Your Fundraising Guide

wishesmaking

happen!

Make-A-Wish® grants wishes for children and young people with life-threatening medical conditions.

Our wishes give hope, strength and joy when most needed and have been shown to have a remarkably positive effect on a child’s mental, emotional and physical wellbeing.

With a healing power that goes beyond that of medicine alone, Make-A-Wish wishes are an essential complement to a child’s medical treatment. This unique power reaches families and communities too – bringing them together in hope and celebration.

Thanks to generous community support from people like you, over 8,000 life-changing wishes have been granted in Australia since 1985.

THANK YOU for taking action to help make wishes come true! By fundraising for Make-A-Wish Australia you will make a life-changing difference to seriously-ill children and their families in communities all across Australia – what an amazing thing to do!

Make-A-Wish relies entirely on support like yours to give children affected by life-threatening illnesses the wonderfully therapeutic experience of having their most cherished wish granted. On behalf of the children who will benefit from your generosity, thank you again for making wishes happen.

This booklet will give you lots of exciting ideas and tips for making your fundraising successful and fun! And we’re here to help too so if you have any extra questions please get in touch with our Community Fundraising & Events team on 1800 032 260 or at events@makeawish.org.au.

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How your money will help 6

Fundraising ideas 9

Planning to make it happen 12

What to do with the money 15

contents

Front cover and above:Aiden, 5, diagnosed with neuroblastoma,

wished to find Nemo!

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Meet Aiden…

There was nothing easy about going through 20 months of treatment for neuroblastoma, but for five-year old Aiden one of the very worst things was not being able to swim.

Aiden loves the water. His dad Jeremy recalls how, from a very early age, his son would gaze in fascination at the water’s surface and ask what was underneath it.

So it was no coincidence that when he needed cheering up during lengthy hospital stays, Aiden always turned to his favourite film, Finding Nemo!

Given the chance to make a wish, Aiden’s fascination with water, love of swimming, and most-watched film inspired his truly heart-warming choice. Aiden wished to find Nemo!

The countdown to ‘wish day’ began. Jeremy says, “The promise of his wish coming true was a huge boost. It gave him hope and helped keep him strong during some difficult times.”

The wish itself didn’t disappoint! Aiden’s search for his favourite clownfish began with a treasure hunt in Cairns where, accompanied by his family and cheered on by locals, he solved a series of clues.

After a visit to the zoo, a ride in a huge armoured police vehicle and a helicopter flight the day already felt very special, but then came the best bit of all – snorkelling in the clear warm waters of the Great Barrier Reef. Aiden was in his element!

And it wasn’t long before the excited youngster surfaced in triumph with the biggest smile on his face.

“I just found Nemo and his dad!” he shouted to his delighted family and applause all round.

difference!make a

Every dollar you raise will help to make wishes come true for children with life-threatening medical conditions; wishes that make a life-changing difference to children like Aiden…

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Here’s how the money you raise can help:

$50 could help buy a uniform for a child who wishes to be a policeman.

$250 could help buy some fishing gear for a child keen to get out on the open seas after a long time in hospital.

$500 could help buy a puppy for a child who needs a new best friend now that they can’t get to school any more.

$750 could help towards a mountain bike for a child longing to be active again.

$1,000 could help towards furnishing a cubby house; a special place to play and have tea parties.

$5,000 could help towards a special piano for a child who would one day like to be a concert pianist.

$10,000 could help towards a family holiday for a child looking forward to some much needed fun.

For more information on how the money you raise will help, check out ‘Every Dollar Makes A Difference!’ at makeawish.org.au/fundraising

impact!make an

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1. Trivia night Put your friends’ general knowledge to the test with a fun night of trivia! Use a local hall or pub for the evening and ask local businesses to donate prizes that will please! S,W,H

2. Go cold turkey! Get sponsored to give something up. It could be anything from talking or chocolate, to television, coffee or Facebook! Make-A-Wish Australia’s annual Switch Off challenge is a perfect example of how you can go cold turkey. Switch off your phone and switch on a wish! makeawish.org.au/switchoff S,W,H

3. Sausage sizzle Hold a mouth-watering BBQ at your local hardware store, or in your backyard, schoolyard or local sports field. S,W,H

4. Morning TeaHost a morning tea in your home, office or other local venue and sell tea, coffee and cakes – it’s a simple and yummy way to raise money! S,W,H

5. Treasure hunt Unleash your inner pirate and go searching for hidden booty! Get your teams to pay a fee to join in the fun or encourage them to get sponsored. S,W,H

make it easy!make it fun!

Stuck for ideas? Here are ten top fundraising ideas that are sure to deliver the dollars!

