J Parsonage
Partnerships Executive
Starlight Children’s Foundation
successfully completed FIA Skills 2, October 2011, Brisbane

Thank you for the opportunity to attend FIA Skills 2 in Brisbane with an ASI Scholarship. By attending this course, I have taken away the below benefits and key learnings.

Attending Skills 2 provided an opportunity to:

• Learn from a range of exceptional leaders in the sector and establish industry connections interstate (normally based in NSW).
• Develop a broad fundraising knowledge base to enhance my career within the sector.
• Identify gaps in my skill set prompting focus to secure further development in these areas.

Completion of Skills 2 deepened my understanding of:

• The importance of business planning and development of mission, vision and case statements (enhanced through the practical team assignment)
• How other organisations operate and ideas for streamlining processes for better ROI
• How mass and managed fundraising strategies interact to build a successful integrated campaign
• The FIA mentoring program and its benefits
• The increasing influence of technology and social media
• Trust and Foundation fundraising and the essentials of a successful application
• Direct marketing techniques and importance of brand and campaign positioning

Completion of Skills 2 now enables me to:

• Step back from day-to-day operations and review my performance to ensure I am delivering the most effective fundraising methods to achieve the objectives of my role and maximise fundraising opportunities for Starlight.
• Contribute new skills to the Starlight Partnerships program
• Pursue my interest for further professional development by becoming an FIA member, participating in the FIA Mentoring program and completion of Skills 3.

Thank you for your financial support. The group of attendees represented a great blend of organisations and I thoroughly enjoyed working and learning from each attendee. I would not have had access to this training without your support.

A Hurst
Office Manager
Australian Agricultural and Resource Economics Society (AARES)
attended the NiUG (iMIS User Group) Asia Pacific Discovery Conference, October 2011, Launceston

The Australian Agricultural and Resource Economics Society (AARES), an independent, not-for-profit association of persons and organisations interested in agricultural, resource and environmental economics, purchased the iMIS software around 12 months ago.

As the Society’s Central Office Manager, and with the assistance of some vital out-sourced expertise, I was given the task of getting the system up and running.  ASI hosts our new website through which membership subscriptions are made, and we are currently accepting online registrations for our annual conference in February next year.  To further improve the service we can offer our members, we are also currently developing a Community Forum.

In order to further develop our knowledge and understanding of the iMIS software program, the AARES Executive agreed to support my attendance at the NiUG Discovery Conference in Launceston in October 2011, which was subsequently funded by this scholarship.

The conference provided an opportunity to meet with other iMIS users, to hear their stories, to learn about the latest developments in the software, and to discover iMIS-friendly add-ons to make the iMIS experience a more fullfilling, experience for the operators, such as myself, and the clients, such as our members.  Also, importantly, it gave me a much clearer idea of what I don’t know and therefore where to concentrate focus and resources over the next 12 months.  It also provided me with a greater understanding of where to go for help, and resources available within the iMIS community.

With the skills I have learned over the past year in general, and through the Discovery Conference in particular, I feel better placed to be able to train other members of the AARES team in the operation of this software.

I am very grateful to the ASI SMART Company Scholarship Fund for the generous support I received which enabled me to attend the Discovery Conference - and I am already looking forward to the next one.

K Williamson
Fundraising & Events Manager
Down Syndrome Victoria
successfully completed FIA Skills 2 – Building on the Foundations of Fundraising, July 2011, Melbourne

Thank you for the opportunity to attend this course.  I had completed Skills 1 in a previous fundraising role but was feeling the need for a bit more direction with my new role which is a different sector and presents challenges I have not had experience with previously.

During the course we covered many valuable skills that will enhance my ability to further develop the fundraising program for Down Syndrome Victoria. Key areas of focus included:
• Mission & Case Statements
• Prospect Researching
• Marketing, Communication & Fundraising
• Strategic Planning for Fundraising
• Direct Response
• EFundraising
• Donor Management
• Fundraising with Institutions (Grants)

Some areas I found extremely beneficial were particularly around Donor Management and Strategic Planning. Our organisation has acquired iMIS this year and while it is in its infant stages of getting the data right – I can see the huge potential for implementing a direct mail program as we move forward with cleaning up our data. I am also involved in an evolution of structure within the organisation and am now given many responsibilities around planning and strategy.

