The Fundraising Institute of Australia has recognised three Western Australian organisations in this year’s WA fundraising awards.
The Fundraising Institute of Australia has recognised three Western Australian organisations in this year’s WA fundraising awards.
The Royal Flying Doctor Service (Western Operations), Princess Margaret Hospital Foundation, and the Shire of Coolgardie have won state awards and will go on to compete in the national competition early next year.
It’s the second consecutive year the RFDS has won an award, having taken out the major national award last year for its $17 million capital campaign to replace four aircraft in its fleet of 11.
This year, the organisation won the supporter fundraising category for its Flying 1000 program, which involved seven volunteers sourcing 1,000 donations of $1,000 each.
The $1 million raised was directed into the capital campaign to pay for the medical fit-out of the new aircraft.
The four-year campaign was concluded at the end of the financial year, although donations are still trickling in, and to date the RFDS has raised about $16.2 million for the aircraft.
The organisation is also continuing with plans for a redevelopment of its Jandakot base to expand its medical transfer area.
The project will involve gutting and refurbishing the organisation’s existing facility, as well as providing new accommodation units and medical facilities for patient transfers.
RFDS director of regional services, Peter Northover, said the organisation was in discussions with architecture firm Hames Sharley and was currently finalising contract documentation leading up to the tender process.
The $4.5 million project received seed funding of $3 million from Lotterywest.
The project is being finalised at a time of transition for RFDS Western Operations, which recently merged its Western Australian section and eastern Goldfields section to create a single entity.
“It means that for the first time in 70 years, all staff employed by the RFDS in WA will be employed by the same company. It will give us a new focus, help with branding and culture and ensure there’s no confusion in the eyes of donors and the government,” Mr Northover said.
Last month, the organisation finalised its new board of six members, which has three additional places for independent members if required.
Another major capital campaign recognised in the WA awards belonged to the Shire of Coolgardie, which won the capital campaigns – major gifts category.
The shire raised $2.7 million for its new $10.7 million Kambalda Community and Recreation Centre, most of which was raised through donations from the resources sector.
The final stage of the fundraising project, which will consist of a community appeal to raise money for the fit-out of the centre, is due to be completed in the first six months of 2008.
Meanwhile, Princess Margaret Hospital Foundation received an award for its winter newsletter direct mail campaign, which raised $100,000 for equipment and services.
This exceeded the organisation’s target of $30,000 and represented a 700 per cent increase on the amount raised by last year’s equivalent letter.
PMH Foundation communications coordinator Rebecca Brown said using a newsletter rather than a letter to communicate with donors had generated a much greater response. The organisation produces four newsletters each year as part of a direct mail campaign that makes up 11 per cent of total revenue.
It also conducts events and corporate programs, and has another revenue stream from wills and bequests.
