Queensland Mother Wins Volunteer of the Year

A Queensland mother has taken out the Fundraising Institute Australia’s National Volunteer of the Year 2011 Award.

At a gala event at the FIA’s 34th International Fundraising Conference in Melbourne, Ada Banks from Jimboomba in south-eastern Queensland was celebrated for her volunteer work for Cancer Council Queensland.

Cancer Council Queensland’s fundraising engagement manager Vicki James says Banks’s individual involvement with events equated to more than $300,000.

Cancer Council Queensland’s Relay For Life state manager Natalie Wust says Ada Banks has greatly reduced the impact of cancer in Queensland over the past six years as a direct result of her involvement in Relay For Life.

Banks’s passionate commitment to help find a cure for cancer and supporting those affected by cancer followed the death of her own son from the disease 15 years ago.

Banks has long been involved in several other Cancer Council Queensland fundraising and awareness raising events including the Jimboomba Daffodil Ball, Challenge for Cancer, Australia’s Biggest Morning Tea and the SunSmart cancer prevention outdoor events.

FIA CEO Chris McMillan says in the International Year of the Volunteer, the FIA is delighted to recognise Ada, along with all volunteers in the Not for Profit sector.

McMillan says volunteers are the lifeblood of charities. Without volunteers, charities simply could not carry out the extent of work they do.

Volunteering Australia CEO Cary Pedicini says fundraising is an aspect of volunteering that involves a significant number of volunteers, as highlighted by the recently released National Survey of Volunteering Issues.

The National Survey of Volunteering Issues found that 24.8 percent of respondents were involved in some way with ‘fundraising and/or retail’.

Pedicini says volunteering is an important part of a socially inclusive society, and fundraising is vital work for so many Not for Profit organisations.

Ada Banks was one of 12 recipients of FIA National Awards for Excellence in Fundraising 2011.

Other major award winners on Friday night were (full list of Award winners can be found below):

• Fundraising Campaign of the Year – The Salvation Army (Victoria) for “Christopher’s Letter”.
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• Arthur Venn Award – Professional Fundraiser of the Year – Melissa Smith, University of Technology, Sydney.

FIA chairman Leo Orland said the awards recognise the outstanding initiatives and innovative efforts of Australia’s fundraisers, volunteers and Not for Profit organisations.

Orland says the array of projects submitted for the FIA’s National Awards and the positive impact of those projects on our society are testament to the vital role of fundraisers in our community.

FIA’s National Awards for Excellence in Fundraising –  2011 Award Winners 

Organisation Awards
The 2011 Awards comprise the following six Category Awards, each in two divisions:

Division A – Organisations with less than 5 million revenue (excluding bequest revenue); and
Division B – Organisations with more than 5 million revenue (excluding bequest revenue)

Campaign of the Year 2011
‘Christopher’s Letter’, The Salvation Army

Capital/Major Gifts Campaign
Division A category winner
‘ACU Chair in Identity and Curriculum in Catholic Education’, Australian Catholic University.
Division B category winner
‘Dr Chau Chak Wing Building : Major Gifts Campaign’, University of Technology Sydney.

Acquisition Campaign
Division B category winner
‘Christopher’s Letter’, The Salvation Army
Highly Commended – Division A category
‘St Vincent’s Hospital Acquisition Telephone Fundraising Campaign’, St Vincent’s Hospital
Highly Commended – Division B category
‘The Gift of Hope’, Peter MacCallum Cancer Foundation

Renewal Campaign
Division A category winner
‘Westmead Medical Research Foundation Tax Appeal 2010’, Westmead Medical Research Foundation.
Division B category winner
‘Sydney Development Fund – 2010 Tax Campaign’, The University of Sydney

Special Events Campaign
Division A category winner
‘2010 Vinnies CEO Sleepout’, St Vincent de Paul Society (SA) Inc
Division B category winner
‘Leukaemia Foundation World’s Greatest Shave 2010’, Leukaemia Foundation

Highly Commended – Division B category
‘Variety Santa Fun Run- Special Event Category’, Variety the Children’s Charity NSW
‘Everest Virtual Challenge’, Royal Children’s Hospital Foundation

Bequest Campaign
Highly Commended Division B category
Bequest Campaign – “THINK ABOUT IT”, Florey Neuroscience Institutes

Fundraising Marketing Campaign
Division A category winner
‘Lifeline’s Stress Down Day’, Lifeline Australia.
Highly Commended – Division A category
‘PlayAir Campaign’, The Song Room
Division B category winner
‘Just Add Water’, Australian Conservation Foundation.

Individual Awards
Arthur Venn Professional Fundraiser of the Year
Melisa Smith, Development Manger, University of Technology, Sydney

The Fundraising Institute of Australia’s 34th International Conference was held in Melbourne last week, and saw 80 fundraising experts from Australia and the world share their insights.

To read more stories from the FIA conference click here.