Donations made to some of Sydney’s top private schools almost doubled between 2016 and 2019, as 20 schools drew in almost $340 million in contributions from parents and alumni over a six-year timeframe.
In 2016, the total amount received by the 20 schools that had among the highest donations was $36 million, but surged to almost $71 million in 2019. In 2020 and 2021 the amount fell to an average of just over $62 million for each year. The highest-fee private schools do not qualify for capital grants from the government, and run their own fundraising drives for building upgrades and infrastructure. Public funding for private schools must be spent on the costs of running the schools, rather than on capital works.
“The majority of our donations support key infrastructure projects and Indigenous education bursaries. The cost of maintaining historic buildings and building 21st-century learning spaces cannot be met through our school fees and government funding,” he said.Cranbrook recently unveiled a $125 million new building and aquatic centre
“That said, universities have been very successful in recent decades in attracting impact philanthropy, usually tied to research or applied outcomes,” he said.