Changemakers - Dan Lewis-Toakley

Dan Lewis-Toakley is the campaign manager for Live Below The Line. This week we profile Dan in Changemakers – a weekly column which examines inspiring people and their careers in the Not for Profit sector.

 

An Oaktree Foundation anti-poverty campaign, Live Below The Line challenges participants to feed themselves on $2 a day for five days.

 

What are you currently working on in your organisation?

At the Oaktree Foundation, I oversee our Live Below the Line campaign (www.livebelowtheline.com.au). Live Below the Line is a simple, but powerful idea: feed yourself on $2 a day for five days – the equivalent of the extreme poverty line in Australia, raise funds, and make a real difference. It’s a peer-to-peer fundraising campaign that has raised over $3.8 million dollars in its first 3 years.

 

How long have you been working in the Not for Profit sector?

 

2.5 years

 

What do you like best about working in your current organisation?

 

I love working in a youth lead Not for Profit organisation for a range of reasons, but I think it boils down to two:

 

Because in a youth-led NFP, you have the ability to guide the long-term strategy and direction of the organisation. It’s exciting to lead on the big questions, and be responsible for campaigns that you wouldn’t otherwise have the opportunity oversee at this age.

 

Because I truly believe Live Below the Line can, and will change the way Australians think about extreme poverty, and has the potential to define best practice in peer-to-peer fundraising. It’s a campaign that I believe could lead the cutting edge of technology and communications for social change, and it’s exciting to be part of that.

 

Favourite saying…

 

“The revolution with be A/B Tested” – Aaron Swartz

 

What (or who) inspires you?

 

The opportunity for the NFP sector is Australia to embrace new technologies and tools. I think there is huge room for the NFP sector in Australia to grow in terms of our online and offline tools for campaign, data and supporter management. Over the next few years, I’m excited to work on innovation in terms of what technologies NFP organisations can use in Australia, as I believe we have brilliant ideas for how to manage data/campaign/supporters, but currently lack to tools to implement them effectively. 

 

 

Is there someone in your organisation who would make a good Changemaker? Let us know at news@probonoaustralia.com.au