Local Fundraising On Track
4 April 2005 at 1:04 pm
Local Fundraising On Track
Two recent major fundraising appeals have given the Not for Profit sector some encouragement that the effect of the South Asian Tsunami may not have dried up local funds for 2005.
In Victoria, the annual Royal Children’s Hospital Good Friday Appeal raised a new record over the $10 million mark! In fact the appeal raised more than $25,000 above last year’s record.
While the campaign is a year-long project it culminates with a telethon and radio-thon and state-wide doorknocking on Good Friday.
Appeal Director, Christine Unsworth says the result was unexpected, but it reflected that people give to charities that touch them personally and the Children’s Hospital does hold a special place in Victoria.
Unsworth says the fundraising challenge had been particularly noticeable in the regional centres where experienced fundraisers had initially sounded alarm bells.
However, more than $2 million of the appeal total came from regional Victoria on Good Friday.
The Salvation Army’s annual Red Shield Appeal appears to also be on track to reach it’s 2005 target.
The Salvo’s spokesman, John Dalziel says the appeal is a year-round campaign that culminates in a national door-knock in May with the bulk of donations coming in via a direct mail-out.
Dalziel says the appeal is currently running at 10% above the amount for this time last year.
The Red Shield Appeal target for 2005 is $53 million. Last year the appeal raised $48.5 million. And John Dalziel says he has every expectation of now making that target.
Dalziel says the key is to emphasis that the Red Shield Appeal funds are only used for the Salvo’s work in Australia.
He says even during the Tsunami appeals, the Salvos did not have an official campaign but raised $5 from donors who insisted the money go to their overseas operations.
He believes the Tsunami campaigns appealed to a different and possibly new donor.
The Fundraising Institute of Australia says anecdotal evidence suggests there is no significant difference in the outcome of major campaigns currently under way.
Victorian President, Jeremy Maxwell the crunch may be the May – June tax period.
However, he says the message for Not for profits is that people support the good work your organisation does so keep telling them what you do and then tell them what was achieved with their money.
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