“Trish Pinto is UNIQUE in Melbourne’s elite cadre of strategic fundraisers.”
“After several decades of achievements in the sector, she knows what makes philanthropy tick, is adept at finding and building the right partnerships for her clients, and can take on what many might think are difficult scenarios, transforming them into successful fundraisers and grant recipients.”
“And she’s got a heart, and a conscience, plus a soft spot for not-for-profits.”
Gayle Austen, Board Chair and Director, Journalist, Communications Professional
“Working with Trish is always a pleasure. She understands vision and purpose driven organisations, and the world of philanthropy, funders and donors.”
“She can research and write in a way that connects the two for meaningful, successful outcomes for all.”
Alison Hill, General Manager, People and Parks Foundation
“Trish is an A1 fundraising strategist and hands-on fundraiser both. She can produce a finely-crafted case for support, author grant applications that hit the ‘sweet spot’ with trusts and foundations and attract funding as a result, and knows Australian philanthropic networks inside out.”
“I’ve seen Trish in action at Arts Centre Melbourne and the National Theatre. She gets results. I’d highly recommend her.”
Sarah Hunt, CEO, Australian Ballet School
“Trish Pinto worked with CERA's fundraising and philanthropy teams, providing astute strategic advice.”
“She has a wide ranging knowledge of fundraising and philanthropy, and is generous with her expertise. I greatly appreciate her can-do attitude and willingness to roll up her sleeves and get things done.”
“Trish played a key role in the development of a case for support which led to a significant gift. Her collegiate nature is a great asset. Trish fit into our team, and navigated our organisation, with the ease of a long-term staff member.”
Janine Sim-Jones, Executive Manager Communications, Fundraising and Advocacy, Centre for Eye Research Australia (CERA)
“Trish works seamlessly and collaboratively with in-house comms and fundraising teams. Trish’s philanthropic, grants and donor networks and knowledge are extensive and incredibly valuable to charities.”
“She’s a great person to have in your corner!”
Kathy Cogo, Environmental Communications Specialist
“It takes like-minded souls to change the world. We’ve made amazing headway in fundraising, with Trish|DARK HORSE playing a key role in our early wins.”
Mr James Tutton, Co-founder Smiling Mind, Founder Moonlight Cinema, Entrepreneur
“Trish helped us grow and diversify our fundraising income in the early days of Youth Live4Life, authoring a fundraising strategy and assisting in securing philanthropic grants that were foundational to our expansion story.”
“Today Youth Live4Life is scaling nationally, with a robust fundraising program performing across a range of revenue streams.”
Bernard Galbally, CEO, Youth Live4Life
"Trish is a skilled and dedicated professional with a wealth of industry knowledge and experience. She was invaluable in supporting the fundraising for BIG NAME NO BLANKETS.”
“TRish has a fine tuned delicacy when framing arguments and understanding alignments when building a Case for Support. She has a keen eye when matching prospective supporters to a cause."
Kirsty Hillhouse Development Manager, Ilbijeri Theatre
“Trish Pinto provided expert guidance in developing our successful four-year Creative Victoria funding application. Her strategic insight and clear, disciplined approach gave us confidence throughout the process, and the resulting support has been instrumental in our organisation’s growth and stability.”
Wendy Avivov, General Manager, Flinders Quartet
“I have worked with Trish for 10 years across four organisations. Trish delivers above expectations again and again.”
“One of Trish’s skills is how she ‘gets’ community organisations and social justice issues. this means that she helps tell their story better.”
Christina Jenkins, Program Manager, AVI’s Aboriginal Volunteer Program; Restless Development Australia founder
“WHEN TRISH AND DARK HORSE COMMUNICATIONS ARE ON THE CASE I GET EXCITED ABOUT WHAT I’M GOING TO GET. I’VE NEVER BEEN DISAPPOINTED.”
Serhat Abdurazak, REAL Fundraising