FIA Closes Melbourne Office
9 June 2009 at 4:42 pm
The Fundraising Institute of Australia (FIA) is to close its Melbourne office in a bid to cut costs.
FIA Chairman Lesley Ray says the FIA is working hard in these difficult times to produce the best possible outcomes for members.
She says with the recent staff changes in the first quarter of 2009 coupled with the completion of work on the Principles and Standards of Fundraising Practice and consideration of staffing levels required going forward, a full review of staff roles has occurred.
Ray says the review has ensured that no services are diminished in any way at the same time providing cost effective solutions for members.
In a letter to FIA members, Ray says cost reductions have been identified in all areas of the business. The review has included reshaping of roles, the most significant being the absorption of member services roles into existing roles within the events, professional standards and administration areas of the organisation.
Lesley Ray says as such the Melbourne office will close operations mid June and the three full-time and three part-time staff roles will become redundant.
She says this step of consolidating of activities will significantly streamline operations and importantly reduce ongoing costs for the organisation such that it may continue to deliver appropriate resources to members.
She says the Board of FIA has responsibly taken this restructure and organisation wide cost review and seeks member support to work with the new structure and associated changes.
Former FIA Board member and Development Manager of the Epilepsy Foundation of Victoria, Jeremy Maxwell describes the close of the Melbourne operation as a necessary thing.
Maxwell says we are living in times when our revenues are under pressure and in reality there are more members in NSW.
He says the FIA Board has looked at cost cutting as rationally and logically as they can.
Maxwell doesn’t believe the close of the Melbourne office should divert fundraisers from the main game.
He says the real trick is for fundraisers to hold their nerve and do what they do best in the difficult financial climate.
Maxwell’s own experience with the Epilepsy Foundation is that people still want to support organisations even though the dollar donation is down.
But he says organisation must maintain relationships and practices and keep their eye on the bigger picture.