Key: Can be done at work (W), home (H), or school (S)

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6. Get baking! Tempt your friends with delicious cookies and mouth-watering cakes. It may be the oldest trick in the book but it’s a great way to raise money and make new friends! S,W,H

7. Car washGet a few friends together and have fun washing cars to raise money for Make-A-Wish. S,W,H

8. Keep people guessing! It can be on anything from the number of lollies in a jar to the weight of a newborn baby. Or gather a selection of baby photos and invite guesses as to who’s who! S,W,H

9. Wear what you wish! Introduce a monthly dress down or fancy dress day at school or work. Ask people for a gold coin donation to participate and fine those who don’t join in! S,W,H

10. You’ve got talent! Ever thought the person sitting next to you could be a budding star? Hold a talent competition at work, school or even in your local pub. Charge an entry fee and see what talents you unearth! S,W,H

Got your own idea? Great – we’re all ears! Call 1800 032 260 and chat to a member of our friendly Community Fundraising & Events

team about making it happen!We’d love you to share your fundraising stories and photos! Send them to events@makeawish.org.au

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make it happen!Your checklist for success:

• Make a choice – Decide on what you’re doing. It doesn’t have to be extravagant, just make it fun for yourself and everyone who takes part.

• Make a plan – To make your event run smoothly there are some practicalities to think about. Where and when will it happen? Who will be involved? What costs will you incur? How much will you aim to raise? Who can you ask for support?

• Make it official – Register your event online or send in the Fundraising Registration Form from your pack. Please don’t start fundraising for Make-A-Wish until you receive your Authority to Fundraise Letter and your Event ID. And don’t forget to read the Make-A-Wish Fundraising Terms & Conditions to make sure you stay on track.

• Make it known – The more people you tell, the more money you can raise. Put up posters, promote your event through local media, and update your Facebook and Twitter pages. Use the Make-A-Wish supporter logo on your promotional materials, so everyone knows you’re raising money to make life-changing wishes come true! Before you

circulate them, please send all promotional materials to Make-A-Wish for approval, allowing up to 10 days for turnaround.

• Make it safe, legal and reassuring – It’s really important you keep your event safe and legal! Please take a look at our Fundraising Terms & Conditions and make sure you’re up to speed with such things as food hygiene laws; insurance liability; activities, e.g. raffles, that you may need licences or permits for; and obtaining prior permission for fundraising in public places. Don’t forget we’re here to help so please get in touch if you have any questions.

• Make it count – Please complete and return your Payment Form, and transfer the money you’ve generously raised, to Make-A-Wish within 14 days. This will make sure it’s put to work straight away to help make life-changing wishes happen. There’s more information about how to do this on the next page. Don’t forget to thank all your supporters for their generosity and let us know if there are any special supporters you would like us to thank too!

• And finally…don’t forget to make it fun!

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TipFundraising online is a simple way to raise

a lot of money for wishes! If you set up an online fundraising page you won’t have to worry about handling

cash, transferring funds, or organising donation receipts – it will all be taken care of online. You can also receive donations from friends and family further afield and even overseas.

So what are you waiting for?

Set up your online fundraising page today at everydayhero.com.au and share it far and

wide by email and social media!

For more information or advice, visit makeawish.org.au/fundraising

or call us on 1800 032 260.

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So, within 14 days of finishing your activities, please complete and return your Payment Form to your Fundraising Coordinator and transfer the money to Make-A-Wish Australia in one of the following ways:

1. By Direct DepositAccount Name: Make-A-Wish® FoundationBank: Commonwealth Bank of AustraliaBSB: 063 105Account Number: 0090 1773Reference: Please use your Event IDPlease attach a copy of your bank receipt to your Payment Form

2. By cheque Made payable to ‘Make-A-Wish Australia’ – please write your Event ID on the back.

3. By credit card Please enter your credit card details on the Make-A-Wish Payment Form supplied.

4. By phone To pay via credit or debit card please call 1800 032 260.

Receipts for tax-deductible donations (donations of $2 or more) can only be issued by Make-A-Wish, so if any of your supporters have asked for a receipt, please send in the Receipt Request Form from your pack.

Thank you again for helping to make life-changing wishes happen for seriously-ill children Australia-wide!

count!make it

You’ve raised the cash so to help make wishes happen, there’s just one thing left to do ... pay it in!

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make a cake! make a cuppa! make a sizzle! make a splash! make it casual! make it fun!

make it challenging! make it sparkle! make it pop! make a difference! make it real!

383 Swan Street Richmond VIC 3121events@makeawish.org.au | makeawish.org.au | 1800 032 260

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