Another area that was covered was eFundraising which is a big area of focus for Down Syndrome Victoria. Best practice tips, pitfalls to avoid and discussions around social networking tools were all covered and very useful.

The opportunity to network with other Fundraising professionals was also really good and provided sharing of ideas and experiences that were beneficial.

An extensive workbook was provided as part of the course and I have found myself referencing it quite a bit since completing the course.

Thank you for assisting our organisation with the scholarship to cover the cost of attending the course.

S Nathani
Executive Officer
Inner North Community Foundation
attended FIA Madison Down Under 2011

The Inner North Community Foundation was established in 2007, and thanks to the support of one generous corporate donor and sponsor, has not to date had to raise funds to cover operating costs or to run its philanthropic programs.

In 2010 the Inner North Community Foundation was the first Victorian community foundation to benefit from the Victorian state government’s Community Foundations Initiative, which challenged the organisation to raise $100,000 so as to benefit from a 2 for 1 matching grant (ie on successfully raising the funds, another $200,000 was contributed by the government).

While the Inner North Community Foundation did raise the funds and met the challenge, no strategic fundraising plan was in place for the organisation.

Participation at Madison Down Under in the A – Z Donor Direct stream was a fabulous opportunity for me and the Inner North Community Foundation, as the organisation has realised that it is now time to develop a fundraising strategy to enable greater engagement with the community, and for me to learn more about how to do this and acquire the necessary tools  to do this.

Participating in Madison Down Under has added to my understanding of what can be done, even on a small scale, and how to create links and meaningful relationships with potential donors so that we can build something together.

The four days of intensive discussion and information about direct marketing, telemarketing, donor packs, the appropriate length of letters , and how to tag and categorise within a database were a sparking point for me.

I have now been able to write a comprehensive annual fundraising plan which will be put to our board for adoption. This will give us the space to trial out and test what I have learned, and to evaluate and assess where we are at and what we can achieve within our resources.

Thank you for the opportunity to participate.  It was great professional development for me personally, and I know it will add great value to our organisation.

B O’Carroll
Donor Database Manager
Cabrini Health
attended FIA Madison Down Under 2011

As a recipient of an ASI scholarship I was fortunate enough to be able to attend Madison Down Under 2011 (MDU).  A fundraising experience like no other.

With just over 3 ½ years experience in fundraising, my knowledge of fundraising procedures had been ’picked up’  at the organisations I worked for.  At my current organisation, I didn’t think we were travelling badly, gifts had increased and we had more donors, but I still thought we could and should do more.  MDU has provided me with ideas and knowledge to develop and improve what we are doing.

‘Ask’ and ‘relationships’, key words that continuously came up in discussions.  I learnt about ways we could improve our database and make it work for us,  how to ask donors in a more appropriate way that relates to that individual and ways to develop and nurture relationships with our donors.

As we discussed various approaches I was overwhelmed with ideas, how could I do all this and what should I do first? Back to first session, ’Plan’.  I need to think about what’s best for the organisation I work with, and what we want to achieve.

But MDU is not just about sitting in a classroom environment and being told ways to do things and best practice. What really struck me was the generosity of everyone to share their knowledge and experiences, what has worked, and what hadn’t worked.  This generosity was not limited to the people just in your designated track but everyone attending MDU.  Every break and every meal I met someone new with a story to tell, and an idea or suggestion that might work for me.

I went to MDU to learn what I could do better. I left with ideas and friends, and with so many people working to help individuals, each other and organisations, I also left with a real connection to the fundraising community.

Thank you ASI for the opportunity to attend MDU. A truly a unique experience that words cannot adequately describe.

C Bayer
Manager, Corporate Partnerships & Supporter Relations
Earthwatch Institute (Australia)
attended FIA Skills 1

First of all, I would like to thank you kindly for the support and opportunity to gain valuable training through the ASI ‘SMART Company’ Scholarship Fund.  I was recently able to attend the FIA Skills 1 training course on a fully-funded scholarship and am incredibly grateful for that opportunity.

My employer, Earthwatch Australia, is a not-for-profit environmental research organisation that has very little or no budget for training.  The opportunity to attend this course has been of great benefit to my role as well as being perfectly timed in the current and future direction of Earthwatch Australia.

