Salvo fired for business cash

WITH demand for its services and the cost of delivering those services increasing the Salvation Army has been forced to turn its focus to the corporate sector for support.

This year the organisation has the goal of raising $4.5 million from its Red Shield Appeal.

The doorknock, where it expects to get a large proportion of those funds, takes place on May 22 and 23.

Last year its Red Shield target was $3.6 million.

However, while the Salvos are usually well received by the mums and dads in society, it often appears that their role at the coal face of the welfare battle is not "sexy" enough for business.

To get around this problem the organisation restructured its approach in Western Australia, taking on a business development manager and recruiting some of Perth’s heaviest business hitters to sit on its committees.

That restructuring led to the recruitment of Jodi Daly as business development manager.

Ms Daly came from Bunnings where she had been managing that company’s community involvement programs.

The committees provide the Salvos with business nous, contact and, perhaps most importantly, influence.

Taking on a more business-like approach has, at times, left the army in a quandry. It needs the money from the corporate sector but does not want to sell its soul.

Salvos public relations manager Neil Venables freely admits he is not comfortable with the "what’s in it for me" question that often comes from dealing with the corporate sector.

He said the Salvos were looking to raise $750,000 from the corporate sector.

This year the army is targeting small to medium-sized enterprises through the Small Business Challenge.

Major Venables said the Salvos had found that the big end of town was more likely to give.

"We need to target the small business sector," he said.

That initiative was driven by its committees.

The Salvos’ Business and Industry Committee is chaired by former West Australian Newspaper Holdings CEO Denis Thompson. It also includes KMPG partner Grant Robinson, builder Dale Alcock, Allens Arthur Robinson’s Steven Cole, Automotive Holdings Group managing director Robert Branchi, Alinta CEO Bob Browning, Numenuno House partner Greg Allen and Godfrey Pembroke principal consultant Lawrie O’Neill.

The Media and Special Events Standing Committee is chaired by Mills Wilson partner Kate Wilson and boasts WA Newspapers’ Peter Jeanes, Community Newspaper Group editor in chief Iain Cameron, Channel Seven Perth managing director Chris Warton, Hogan Media Services owner Harold Hogan and Austereo general manager Linda Wayman.

Even the army’s Neighbourhood Appeal Standing Committee boasts some big business names. It is chaired by Roy Weston Real Estate CEO Geoff Baldwin.