2019 Fundraising Team of the Year
Peter MacCallum Cancer Foundation
Peter MacCallum Cancer Foundation is the fundraising arm of the Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, Australia’s only public hospital dedicated to overcoming cancer through research.
After six years of consistent income/donor growth, the Foundation in FY2017/2018 had a challenging year, beginning with an inaccurate media issue which resulted in disruptions to donor acquisition objectives, donor distress and a drop in regular giving income. The team also had challenges with understaffing and stretching resources to cover gaps. A third issue stemmed from managing supplier performance/code of conduct issues.
With their commitment to ethical fundraising practice and teamwork, the Foundation overcame these challenges and succeeded in having its second most successful fundraising year in history, raising $48.56 million for cancer research, and exceeding the fundraising budget by $2.63 million.
Underpinning the team’s victory was their commitment to professional and team development. Fundraising staff had the skills/knowledge to do their best work and pulled together for collective success. Their integrated fundraising strategy resulted in a consistent donor experience across Peter Mac’s various fundraising programs.
Overall, the Foundation’s approach to team culture and professional development ensured that staff had the expertise to make sound, evidence-based decisions in the face of adversity, and could push new programs forward successfully.
What does winning this award mean for your team and organisation?
Participating in the FIA Awards and being awarded Fundraising Team of the Year provided our team with a great opportunity to celebrate and reflect on all their hard work during a particularly challenging year.
Not only that, but being recognised by FIA is a fantastic endorsement and, I believe, helps us attract quality staff and suppliers.
How has winning this award impacted on the work of your team in terms of campaign strategies, staff morale etc?
Internally, some of our program managers use the award as a way of educating new staff members on our ethical, evidence-based, collaborative and integrated approach to fundraising. It also reinforces the importance of our fundraising strategies to the broader organisation and encourages staff from other departments to play an active role in fundraising.
What advice or suggestions can you give to other members considering submitting an awards nomination?
With applications for next year’s FIA Awards opening soon, we would recommend allowing enough time to complete the application thoughtfully so that the relevant staff members can take their time to reflect and consider the questions.
Overall, we found the whole process to be rewarding and motivational – it’s such a wonderful way to show your staff how extraordinary you think their work is.
