People in Fundraising, ep. 145: Stephen Rowe, Co-Founder of Apra Australia; Pyro.Solutions

"People in Fundraising" is thrilled to welcome its first guest from Australia, Stephen Rowe! At the time of our interview in April, Stephen was nearing completion of his 13-year career in fundraising advancement at Australian National University.

As he later posted on LinkedIn, "The fundraising sector has taught me that the best outcomes happen when you combine strategic thinking with genuine human connection - whether with major donors, grateful scholarship recipients, or a colleague navigating the complex needs of a university."

In our conversation, Stephen discusses these and other topics:

* How he entered fundraising in 2007 via an online ad in New Zealand, and how the skills needed aligned with Stephen's university studies and skills.

* The inspiration for him and other prospect researchers to co-found Apra Australia almost a decade ago, and how this chapter has grown in membership, conferences, and other offerings.

* The general cultural attitude toward philanthropy in Australia, which is generally that donations from private citizens are not as expected or prevalent as funding from local, state, and the federal government systems.

Thank you, Stephen, for a great conversation! I wish you the best in your future pursuits.