Being quite new to the fundraising sector and with no prior experience, I have taken on a role that will present many challenges and I personally will enjoy those challenges!  Suffice to say however I must be actively obtaining training, new skills and increased knowledge in the fundraising realm to conquer those challenges successfully.  Attending the Skills 1 course has given me a valuable platform upon which to build this new set of skills and understanding.

Skills 1 I believe was quite different to other fundraising seminars and short training sessions I have attended to date.  I felt that the networking opportunities were more sound and useful, purely by spending three days with the same people rather than a fly by for half a day.

Starting from scratch and working through the fundamentals and principles of fundraising, as was the course schedule, has given me confidence that I am heading in the right direction with what I have picked up during my short time in this field.  However, what the presenters, whom were all highly respected people, brought to us each day through their incredible amount of experience, knowledge and wisdom was invaluable.

The group exercise on the final day in which we made a presentation to a mock Board on the development of a 3 year fundraising strategy based on all we had learnt in the preceding three days was very worthwhile.  It will contribute highly to the requirements of my role internally and was a fantastic learning experience.

With the aid of further funding from the ASI ‘SMART Company’ Scholarship Fund, I will also be attending the FIA Skills 2 through your kind generosity and again your Board’s support of my endeavours in this field.

For that I am truly grateful, as is my employer, Earthwatch Australia.  Our vision and strategy from here into the future is set on growth.  We have an incredible team working together right now, with myself being an integral part of that team.  For me to have the opportunity to take on this training and with the intention to complete all three stages of Skills 123, it takes a lot of pressure off our small organisation.  It will in fact inject a whole lot more into the future of our organisation and achieving our mission of engaging people worldwide in scientific field research and education to promote the understanding necessary for a sustainable environment.

Once again I thank you for this opportunity and for your support through the ASI ‘SMART Company’ Scholarship Fund.

M Clarebrough
Fundraising Relationship Manager
Very Special Kids
attended FIA Madison Down Under 2009

From conversations with past participants of Madison Down Under my expectations of what I wanted to achieve a Madison Down Under were high. Madison Down Under delivered all that it promised and more! I have worked in the Not for Profit sector for over 6 years and attend many conferences and seminars within the fundraising sector, Madison Down Under was most definitely the most beneficial and worthwhile professional development program that I have participated in. Madison Down Under was an extremely beneficial use of my time. 

The facilitators and guest speakers provide great insight, with the value added of many years of experience in Bequests and Donor Giving. There were ample opportunities for discussion which my group embraced with passion. Track 5 – The Gift That Goes on.. had participants from a variety of organizations (small to large) across the sector, bringing with them a range of experiences and ideas.

Madison Down Under delivered in providing me with the opportunity to not only develop key elements of a program in the areas of Bequests to benefit Very Special Kids now and into the future but to also develop strategic relationships within the fundraising industry.

Being a residential program there were ample opportunities to network across the entire not for profit industry, with likeminded individuals who draw on a broad range of experiences. I have already facilitated communication with my new contacts and am attending a web2 seminar care of one of those contacts.

The sessions were inspiring and provided an opportunity to build a realistic plan of action to fit with the resources that you have available at your organisation – whether you are a one man band or an organization with 4 bequest officers – every participant walked away with new inspiration and ideas.

One the final day each member of my group spoke enthusiastically about what they would implement on return to their organisations and this included me. I believe that I am now adequately resourced with a clear direction to develop and implement a successful financially viable Bequest program for Very Special Kids. I am enthusiastic about moving the Very Special Kids Bequest Program from passive to active within the next 6 months.

MDU Tracks is an excellent way to stay on track professionally in your organisation and personally within your profession.

Sincere thanks to all at ASI for providing me with this opportunity. I am looking forward to next year already – even if I have to invest in it personally!

K Topp
Membership and Fundraising Officer
Carers Victoria
attended FIA Skills 1

      
In July 2009, I was awarded an ASI ‘SMART Company’ Scholarship to complete a Fundraising Institute Australia – Skills 1 – the Foundations of Fundraising course.

The course was a fantastic opportunity and learning experience for me.  It taught me about the legalities and the practicalities of fundraising including ethics and legislation and database management, as well as the strategies of fundraising such as relationship management, donor-centred fundraising, marketing and communications, direct marketing and special events.

