The Education Funders Peer Network has two opportunities to engage on Tuesday 2 September:
A. Peer Network meeting (10:30am - 12:00pm AEST) - this is our quarterly regular peer network meeting focusing on one of the top topics of interest that emerged from the member survey earlier this year: addressing concentrations of disadvantage in schools. Speakers below.
B. Follow up session to the funder workshop, Canberra 5 August (12:45pm - 3:15pm AEST) - this is a mini-workshop open to all Education Funder Peer Network members who would like to join the conversation around collaboration. Details below.
Hybrid event - both Peer Network meeting and Follow up mini-workshop
Online attendance: Zoom link to be shared closer to the time.
Sydney venue: Level 2, Yirranma Place, Darlinghurst NSW 2010 (Philanthropy Australia Sydney office)
Melbourne venue: 1/288 Victoria Parade East Melbourne (Freemasons Foundation office)
There are limited spots for the in-person component of the event.
A. Peer Network meeting - overview
Australia's school system is considered among the most socially segregated schools among developed countries, and this has a significant impact on student’s outcomes. How can we design a school system where every child, regardless of background, has an equal chance to thrive?
In this Education Funders Peer Network session, we’ll explore two timely research pieces that challenge the current schooling framework and offer bold pathways forward:
- Disrupting Disadvantage in Australian Schools - Dr Michele Bruniges AM will share findings from her Paul Ramsay Foundation Fellowship on changes in the concentrations of disadvantage in Australian schools over time, their effects on students, and how they might be addressed.
- Lessons from Canada: An Equal School System Is Possible - Chris Bonnor AM and Tom Greenwell will unpack this recently published report from the Australia Learning Lecture, which examines Ontario’s common framework for resourcing and regulation across all schools, government and faith-based, to promote inclusion, equity, and socio-economic diversity. This is in contrast with Quebec’s experience, which is comparable to Australia’s.
This is a timely prompt for a new conversation about Australian education. Together, we will:
- Understand the data and policy drivers shaping disadvantage in Australian schools.
- Learn from a school model that enhances equity, opportunity and excellence.
- Discuss the role of philanthropy in supporting systemic change for greater equity.
When - Peer Network meeting
Tuesday 2 September 2025
Online attendance:
10:30am - 12:00pm AEST (ACT, NSW, QLD,VIC)
10:00am - 11:30am ACST (NT, SA)
8:30am - 10:00am AWST (WA)
In-person attendance in Melbourne and Sydney:
10:30am - 12:30pm AEST
We invite Melbourne and Sydney network members to stay after the discussions for post-session networking, socials and light lunch.
B. Follow up session to the education funder workshop, Canberra 5 August
The Canberra workshop hosted by the Snow Foundation on 5 August was very successful. The 18 education funder members who attended expressed a strong desire to find ways to collaborate and so a follow up conversation is being offered to all members the Education Funders Peer Network, even those who might have been interested to join last week but were unable to attend.
The follow up workshop will be an opportunity to continue the conversation around collaboration and will include:
- A quick, rundown of the workshop that was held
- Opportunity to hear from members on ideas and their preferred ways to collaborate
- Outline and decide on possible next steps for collaborating.
When - Mini-workshop
Tuesday 2 September 2025
Online and In-person attendance in Melbourne and Sydney:
12:45pm - 3:15pm AEST (ACT, QLD, VIC)
12:15pm - 2:45pm ACST (NT, SA)
10:45am - 1:15pm AWST (WA)
Audience
This event is for Philanthropy Australia Education Funders Peer Network members only. We welcome other funder members at the New Gen, Engage (individual/ organisation) or Impact membership levels.
If you are not yet a Philanthropy Australia member or want to learn more about the philanthropic work in this area, please email programs@philanthropy.org.au.
Speakers
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Dr Michele Bruniges AM
Dr. Michele Bruniges AM began her career as a teacher, working in primary, secondary, and tertiary education. She held executive roles including Chief Executive of the ACT Department of Education, Director-General of the NSW Department of Education, and Secretary of the Australian Government's Department of Education and Training.
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Dr. Bruniges holds a PhD in Educational Measurement, a Masters in Education, and a Diploma in Teaching. She is a Graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors, a Churchill Fellow, and a Fellow of several educational organizations. In 2012, she was awarded the Order of Australia for public service and received the inaugural 100 Women of Influence Award.
In 2015, Dr. Bruniges was recognized with the Australian Council for Educational Leaders Gold Medal Award and the Sir Harold Wyndham Medal. Since 2017, she has chaired the OECD's PISA Governing Board. In 2019, she received the College Medal from the Australian College of Educators.
In 2023, Dr. Bruniges was appointed Chair of the Australian Institute of Teaching and School Leadership and received the Paul Ramsay Fellowship, becoming an Industry Professor at UTS's Centre for Social Justice and Inclusion. In 2024, she received an Honorary Doctor of Letters from the University of New South Wales.
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Chris Bonnor AM
Chris Bonnor AM is a former teacher and secondary school principal, a previous head of the NSW Secondary Principals’ Council. He is co-author, with Tom Greenwell, of report "Lessons from Canada, an equal school system is possible".
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Tom Greenwell
Tom is co-author with Chris Bonnor of Waiting for Gonski, How Australia failed its schools (UNSW Press 2022) and Choice and Fairness: A Common Framework for All Australian Schools (ALL 2023).
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Peer Network Co-chairs
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Megan Enders – Founder and Principal, Montage (WA)
Megan's interest in education has developed over many years through roles with education philanthropy Fogarty Foundation, starting as Founding Director of its innovative whole school improvement program - Fogarty EDvance - and as CEO and longstanding member of its Board of Trustees. She is currently head of a boutique philanthropic advisory practice that works with individuals, families and foundations to help them achieve positive impact through their giving. Megan is also the convenor of a West Australian group of philanthropies as part of the Investment Dialogue for Australia's Children, a collaboration between philanthropy and government. |
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Megan has expertise in the areas of collaboration, organisational leadership and change management, gained through executive roles in both the 'for purpose' and ‘for profit’ sectors. Megan has also held executive roles, and worked in the Prime Minister’s Department and for a Federal Minister.
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John Bush (NSW)
John is a collaborative, outcomes-focused senior leader in philanthropy, social impact and education, with an abiding commitment to addressing disadvantage and helping young people to thrive. Over nearly thirty years, he has developed expertise in philanthropic strategy, grant-making and evaluation, policy influence, leading education social enterprises, designing and delivering transformative social impact convenings, and recruiting and developing exceptional talent for social impact.
John led the development of the education, school-age learning and young people strategies for the Paul Ramsay Foundation, which together delivered more than $170,000,000 in grant and evaluation partnerships. These partnerships have measurably improved outcomes for hundreds of thousands of Australian young people.
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All of John’s work in philanthropy has been informed by his leadership experience in schools and start-up nonprofits and his classroom teaching experience in the United States and Australia. |
Peer Network Lead
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Bella Conyngham - Director, Engagement (NSW/ACT), Philanthropy Australia
Originally from Aotearoa New Zealand, Bella Conyngham joined Philanthropy Australia at the beginning of 2023, bringing with her experience in engagement and partnership building within the social impact and sustainability sectors. |
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As the Director of Engagement for NSW and ACT, Bella leads strategic engagement efforts with members, fostering collaboration across the region. She is deeply passionate about the philanthropic and not-for-profit sectors and serves as a Board Observer for the Australian Endometriosis Foundation (formerly known as Endo Articles).
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Bella is also an active member of NEXUS, a global community of emerging philanthropists, social entrepreneurs, impact investors, and allies from over 70 countries, dedicated to enhancing philanthropy and social change.
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