FUNRAISING

AUSTRALIA GIVESALZHEIMER’S TAKES

FUN-RAISE AND MAKE A DIFFERENCE

THANKY UHere at Alzheimer’s Australia Vic, we’re all about community. Whether we’re helping reduce the stigma of dementia among the general public, talking with someone who has been newly diagnosed about what to expect, fielding a crisis call from a carer in desperate need of professional advice – or just a shoulder to cry on – we’re here to make the lives of all Australians living with dementia, their carers and families that little bit easier. Some of the programs and services we provide are:The National Dementia Helpline – taking calls from people wanting advice, information, referrals to services, or who just need to hear a friendly voice;The Living with Memory Loss Program – a specially tailored program of information, advice and support for people in the early stages of dementia and their families and carers, to help them to come to terms with their condition and plan for the future;

Free counselling – for people with dementia, their families and carers;Carer Support Groups – giving carers of people with dementia a chance to discuss their issues with other people in a similar situation in a safe and supportive environment;Education – we also run nationally-accredited training programs for families and carers and people who work in the field of dementia.None of this work would be possible without the support of people like you. The fact is, we rely almost entirely on the support of individuals, especially our tireless fundraisers who, through fun events like morning teas, sporting challenges and cake stalls, help make sure we can continue to help the growing number of people affected by dementia in the community.That’s why we’ve put together this ‘fun-raising’ pack, which is full of tips and tools to help make your job a little bit easier as well. Thank you for supporting Alzheimer’s Australia Vic. It’s great to have you as part of our community.

WHY WE NEED YOUR SUPP RTRight now there are more than 320,000 Australians living with dementia, this number is set to rise to more than 1 million by 2050.The number of people under 65 being diagnosed with younger onset dementia is also growing at an alarming rate. This places a huge financial burden on the community and government, as the population ages and more and more people are being diagnosed.That’s why our work – and your support – is so important.

We need to invest in dementia research, create more support services, and spread the word about dementia within the community and to respective governments, if we are going to help all the Australians who will need our services in the future, and, hopefully, one day eliminate it altogether.Alzheimer’s Australia Vic relies on wonderful people from the community to fund our work and ‘fun-raising’ is a great way to help us achieve these results.By organising a ‘fun-raising’ event, you will be raising funds to support us and our work, helping us provide more support and education services, raise awareness, change government policy and reach more people, their families and carers, who are living with dementia.

Past ‘fun-raising’ events have included trivia nights, golf days, gala dinners, shopping trips, morning teas, and participating in events like Run Melbourne. Whatever you choose to do, we will be happy to get behind you and support your fundraising idea.

Once you have registered your event with us, it’s time to start planning.

When Choose the best date to hold your event. Remember to avoid key dates like public holidays and when other local fundraisers or community events are being held in your area. Also give yourself enough time to organise your event.

WherePick a location that is available on the date you want, preferably free of charge. Make sure the venue is the right size, is easy to access by public transport and has parking either onsite or nearby. Also check if there are appropriate catering facilities for what you are planning in terms of food and drink.

WhoMake a list of people you are going to invite or ask to sponsor you. Be sure to give them lots of notice and include all the details of your event, including the reason you are holding it.

Planning your eventWork backwards from the date of your event, making a list of all the tasks that need to be completed, by when and who needs to do them.

BudgetHow much is your event going to cost? Working out your budget is essential to making sure you reach your target. You can keep costs down by asking for donated goods and services, remembering to thank people for their generosity. You could do this by giving them free tickets to your event, mentioning their company on the day or placing their logo on your flyers.

PromotionDon’t forget to publicise and promote your event with posters, flyers and by telling all your friends, family, neighbours and workmates! You could also approach your local newspaper to write a story about what you are doing and why. Websites like mycommunityconnect.com.au are also a great way to reach a wider audience.

After the event Be sure to thank everyone who made your event successful and let them know how much money you raised with their support.

RGANISING YOUR ‘FUN- RAISER’

There are literally hundreds of ways to raise money on behalf of Alzheimer’s Australia Vic and have fun at the same time. Here are a few ideas to get you started. Giant Memory GameSet up a giant memory card game at your next corporate function, neighbourhood BBQ or dinner party.Trivia NightCan you remember the name of every Australian Prime Minister? What about all the capital cities in Europe? Grab a bunch of friends and hold a donation-entry trivia night in your lounge room.If you’re thinking bolder, get your local pub involved and hold a big night for the whole community to test their memory skills.Memory JarCommit yourself to remembering something – how about the name of every person on your office floor, how to count to 65 in Norwegian, or the recipe for your favourite strawberry shortcake? Every time you forget, drop a coin into your memory jar.

Treasure HuntPut on a treasure hunt for a bunch of friends in your local area. How well do you know your neighbourhood? Ask for extra donations in exchange for more clues towards the treasure.‘Remember When...’ Dress-Up PartyHold a dress-up party set in your favourite decade (or the one you wish you could forget). Remember those fluoro scrunchies you wore in the 80s? Forgot about the mustard 70s flares? Dig ‘em out and revel in the glorious, and possibly cringe-worthy, memories of times-gone-by.Musical memories concertHold a gig in your local bar, community hall or living room. Invite local musicians to share tunes that hold particular memories for them – maybe the first love song they wrote at aged 12, the music that was playing at their high school graduation. It will make for a nostalgic and inspiring night of memories, music and FUN raising!Forget-Me-Not PinwheelsSell your own handcrafted blue Forget-Me-Not pinwheels. They’re super easy to make! Sell them around the office or set up a stall at your local markets.

