CommunityFundraising

Kit

Thank you for wanting to be part of our family by fundraising for the Mental Health

Foundation Australia.

We are thrilled and excited that you have chosen the Mental Health Foundation

Australia to fundraise for. With your help, we are able to help and spread awareness of

mental health and promote better mental health for all.

This Community Fundraising Kit is designed to help you start your own fundraising

event or initiative. It contains everything you need to know to get started including

guidelines, activity suggestions and information about your responsibilities as a

fundraiser.

If at any time you have any additional questions, please contact our Fundraising

Coordinator on 1300 643 287 or email funding@mhfa.org.au

Please note: This kit is not intended for use for in-kind partnerships. If your business is

interested in helping Mental Health Foundation Australia, please contact us via email

funding@mhfa.org.au

Acknowledgement:

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1. Community Fundraising Kit

2. Table of contents

3. Acknowledgment

4. About the Mental Health Foundation Australia

5. Our Stories

6. Why Fundraise?

7. Getting you started

8. Fundraising Tips

9. Fundraising Ideas

10. Organizing the Fundraising

11. Assistance

12. Compliance

13. Other ways to get involved

Contents:

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About Mental Health Foundation Australia

Mental Health Foundation Australia (MHFA) is an organisation made up of people from all walks of life. It includes professionals, those living with mental illness, families of those living with mental illness, related organisations concerned with mental health and members of the public with an interest in mental health.

Mental Health Foundation Australia is the oldest Mental Health Association in Australia. Founded in 1930 as the Victorian Council for Mental Hygiene, then later the Victorian Association for Mental Health, MHFA has been part of the national and international mental health movement for over 70 years. It has played a significant role in establishing the current network of services and support for mental health consumers. Many of the organisations now prominent in the mental health sector had their beginnings as a part of the MHFA.

MHFA works to deepen understanding of the importance of mental wellbeing. Educating the community about available treatment options for mental illness is a large part of our brief, but our primary emphasis is on promoting good mental health and the means to maintain it. The Foundation’s work has been fundamental to changing community attitudes and raising awareness of the importance of good mental health.

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“And as a young person this was super challenging for me to navigate as I battled with my own mental health without any official support systems. In hindsight this was a blessing in disguise, as I have been able to reflect and support friends through my own lived experience.”

“I believe normalizing mental illnesses in all cultures is super important in recovery” - Wasana Liyanage

“By no means are all my days perfect and f illed with sunshine. I still suffer from flashbacks, panic attacks and just bad days but the difference is that I have learned to work with it and not give in to it. Everyday is different and some days you feel stronger and on other days you feel like crying and that’s okay. Life is a whirlwind of emotions and its about learning ow to cope woth it and understanding your own strengths and weaknesses so you can flourish to your best potential. So if I could do it, you can do it too.” - Tharika Goonetilleke, Youth Ambassador

Our Stories:

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PROMOTING MENTAL HEALTHFunds raised help in promoting mental wellbeing and in working methodically to eliminate the stigma surrounding mental illness.

SUPPORTSupport not just those living with mental illness but also the families, friends and carers of those living with mental illness.

BETTER MENTAL HEALTHTo promote better mental health for all and attitudes to mental health.

COLLABORATIONTo establish collaboration with governments, individuals, and health-related agencies, groups, and organisations.

TRAININGEncourage the highest standards in training and practice for the mental health professionals.

EVENTS & WORKSHOPSRun periodical and annual events and workshops tailored to the needs of each community so that specific concerns and issues are addressed appropriately.

RESEARCHEncourage and initiate mental health research.

SUPPORTTo establish and support organisations which provide mental health services, support, and advice to the community.

Your help is important to us, this is why:

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Let’s get you started: So, you’ve decided to fundraise… What next?

Step 1.

Decide what sort of fundraiser activity

you would like to arrange and decide

what this activity required to be

hosted.

Step 2.

Complete the Fundraiser Registration

and sign it. Return to us via email or

post.

Step 3.

To confirm that we have received your

information and have accepted your

fundraising operation, we will provide

you a Letter of Authority.

Step 4.

Start your fundraising.

Step 5.

Within 30 days of finishing your event,

send any funds raised together with

the attached Fundraiser Results

Summary Form back to funding@

mhfa.org.au.

Step 6.

If any donors require a receipt, record

their details on the attached Donor

Receipt Form and send this back to us

together with the funds raised. We will

post receipts to each individual.

Step 7.

Once we have received your

fundraising, we will acknowledge your

achievements by sending something

to say thank you and show you

appreciation.

It’s that simple! All of your raised funds

will then contribute directly to the

Mental Health Foundation Australia to

continue doing effective work in the

mental health space. 7

Fundraising Tips:

It all starts with you! Be the first to donate to

your fundraising event.

This will start a domino

effect and get others to

follow your lead.

Give them a reason and purpose When doing a

fundraising initiative,

it is very important to

communicate to people

why mental health is

important to you.

Start with those closest to youStarting by emailing your

close contacts is often

best because they are

the most likely to donate.

To build up some energy,

consider sending some

short personal messages

to your innermost circle.

Send emailsIf you are virtually

fundraising, consider

creating your own

contact listing and

sending emails to keep

your contacts engaged

and updated about the

success and progression

of the fundraising.

Constant showing of gratitude through social media Keep thanking donors

on social media, making

sure you continue to

share your success

towards reaching your

goal.

Use social media with the hashtag #fundraising4MHFA Tagging and thanking

people who have

previously contributed

when you are calling for

new contributions is one

of the easiest methods

to use on both Facebook

and Twitter. This is a

great way to spread the

word of your initiative.

01 02 03

04 05 06

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A – Auction, Amazing race, arts and crafts sale

B – Basketball event, baseball. Bottle drive, bakesale, barbeque

C – Cake decorating competition and sale, car wash, cycling event

D – Dog walking, dodge ball tournament

E – Easter egg hunt, employee challenge email signature support

F – Flower sale, foreign currency drive, Fairtrade showcase

G – Garage sale, gift card giveaway, Gala, games night, gold tournament

H – Holiday party, hockey tournament

I – Ice cream Fridays,

J - Jewelry Sales, Jersey day

K – Knitted workshop

L – Lunch and learn, logo competition

M - Marathon/Half-marathon, mini Olympics

N – NYE Games Night

O - Orange Juice Side Street Sale, office competition

P - Paint ball

Q – Quizzes

R - Raffle, Recipe Book

S – Sports day

T - Treasure hunt

U – Used things sale

V – Vacation Giveaway

W – Wine Tasting

Y – Yoga Classes

Z – Zumba Fitness Class

For Mental Health Foundation Australia, there are plenty of fun approaches to fundraise. Here are just a few ideas to get you started:

Fundraising Ideas:

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Organising the fundraising activityLike you, we want your Mental Health Foundation Australia fundraiser efforts

to be a big success. To get you started, we have put together a few tips and

ideas which will help you organise an exciting event for everyone.

Which event/activity? If it is an experience in which they genuinely wish to partake, people will

embrace the event more willingly. Before confirming your intentions,

consider your target audience and run your proposals by possible supporters.

Plan Ahead Organising events may take time and you may need to book months in

advance if you are reserving equipment, a venue or entertainment.

Spread the word In order to attract funding, you may want to publicize whatever type of

fundraiser operation you intend. A perfect way to do this is by social media,

and it’s easy!

Media and Publicity If you wish to contact mainstream media regarding your event, we ask that

you first speak with our Marketing department, contactable at media@mhfa.

org.au with the subject “Fundraising”. If you are approached by the media

for further information, we ask that you call 1300 247 643 at Mental Health

Foundation Australia before proceeding.

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Need assistance? We are here for you.Once your fundraising event or activity has been approved, there are many ways we may be able to assist you.

What we can provide

1. Approval to use our logo on advertising material

2. Images and flyers for use on social media

3. Mental Health Foundation Australia material such as leaflets, pins and other resources

4. Tax receipts to donors (for donations over $2)

5. A Letter of Authority to show that your event has our approval and is genuine

6. A thank you certificate once your fundraiser is finished to acknowledge your support

For more support and information, contact funding@mhfa.org.au.

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Use of the Mental Health Foundation Australia Logo Use of the Mental Health Foundation Australia name and logo cannot be used in any

way without permission from our funding department. If you wish to use any branded

items in your fundraising activity, please discuss this with us first to ensure they are

within our branding guidelines.