However the greatest value of the course was in the practical and networking component.  As an assessment for the course we were to present a fundraising strategy with a team of 5 other attendees to a foundation and the hypothetical board of the foundation.  This was hard work in utilizing all the strategies and skills that we had just learnt, however it allowed us to consider the strategies in the context of a real life situation in regards to what would be successful and the cost benefit ratio for each strategy.

Additionally it was great to meet peers and potential mentors in the fundraising sector.  The opportunity to network will allow me to share ideas with others in the sector and also to learn from their experiences.  It may also provide opportunities for Carers Victoria to partner with other non-profits in our sector.

Carers Victoria represents and supports unpaid family carers who care for someone with a disability, mental illness, chronic condition or who is frail aged.  There are 2.6 million carers in Australia who by caring in an unpaid capacity save over 30.5 billion dollars.  Carers can derive a lot from their caring experience, however caring does have financial and emotional impacts, with many carers unable to work due to their caring obligations and many carers experiencing low levels of health and wellbeing.

I am passionate about supporting and representing carers in our community and thank you for providing me with the opportunity to learn so that I can better contribute to our cause.  I have already begun to use my new skills!

C Hornby
Community Relations Coordinator
Cystic Fibrosis Queensland
attended Madison Down Under 2009

Firstly, I would like to express my sincere thanks to ASI for providing me with the scholarship to attend Madison Down Under.  The opportunity to learn from leading fundraising experts and other peers was nothing short of amazing.

I attended the “Ask and You Shall Receive” track and was grateful to receive practical advice and strategies for direct response developed specifically for the not for profit sector.

The conference started with an overview of the days ahead and sessions on the elements of success of donor direct.  It was highlighted that our regular givers are our greatest prospects to develop into major gifts and in turn those that will leave bequests.

Statistics show that not for profits lose 20% of their donors each year to natural attrition.  We were given strategies on how to keep our donors engaged developing them into regular and major givers by communicating with them in the correct ways.  We also looked at generational marketing and ways and strategies to engage the different generations.

The importance and cost of keeping a donor engages as opposed to acquiring a new donor were discussed at great length and is one of things I have since shared with my work colleagues.  We are now focussed on re-engaging our lapsed donors, upgrading our existing donors and developing major gifts and bequests programs.

Paramount to all successful direct response campaigns is the quality of the list we use to communicate with our donors.  I now have valuable tools and formulas to segment our donor database to retrieve past giving histories, to find our lapsed donors, our regular donors and major givers.  I will be able to use this information to set donor goals, communicate with our donors according to their giving characteristics and build on these relationships. 

We received sample 12 month communication plans, extensive advice on mailing campaigns from a reputable mailing house, many ask campaign samples and a number of other useful resources.

Attending Madison Down Under affirmed that at Cystic Fibrosis Queensland we are one the right track with our direct mail appeals other than a bit of tweaking here and there.

On my return from Madison Down Under I have briefing my Chief Executive Officer on all that I learnt sharing with her the tools and strategies that could be easily introduced to our existing practises to enhance our direct response campaigns and in turn benefit our organisation.

Thank you once again to ASI for allowing me this opportunity – I am very grateful.

C Black
National Major Gifts Fundraiser
The Wilderness Society

I would like to say a great big thank you to ASI Smart Scholarships for the wonderful opportunity to attend Madison Down Under (MDU) 2008.

It was not without a tinge of trepidation that I began my journey to MDU, concerns that I was about to be held in ‘fundraising boot camp’ surfaced. However warm smiles, friendly greetings, re-united friends and cocktail parties soon made me feel comfortable and ready to be invigorated and inspired.

MDU provides a forum for dedicated fundraising professionals from USA and Australia to share knowledge, skills, expertise, experience, ideas and solutions to help us do our job better. My classmates were generous, courageous people enabling change across the health, education, environment and creative sectors. A very inspiring group indeed!

I have a better grasp of the fundraising process, researching potential donors, matching people’s needs with positive outcomes, understanding why people give, how to make the big ask, and expressing appreciation. Our captivating group of presenters shared theoretical and practical knowledge through talks, workshops, case studies and discussions. Problems and solutions were shared. The role-play exercise allowed us to test this new information and was also very entertaining.

With these new tools at hand I feel more capable of contributing to our fundraising efforts. The challenges facing The Wilderness Society are enormous. The ASI Scholarship has helped both me, and The Wilderness Society, face some of these challenges.

Thank you ASI, for your generous support.