FUNDRAISING TOOLKIT
Everything you need to know to start fundraising for WaR.
Thank you for choosing to raise funds in support of Without a Ribbon.
1 in 5 cancers diagnosed in Australia each year are rare cancers. The only thing rarer than the cancer itself, is the support available to the thousands diagnosed each year. In many cases even the doctors involved don’t know anything about these rare cancers. The Without A Ribbon (WaR) name represents who we fight for … those who are not supported by any other organisation. Those without the recognition of support, metaphorically those “Without a Ribbon” of support. Without a Ribbon exists to transform and ease the suffering and distress experienced by Rare Cancer Warriors and let them know that they aren’t alone. The funds you raise will help to empower these Warriors and make them feel connected to a strong support network. We give Warriors the resources they need to live a fulfilled life by providing:
- a designated platform for Warriors to obtain information specific to their Rare Cancer
- interactive forums for Warriors to connect with those with the same Rare Cancer
- cost saving opportunities through links with Australia Businesses
- a platform to raise funds to assist them to access treatment they couldn’t afford otherwise
- the opportunity to meet with other rare cancer Warriors at our annual conference
This fundraising toolkit will help you raise funds to support WaR and contains fundraising ideas and information on how to collect and manage donated funds. If you have any questions, or we can assist in any way, please email us at: help@withoutaribbon.org
A Warrior’s Story
In December 2009 I was diagnosed with Adenoid Cystic Carcinoma after just turning 38. I was now a single mum to 3 wonderful kids, but my youngest was only 8 years old.
Since being diagnosed, I have undergone 56 separate operations and procedures which included having half my palate removed, a third of my top jaw, sinus, adenoids, nerves and lymph nodes. Radiation and hyperbaric treatment totalling over 60 sessions have also meant that I have spent enormous amounts of time in doctor’s surgeries or hospitals. But the surgeries aren’t over.
During my first group of surgeries, my medical team did a fantastic job, rebuilding my palate using skin, muscle and tissue from my left arm and right hip and an artery taken from my left arm to feed blood up to my new palate.
The financial cost, even with private health and income protection insurance, has had significant impact on my family. And now several years on and over $35,000 out of pocket, I am at the point that I have to delay further treatment because I just don’t have the funds.
During my journey, the loneliness of having rare cancer has had a hard personal impact too. It’s not just the medical profession constantly saying to you “I’ve never heard of your cancer”. It was also not being able to talk to people who understand. Being diagnosed with rare incurable cancer that will allow you to “live” for a long time, but constantly having to battle the impact of the treatment, is not something people understand readily.
The creation of Without A Ribbon Inc. came about because of this. As the Founder of this Charity, I decided that I did not want people to have to go through this journey alone. And with the help of this Charity, others in the future will have the support and understanding they need.
Well, that’s my story so far. I plan to be here for a long time to come and, with your help, to build a legacy that helps those diagnosed with rare cancer for decades to come.
Desiree Fraser
President/Founder Without a Ribbon Inc
How to make your fundraiser happen:
Step 1
Decide what type of fundraising activity you would like to undertake.
For example, you could:
- Organise an event
- Set yourself a personal challenge
- Sell fundraising products
Step 2
Send us a proposal.
Make sure that your activity complies with relevant laws and legislation then send us a fundraising proposal, so we can issue you a letter of authority. The fundraising proposal form can be found here.
Step 3
Set a target
Set yourself a fundraising target and decide how you are going to collect and manage donated funds.
Step 4
Launch your fundraiser
Share it with your friends and family. Promotion is everything, so don’t be afraid to ask others to help you spread the word. Don’t forget to post about your activity on Facebook and tag Without a Ribbon Inc. so we can share it for you too.
Step 5
Submit your donations
Finalise your donations and submit any cash or cheques collected to Without a Ribbon.
Fundraising Laws & Legislation
Please understand that as the organiser of your fundraising event, you are responsible for arranging any insurance that may be required and ensuring that you comply with any applicable state or federal legislation.
Fundraisers are also responsible for the financial aspects of the activities they carry out. This
includes keeping accurate records, management of funds and depositing of funds into the Without a
Ribbon bank account.
Please be aware that:
- You will not be able to issue receipts for any donations received. Only Without a Ribbon can issue tax-deductible receipts for money raised on our behalf.
