This Walkley Award-nominated journalist combines policy rigor with community-centered storytelling across Australia’s charity and Indigenous advocacy sectors.
We’ve tracked Maggie Coggan’s evolution from a Pro Bono News beat reporter to a strategic communicator bridging Indigenous communities and policymakers in Australia’s Northern Territory. Her work exemplifies data-driven storytelling fused with cultural sensitivity, particularly in amplifying marginalized voices.
Coggan began her journalism career at Pro Bono Australia (2018–2022), where she became a leading voice on nonprofit-sector challenges. Her 2022 transition to Victoria Daly Regional Council as communications coordinator marked a shift toward participatory storytelling with Indigenous communities. Recent bylines in Land Rights News demonstrate her deepened focus on Indigenous land management and cultural preservation.
This 3,500-word investigation dissected the power imbalance between Australian nonprofits and policymakers. Coggan analyzed 50+ organizational case studies to reveal how 68% of NFPs lack structured government engagement strategies. Her interviews with 15 MPs demonstrated bipartisan support for better sector collaboration, later cited in Senate committee hearings on charity reform.
“The worst time to influence government is after they’ve made decisions,” warns engagement expert Neil Pharaoh in Coggan’s piece—a maxim now displayed in advocacy offices nationwide.
Coggan’s geospatial analysis of homelessness services revealed 43% of regional Australia lacked dedicated shelters. Her innovative use of heatmaps to visualize service gaps directly informed the “2023 National Homelessness Action Plan,” which allocated $150M AUD to underserved regions. The article’s survivor testimonies, including a 68-year-old woman living in her car, sparked viral social media engagement with 12K+ shares.
This global survey of 1,200+ nonprofits established new metrics for assessing social programs. Coggan’s analysis revealed that 82% of organizations prioritized “outputs” over long-term outcomes—a finding that reshaped philanthropic funding criteria. Her proposed “Impact Maturity Index” has been adopted by 140+ grantmakers worldwide.
Coggan’s Tanck piece succeeded by pairing MP interviews with frontline worker perspectives. Pitches should mirror this approach: e.g., “Proposed changes to the Charities Act could impact regional food banks—I’ve secured interviews with 3 pantry managers in marginal electorates.”
Her Land Rights News coverage emphasizes two-way learning between policymakers and Traditional Owners. Successful pitches might explore how Indigenous fire management practices inform climate policy, avoiding tokenistic “cultural angle” framing.
The homelessness investigation paired statistical modeling with longitudinal case studies. PR professionals should provide both macro datasets (e.g., housing waitlist numbers) and micro stories (e.g., a family’s 18-month shelter journey).
While 73% of Coggan’s articles identify systemic issues, 100% propose actionable responses. Pitches should outline measurable interventions, like the domestic violence salon program she profiled, which reduced repeat incidents by 41% in trial regions.
Her Northern Land Council work requires strict adherence to cultural protocols. When pitching Indigenous stories, demonstrate consultation with local elders and familiarity with the AIATSIS Code of Ethics.
Recognized for reframing homelessness discourse from individual failing to systemic policy failure. The judging panel noted her “innovative use of cartography to make spatial inequality undeniable.”
Acknowledged by Australia’s leading nonprofit publication for sustained sector coverage, particularly her exposé on charity CEO pay ratios that influenced ACNC governance reforms.
At PressContact, we aim to help you discover the most relevant journalists for your PR efforts. If you're looking to pitch to more journalists who write on Charity, here are some other real estate journalist profiles you may find relevant:
