Natalie Gibbs, Head of Individual and Community Giving, Cancer Council Victoria Best advice received? “‘If you don’t ask, you don’t get’ — it’s life advice really, but you can apply it to all elements of fundraising, from ‘Making the Ask’, through to asking your board to invest in a new initiative or even negotiating your salary for a new job!” We love a new term and Natalie has coined one — ‘retainable acquisition’ — the process of actively seeking new donors who want to join the organisations they support and enjoy the act of giving. No surprise these donors become long-term supporters, but are you seeking them out? Natalie’s work…
Nathaniel Links, National Individual Giving & Community Fundraising Manager, Redkite Best advice received? “After my first real fundraising failure where I tested a new acquisition channel, my manager said, ‘There are researchers in this building spending a million dollars to test a theory that may not work. You didn’t fail, you just gained learnings for the next time’.” Nathaniel’s brief when he joined Redkite in 2020 was to grow the individual giving database significantly and introduce a flagship community fundraising event. And, despite COVID-19 challenges, he was able to lead the team to achieve incredible results. Individual donors increased from 5,500 in 2019 to 23,600 in 2021 and the program’s…
Rochelle Nolan, National Manager, Strategic Fundraising, Lifeline Australia Career highlight? “Being trusted by incredible beneficiaries to share their most vulnerable, often heartbreaking, but always courageous stories with supporters — it’s a privilege, and it’s why I love what I do.” “Rochelle is a force for good and has been for the best part of a decade,” says Jonathon Grapsas, founder of fundraising agency, flat earth direct. What Rochelle has done in that decade is achieve game-changing results for Ronald McDonald House Charities, Children’s Hospital Foundation, The Smith Family and, most recently, Lifeline Australia where she has played a leading role in growing fundraising income from $5 million in 2018 to…
Career highlight? “During a time when mental health worsened across the country, Mullets for Mental Health provided an opportunity for a new, younger audience to learn about Black Dog Institute and contribute to life- saving research.” Imagine putting on your resumé that you are one of the masterminds behind mega-campaign, Mullets for Mental Health. Phoebe is one of a tiny group of people who can and, with the initiative raising $9.7 million for Black Dog Institute since 2020, she should be proud. Phoebe’s everyday role is leading the Community Fundraising team across Black Dog’s involvement in large multi-charity events such as City2Surf and The Sydney Morning Herald Half Marathon, alongside…
Ashley Southwell, Community Fundraising Specialist, Mission Australia Best advice received? “Keep it simple.” It has been a big three years for Ashley. As Head of Fundraising and Campaigns at Ronald McDonald House Charities Greater Western Sydney (RMHC GWS) she developed their first P2P event — Dance for Sick Kids — raising $400,000 in 2020 (and $1.2 million nationally in 2021) and their first digital appeal, raising $180,000 and exceeding revenue target by 500%. She led a team that implemented the RMHC GWS’s first giving day, raising $450,000 in year one and $549,000 in year two. She steered collaboration with five RMHC Chapters for their 2021 Christmas appeal, Santa for Sick…
Georgie Smith, Fundraising and Campaigns Manager, Variety – The Children’s Charity, Victoria Career highlight? “Being given the opportunity by our CEO and board to develop a sustainable and future-forward fundraising program through new digital income streams including gaming, online challenges and crypto donations — connecting the organisation with a new generation of supporters recognised as ‘the future of philanthropy’.” When life gives you lemons, make lemonade. And that is exactly what Georgie did when she capitalised on trends in one of the world’s most locked down regions, Victoria, during 2020 and 2021. Translating these trends into P2P opportunities, Georgie developed the Kids Lego Challenge (with Lego Masters contestants as hosts),…
Muriel Mallet, Head of Philanthropy & Development, Black Dog Institute Best advice received? “Start by looking after yourself before helping others. Burnout is more likely experienced by good and passionate people, like fundraisers. So start with a self-care plan, regularly check how your team is going and identify someone you can connect with to discuss what stresses you.” In 2018, Muriel left a 15-year career in advertising to join Black Dog Institute and she has been making waves in the philanthropy space ever since. Growing her team from two to six, she oversees trusts and foundations, major gifts and gifts in wills — the sum of which raised $8 million…
Dani Williams, Philanthropy Manager, Orange Sky Australia Career highlight? “A recent trip to one of the remote Northern Territory communities that Orange Sky supports to see first-hand the impact of our services in the community.” Before joining Orange Sky three years ago, Dani had just one short contract NFP role. She now leads the philanthropy and trusts and foundations portfolio. Her success lies in creating best-in-class donor journeys, data-driven fundraising activity and replicable systems that drive results. Most importantly, she has created a world class experience for each and every supporter, tailored to their unique motivations. Together with CEO and co-founder, Lucas Patchett, Dani delivers an outstanding philanthropic experience. This is reflected…
Shane Bailey, Head of Gaming and Streaming, Cure Cancer Career highlight? “Uniting the incredible gaming community, in Australia and abroad, to grow the Game On Cancer® initiative into a core revenue driver for Cure Cancer, allowing an even bigger impact in the world of cancer research.” Shane knows his stuff when it comes to gaming and livestreaming and, happily for Cure Cancer, both have proven to be fundraising gold. Arriving from the gaming world in 2021, Shane was not an experienced fundraiser, but what he did have was a finely-honed approach to engaging online communities and major streaming and gaming talent such as PandaTV, Loserfruit, Drewdog and Aussie Antics. Game On Cancer…
Vanessa Byrne, Head of Fundraising Products, Australian Red Cross Career highlight? “I love shaping a culture that supports fundraisers to be their absolute best and I’ve been lucky to do that while leading teams at CanTeen, Autism Spectrum Australia and Australian Red Cross.” “Vanessa moves and shakes like there’s no tomorrow!” says Karl Uhrich, Individual Giving Fundraising Manager at Red Cross. And, after two decades of fundraising experience, this leader is still approaching her work with curiosity and inventiveness. For several years, Red Cross has been riding the rollercoaster of floods, bushfires, COVID-19, and overseas humanitarian disasters that include the Port of Beirut explosion, the Taliban seizing control of Afghanistan,…
