FIA Investigates Face-to-Face Fundraising
3 July 2006 at 1:07 pm
The Fundraising Institute Australia (FIA), has appointed an Executive Officer, Derek Mortimer, to commence work this month with a coalition of charities and professional fundraising organisations that engage in face-to-face (f2f) fundraising.
According to FIA fundraising in shopping malls and city streets is an extremely successful method of raising funds, bringing significant benefits to charitable work in Australia and abroad. Yet the charities that use face to face fundraising recognise its public perception is problematic.
Derek Mortimer is a lawyer who undertook legal studies part time whilst working in the philanthropic sector.
FIA says this ideal background, combining law and fundraising, and will bring rigour to enhancing public understanding of the fundraising approach and developing best practice in the sector.
Derek Mortimer led research and development of a micro-finance initiative for Landcare in North East Victoria between 1997- 2001 following a personal study tour of Not for Profit organisations in the USA.
During his Landcare work he also undertook part-time study for a law degree in which he wrote research papers on corporate governance in the NFP sector and on the use of the public trust doctrine for environmental management.
Mortimer completed his legal training in Melbourne and was subsequently admitted to practice law in NSW and Victoria.
The FIA says this ideal background, combining law and fundraising, and will bring rigour to enhancing public understanding of the fundraising approach and developing best practice in the sector.
Mortimer will combine this appointment with his work on codes of professional practice, a position part-funded through the Helen Macpherson Smith Trust.
He says he wants to apply his experience and legal training to the philanthropic sector and welcome this opportunity to work with Australia’s leading charities.
f2f fundraising is the method used to directly approach members of the public to solicit on-going charity support described in mainstream media as ‘chugging’.
Across the nation an estimated 200,000 charity givers are recruited every year at an annual value of $50m. The average ‘life’ of these recruited donors is five years.
f2f fundraising has existed in Europe since the early 1990s, and in Australia since Greenpeace first used it here in 1998. The method has been exceptionally successful at generating long-term sustainable funding for charitable causes, such as human rights, the environment and children’s rights. This in turn has meant rapid growth, but it has also created a number of challenges, not least of which has been the public’s perception.
FIA CEO, Dr Sue-Anne Wallace says through this initiative supported by Australia’s leading charities, FIA will develop codes of conduct and professional standards to ensure quality in f2f fundraising.
