MS Research Australia

MS Research Australia is the largest Australian NFP organisation dedicated to funding, coordinating, educating and advocating for research as part of the worldwide effort to solve MS. Its goal is to accelerate research into the cause of MS, develop better treatments and ultimately find a cure.

Client:  MS Research Australia

Service:  Exclusive Executive Search

Role:  Head of Relationships, Fundraising and Development

Placement:  Susan Williams

Challenge

MS Research Australia had a wellperforming traditional fundraising team, however, the CEO and Board knew they needed to develop more sophisticated strategies to take the organisation to the next level. After an unsuccessful attempt to recruit a new Head of Relationships, Fundraising and Development internally, MS Research Australia approached NGO Recruitment to undertake a comprehensive executive search campaign..

Solution

NGO Recruitment drilled down through the recruitment brief to gain a clear and precise understanding of MS Research Australia’s strategic objectives and financial targets. Only by doing this were we able to understand the exact fundraising skills required by the organisation to meet these targets and create the ideal candidate profile. During an extensive executive search and sophisticated advertising campaign, we compared this profile to the top 10% of fundraisers within Australia’s small, but highly-skilled, fundraising talent pool.

Results

2-month executive search campaign - from brief to placement

43 applications

Shortlist of five senior candidates all selected for interview

Successful candidate Susan Williams had been identified from the outset in her role as National Campaigns and Community Fundraising Manager at the Heart Foundation

Susan exceeded all expectations at MS Research Australia

< Previous article

Next article >

More Case Studies

Yellow daffodils in full bloom against a blue sky with clouds.

Cancer Council Victoria

By Shazamme System User • January 9, 2026
Cancer Council Victoria is a not-for-profit organisation which aims to reduce the impact of cancer in Victoria. It is an independent body that advises various groups, including government, on cancer-related issues.
Four women in discussion, two are looking at each other, one holds a coffee cup, and another is in the background smiling.

Butterfly Foundation

By Shazamme System User • January 9, 2026
Founded in 2002 by Claire Middleton, a mother of two daughters who had suffered from anorexia nervosa, Butterfly Foundation is the national charity for all Australians impacted by eating disorders and body image issues, and for the families, friends and communities who support them.
White cat being held by a person wearing a

Four Paws

By Shazamme System User • January 9, 2026
FOUR PAWS is the global animal welfare organisation for animals under direct human influence, which reveals suffering, rescues animals in need and protects them. The organisation’s vision is a world where humans treat animals with respect, empathy and understanding.