving society, and contributed a total of THE CHANCELLOR’S CIRCLE: $2,300,409 1 The total includes a $1.8 million new member into the SUPPORTERS FROM gift from former staff member SIR MAURICE O’RORKE SOCIETY Peter Fehl and his wife Rae for which recognises giving of more than $5 million, the Aotearoa vision bus project. 36 4 COUNTRIES AROUND THE WORLD MADE new members into the DONATIONS IN 2020. 44% SIR GEORGE FOWLDS SOCIETY OF OUR which recognises giving between $1 million and $5 million, The largest number of donations came from New Zealand, followed by the United States, 208,727 Australia, the United kingdom, Hong Kong, Singapore, Canada and Malaysia. ALUMNI ENGAGED 33 WITH US new members into the SIR DOUGLAS ROBB SOCIETY through communication, which recognises giving between $100,000 and $1 million. participation and giving. 4 The University of Auckland Annual Report to Donors 2020 5 CONTENTS 2020 OUTSTANDING OUR DONORS HIGHLIGHTS CHANCELLOR’S OUR 2020 OUR BOARD INVESTMENT FINANCIAL CONTENTS 2020 OUTSTANDING OUR DONORS HIGHLIGHTS CHANCELLOR’S OUR 2020 OUR BOARD INVESTMENT FINANCIAL OVERVIEW SUPPORT KINDNESS OF 2020 CIRCLE DONORS VOLUNTEERS REPORT STATEMENTS OVERVIEW SUPPORT KINDNESS OF 2020 CIRCLE DONORS VOLUNTEERS REPORT STATEMENTS THE WAYS ALUMNI ENGAGED WITH THE UNIVERSITY CHANGED IN 2020, with many in-person events cancelled and virtual events taking their place. Volunteering Alumni Connect Physical Events Virtual Events 902 889 7,283 1,897 718 4,549 243 2019 2020 The Alumni Connect online mentoring platform saw a sharp increase in alumni and staff volunteers. 2,035 THERE WERE 18 GIFTS FROM DONORS GAVE LEGACY DONORS IN 2020. Outstanding support 4,388 GIFTS This generosity will have a long-lasting impact to the total value of across the faculties of Engineering, Law, Medical and Health Sciences, Science, in uncertain times Creative Arts and Industries, the Liggins Institute, the Library and student scholarships. Thank you to everyone who so generously supported the University’s mission in $661,896 2020 – the more than 2,300 donors who made nearly 5,000 gifts for research THROUGH THE programmes, student initiatives and a variety of projects and positions. Because of ANNUAL GIVING The number of donors supporting the University your support, and the strong financial platform that we have built over many years, PROGRAMME. ROSE STEADILY WITH INCREASING we were able to finish an exceptionally challenging year, achieving a total of over AGE, FROM 21 TO 80 $44 million through philanthropic donations. Age We especially want to thank those philanthropic Extraordinary legacy gifts were received from Brian 21-30 60 partners who increased their funding in 2020 to Coote, for research at the Faculty of Law, and from 335 allow our researchers to apply their world-class Warwick Smith, to support research at Science and 31-40 174 expertise to a range of projects in response to Engineering. DONORS GAVE Covid-19. Other major funders helped through 41-50 214 time and budget extensions so that important These philanthropic contributions are having a 425 GIFTS work could continue as soon as researchers were transformative impact on the University’s ability 51-60 299 able to return to campus following lockdowns. to deliver excellence in research and teaching – a pursuit which is ultimately to the benefit of all. Donor 61-70 375 Many of our largest donors in 2020 supported research into diseases and conditions that Again, thank you to each and every one of you for BY CHEQUE IN 2020, 71-80 414 touch the lives of most of us. In particular, we your valued contribution in 2020. the final full year of this way of giving acknowledge the contributions of the Auckland 81+ GEOFF RICKETTS CNZM due to major banks 221 Medical Research Foundation, Cancer Society Chair, the University of Auckland Foundation phasing out cheques in 2021. Auckland Northland, Cure Kids, the Fehl Trust and Number of donors the Neurological Foundation of New Zealand. PROFESSOR DAWN FRESHWATER Vice-Chancellor, the University of Auckland 6 The University of Auckland Annual Report to Donors 2020 7 CONTENTS 2020 OUTSTANDING OUR DONORS HIGHLIGHTS CHANCELLOR’S OUR 2020 OUR BOARD INVESTMENT FINANCIAL CONTENTS 2020 OUTSTANDING OUR DONORS HIGHLIGHTS CHANCELLOR’S OUR 2020 OUR BOARD INVESTMENT FINANCIAL OVERVIEW SUPPORT KINDNESS OF 2020 CIRCLE DONORS VOLUNTEERS REPORT STATEMENTS OVERVIEW SUPPORT KINDNESS OF 2020 CIRCLE DONORS VOLUNTEERS REPORT STATEMENTS The kindness of our donors They say that a picture speaks a thousand words… Our 2020 infographics, on pages 4-6, show a year of generosity from around New Zealand and from countries across the world, a strong desire to support our students, and an appetite from alumni and friends for new ways of engaging. With the median gift in 2020 at $75, we can see that the idea of many people grouping together to support a student or a project is a powerful motivator for our donors. Our Annual Report reflects just some examples of of our generous donors during the recent For All the stories that made 2020 – personal accounts Our Futures Campaign. from students whose lives have been turned around by the kindness of our donors, innovative Thank you to all our supporters – our 2020 collaborations that are tackling disease while also donors, members of the Chancellor’s Circle growing the next generation of top researchers, cumulative giving society and the trustees who new projects that will have a profound impact on serve on our boards in New Zealand, the US and our communities. the UK. While some of these stories are of donor-funded Your generosity is making a difference in the lives initiatives that produce immediate benefits, others of others now and will continue to impact on highlight the rewards that are reaped through communities into the future. long-standing partnerships with organisations and MARK BENTLEY communities, coupled with the vision and backing Director, Alumni Relations and Development Circle of philanthropy: Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern’s visit to FMHS in March 2020 the benefits we share With a crisis, there often comes an opportunity to see more clearly how a system works. And 2020, a year like no other, has given a crucial example of this. All students, staff and researchers from the Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences are aware of the “ Our staff have volunteered donors’ generous gifts as a vital resource for many hours to help with essential sustaining and advancing the faculty’s world-class training and research. services such as testing samples during the most critical periods Dean of the faculty, Professor John Fraser, is very of need.” clear on this: “The power of what we achieve cannot be done without our donors,” he says. epidemiology, microbiology, immunology, all of However, the sudden threat that arose from the which are vital for a crisis such as this. worldwide spread of Covid-19 reminded us very strongly of the other essential component of the “We’ve been able to give advice to officials around circle of philanthropy: that the faculty is able to the best strategies to deal with the virus and its step up when the community needs it to supply variants along with the best vaccines to use and the specialised medical expertise that is called for.