FIAs Annual Fundraising Awards

"Include a Charity", Australia’s largest charity consortium campaign won both the Award for Excellence in Bequest Fundraising and the major FIA award, Most Outstanding Fundraising Project at the Fundraising Institute of Australia (FIA) Awards in Perth.

Comprised of four major charities; Red Cross, Mission Australia, The Cancer Council and the Heart Foundation, the Include a Charity bequest campaign was launched in 2006.

At the time, the venture between the four charities challenged previous misconceptions regarding the ability for charities of this size and status to successfully form a consortium.

‘Include a Charity’, is a social marketing campaign designed to raise awareness of the ease and effectiveness of leaving a bequest in a Will. It aims to make the inclusion of charitable bequests or gifts a normal part of Will-making and a widely recognised and respected way of giving.

Senioragency Australia was appointed in 2006 for strategic development and implementation, and to produce all the creative marketing materials for the campaign.

A spokesperson from Mission Australia says one of the most interesting outcomes of the Include a Charity campaign was the proof that four major charity organisations could collaborate and institute social change far more effectively than each charity could individually, whilst keeping the costs to a minimum.

The Australian Conservation Foundation (ACF) also celebrated resounding success in the National Awards.

Two campaigns were recognised – Climate Project Australia, awarded Capital Campaign of the Year, saw ACF in a partnership with former US Vice President Al Gore to educate and train Australians to deliver a local version of his ‘Inconvenient Truth’ presentation.

Dr Sue-Anne Wallace, CEO Fundraising Institute Australia said the fundraising results were remarkable. The campaign met financial targets within a few months and 84 presenters trained by Al Gore reached 58,000 Australians in the first year alone.

ACF’s Climate Change Action Kit won the Budget Acquisition Award in Division A (organisations with fundraising staff of 3 or less) for raising significant funds from new sources to support the ongoing work of the organisation.

Winning the Award for Budget Acquisition for Division B (organisations with fundraising staff of 4 or more) was Seeing Eye Dogs (SEDA) for a telemarketing campaign called "She’s got your eyes".

The organisation used Puppy Sponsorship as a vehicle to recruit donors directly into SEDA’s monthly giving program.

For a state-by-state list of award winners go to: www.fia.org.au