Please remember that when naming the case, the name of our organisation cannot

be used as part of the name of the event, as this would mean that the event is hosted

by the Mental Health Foundation Australia. We promote the use of our initials however,

to suggest that the organisation can be sponsored by funds. Such examples of

appropriate name use include the following:

Acceptable:

1. Yoga workshop in support of Mental Health Foundation Australia

2. Bake sale with proceeds to Mental Health Foundation Australia

3. Auction items in support of the Mental Health Foundation Australia

Not Acceptable:

4. Mental Health Foundation Australia Yoga workshop

5. Mental Health Foundation Australia Silent Auction

Your communications must also clearly state the amount or percentage of funds raised

that will go to Mental Health Foundation Australia.

We also ask that organisers do not sell any goods bearing the name or logo of Mental

Health Foundation Australia, otherwise known as unofficial merchandise.

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Managing the donations

As the host, you are required to insure proper financial control of your fundraiser event.

Here are a few tips to assist you.

Collecting and sending your fundsOnce your event or activity has been completed, we ask that you fill in the Fundraiser

Results Summary Form and send it back to us with the money you have raised within

30 days of your fundraising event/activity taking place.

You can collect funds in the form of cash or bank transfers which can then be directly

transferred to the MHFA via EFT. Cheques issues to Mental Health Foundation Australia

will also be acceptable.

Anyone wanting to make a credit card donation would need to do this directly on the

Mental Health Foundation Australia website www.mhfa.org.au.

We recommend not sending cash by post since there is a possibility that it will

not reach us. Please send us a cheque or call us to bring it to our office directly. An

acknowledgement letter will also be sent to you by the Mental Health Foundation

Australia to demonstrate that the funds have been received.

Donor receipts If any donors need a receipt, you are required to collect their contact information

on the Donor Receipt Form and provide this to Mental Health Foundation Australia

together with the funds raised. We will then organise and send receipts directly to each

donor. Please note that tax deductible receipts cannot be issued if a person receives

goods or services in return for the money given (i.e. they purchase an auction item or

raffle tickets). If something is received in return for the money (i.e. a product/service

or a “chance” to win) then it is not classified by the Australian Taxation Office as a tax-

deductible donation.

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Your responsibilities as a Mental Health Foundation Australia Fundraiser:1. It is your responsibility as the organiser to ensure appropriate financial

management of your fundraising event.

2. the fundraising activity should only proceed once the Fundraising Activity

Registration Form is submitted and approved. Approval will be sent to you in the

form of a Letter of Authority from the MHFA.

3. The event will be conducted in the organiser’s name, who will be solely

responsible for managing the fundraiser in an appropriate and responsible way.

4. The organiser must ensure that the activity is run in accordance with relevant

Australian charity legislation and must obtain any permits, authorities or licences

required.

5. The organiser is responsible for ensuring the safety of the event, including

organising appropriate public liability insurance and providing first aid services if

required.

6. Organisers must request approval for the use of our name on any

communications and cannot under any circumstances use our photos or logo

without permission.

7. The organiser holds all funds raised from the public on behalf of Mental Health

Foundation Australia until the fundraiser is completed and needs to make sure

that the funds are kept in a secure place.

8. The organiser must ensure that costs incurred in organising the fundraiser are

fair and reasonable.

9. Children under the age of 16 years of age must be accompanied by an adult

when collecting donations.

10. We reserve our right to terminate our support for the fundraising activity/event

at any time if it appears that there is a likelihood of the organiser failing to meet

any of the above responsibilities.14

Other ways to get involvedFundraising is just one way that you can be involved with Mental Health Foundation Australia. There are many ways you can show additional support for mental health by:

1. Becoming a volunteer

2. Becoming an Australian Youth Ambassador, Australian Multicultural Ambassador or Australian Future Leader

3. Becoming a corporate partner

4. Becoming a member

5. Inviting a speaker to your business or community group

6. Make regular donations through my cause and GoFundMe platforms

7. Attending our virtual and physical events

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Thank you for your

support!

Head Office: Suite J, 450 Chapel Street,

South Yarra, Victoria 3141

Phone: 1300 643 287

(1300 MHF AUS)

Email: admin@mhfa.org.au

Website: www.mhfa.org.au