Garage SaleEveryone needs an excuse for a big clean up, and what better way than to raise money for Alzheimer’s Australia Vic?Sift through those old CDs, clothes and unused sporting gear and sell them out the front of your house. Get the whole street in on it and encourage passers-by to create their own memories with your pre-loved gear.Family recipes cookbookAsk friends, colleagues or family to contribute a tried and true family recipe and put together a recipe book of nostalgic, nourishing food.Give Up TechnologyRemember life before Facebook? Before we spent most of our waking hours glued to Apple products? Undertake a sponsored ‘Give Up Technology Week’ and experience the ‘offline’ life of times-gone-by.‘Who’s the Baby?’ CompetitionA fun and nostalgic game perfect for an office or dinner party. Ask participants to submit a photo of themselves as a youngster and have a laugh as you all try to match the person to their younger selves.

FUN-RAISING IDEAS

Why I Fun-raise“I choose to fund raise for Alzheimer’s Australia Victoria each year by participating in the 5km run/walk in The Age Run Melbourne. I rally my friends and family together to either join Team Woppo and generate their own donations, or to donate money themselves. This is a cause that is extremely close to my heart.The name Team Woppo is in honour of my dad John Watson who lives with Alzheimer’s disease. He is currently 65 years old and was diagnosed 5 years ago with Younger Onset Dementia. I walk not only to raise funds, but also to get dementia awareness out into the public. Alzheimer’s is not a disease that only affects the frail and elderly, it is not an illness that is just part of the ‘ageing process’, it is a degenerative disease that can creep up on us when we least expect it, at any time and at any age. In his working years dad was the owner and director of companies in packaging engineering and logistics. He was intelligent and mathematically minded.

Dad has always been loved by all who met him for his humour and friendly personality. Before Alzheimer’s he loved socialising and was often the life of the party. Music and following his lifelong AFL team Hawthorn are two of his passions. My dad is and always has been my hero. Throughout my life he has been my rock. He’s the man that I have always judged every other man against. Needless to say my standards are high. He has always been there for me and now I want to be there for him. Walking with my Alzheimer’s Australia T-shirt on in The Age Run Melbourne with my team members by my side, feeling proud of the money I have raised, is my way of giving back to my dad for all that he has given me. Alzheimer’s is a disease that slowly but surely takes away the person you love before your eyes. It’s a disease that saddens and affects the whole family. Raising money for this cause will help support families, enable research, and bring us closer to effective medications and a cure.Please join me in my quest for a Dementia free future!’’Mardi Burgess

A FUN- RAISER’S ST RY

Alzheimer’s Australia Vic is linked in with Everyday Hero to make it easy for you to get your friends, family and colleagues to support you by making an online donation.

These ready-to-use systems let you:

• create your own dedicated fundraising page at no expense to you

• choose Alzheimer’s Australia Vic as your charity of choice

• send emails to friends, family and colleagues to ask them to donate to your cause

• send updates and reminder emails to maximise your fundraising

• receive secure payments which are processed and passed on to Alzheimer’s Australia Vic

• receive messages of support from donors to spur you on.

Tips and hints

Your fundraising page is a great place to keep your network of supporters up to date with your progress.

You can upload photos, videos, the current fundraising total and how close you are to your target.

To find out more and to set up an online fundraising page, visit www.givealzheimersaustraliavic.org.au

FUN-RAISING ONLINE

A FEW THINGS TO N TEIf you decide to go ahead and organise a ‘fun-raising’ event (and we hope you do), there are a few simple guidelines that we need you to follow. The most important ones are listed below, but for more detailed information on fundraising rules and regulations you can visit our website at http://www.givealzheimersaustraliavic.org.au

1. All fundraising activities must be approved and authorised in writing by Alzheimer’s Australia Vic.2. Once your fundraising idea has been accepted, you will receive an authorisation letter from Alzheimer’s Australia Vic letting you know you can go ahead with your event.3. You cannot hold your event until you have received this authorisation.4. Payment must be received within 30 days of the conclusion of your event, unless otherwise agreed.If you have any questions about your fun-raising idea, need more information, or just want to talk to someone about how it all works, feel free to give us a call on 9816 7800 or email vic.fundraising@alzheimers.org.au

We’d love to hear from you.Now it’s time for you to get started. We are here to help and support you every step of the way.Remember, there are a few house keeping rules you will need to take into account (see ‘A Few Things to Note’ on previous page), but once you have chosen your ‘fun-raiser’ please get in touch and let us know.

You can reach us in either of the following ways:Phone: 1800 100 500Fax: 03 9815 7801 Email: vic.fundraising@alzheimers.org.auMail: Community Fundraising Officer Alzheimer’s Australia Vic Locked Bag 3001 HAWTHORN VIC 3122Or you can visit our website: www.givealzheimersaustraliavic.org.au

Good luck with your ‘FUN-RAISER’ - and Thank you for choosing to raise money for Alzheimer’s Australia Vic.

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