- Tax deductible receipts can only be issued for monetary donations of $2 and above. The Australian Taxation Office does not allow us to issue tax-deductible receipts for:
- Tickets to fundraising events
- Raffle tickets
- Sale of goods such as pens or chocolates
- Donations of gifts in kind
- Purchases made at an auction
- Fundraisers are not authorised to deposit any funds raised into their personal bank account. To comply with regulations regarding the financial management of funds raised, we recommend you use one of the following options:
- Direct deposit all money collected on a weekly basis into Without a Ribbon’s bank account
- Use a third-party fundraising website such as “Go Fundraise” or “Everyday Hero” for
fundraising activities
All funds raised from an event must be submitted to Without a Ribbon within 10 working days following the completion date of the fundraising event.
Managing and collecting donations
We recommend you set up a fundraising page with Go Fundraise or Everyday Hero to collect donations. Without a Ribbon has official fundraising pages on both of these platforms, which will automatically issue tax-deductible receipts for donations over $2. Funds collected via these websites will be automatically deposited into WaR’s bank account.
Click here to access the official Without a Ribbon fundraising page on Go Fundraise.
Click here to access the official Without a Ribbon fundraising page on Everyday Hero.
Click “Start Fundraising” to create your own fundraising website.
If you collect cash or cheque donations as part of your fundraising activities,
these can be banked directly into the WaR bank account:
Without a Ribbon Inc
Bendigo Bank
BSB: 633 0000
Account Number: 158 143 917
Please make sure you email help@withoutaribbon.org with the deposit
details so we can issue a receipt.
Donations can also be made directly to WaR via the PayPal donate button on
the Without a Ribbon website at
Tips for successful fundraising:
- Set a goal for how much you want to raise.
- Ask your friends and family to support your efforts by sharing your fundraising activity with their personal and professional networks.
- Ask your employer if they offer a matched giving programme, where they will give a dollar for every dollar you raise. Alternatively, ask if they will make a corporate donation to your fundraiser.
- Make it personal by explaining why you have chosen to raise funds for Without a Ribbon.
- Add an email signature to the bottom of your email with a link to your fundraising page, and ask your supporters if they are willing to do the same for the duration of your fundraiser.
- Thank your supporters and keep them regularly updated with your progress.
- Provide regular updates on your fundraising page.
- Talk to local businesses in your area and ask for donations of products, services or cash to support your fundraising. If they aren’t in a position to donate, ask if you can post a flyer in their window or on their community noticeboard.
- Use social media to spread the word about your fundraiser. Set up a Facebook event, invite your friends and family and ask them to invite everyone they know. Use the hashtags #WithoutARibbon and #rarecancer as well as coming up with your own unique hashtags for your fundraising activity.
Organise an event:
There are lots of different types of local community events you can organise. Most of these can be run on a small or large scale depending on your available resources, and some of them can be run as purely online events
- Apply to host a sausage sizzle at your local Bunnings
- Organise a colour run or fun run in your local community
- Seek donations of products and hold an auction
- Organise a quiz night
- Host a bingo night
- Speak to your workplace or school about having a casual day
- Ask friends and family to donate their unwanted items and have a garage sale
- Host a movie night
- Organise a car wash
- Hold a bake sale at your workplace or school
- Organise a morning tea or long lunch
- Have a “guess how many lollies are in the jar” competition
- Host a clothes swap party
- Ask friends to donate a recipe and create a recipe book for sale
- Organise a world record attempt
- Host a silent disco
Set yourself a challenge:
There are lots of different types of local community events you can organise. Most of these can be run on a small or large scale depending on your available resources, and some of them can be run as purely online events
Five something up for a month:
- Chocolate
- Alcohol
- Social Media
- Caffeine
- Cigarettes
- Sugar
Achieve a sporting goal:
- Run a half or full marathon
- Compete in a triathlon
- Participate in an obstacle course event
- Cycle a specified distance
- Swim a specified distance
- Hike a specified distance
- Row a specified distance
- Bungee jump
- Climb a mountain
- Skydive
Sell fundraising products:
There are many different fundraising products available on the market. We have gathered just a few of them here for you to consider.
The Entertainment Book
Everyone loves a discount right? That’s what makes The Entertainment Book so popular. The Entertainment Book contains thousands of valuable 2-for-1 and up to 50% off offers for many of the best restaurants, cafés, arts, attractions, hotels, travel, shopping and much, much more. The Entertainment Book is available for 16 different regions within Australia and comes in two formats, so purchasers can choose the style of membership that suits them best:
- The traditional Entertainment Book Membership
- The Entertainment Digital Membership for smartphones
The Entertainment Book ranges from $60 to $70 depending on the region, with 20% of the purchase price of every Entertainment Book sold donated to Without a Ribbon.
Cadbury Chocolates
There’s a reason why Cadbury is one of Australia’s favourite chocolate brands. They have a huge range of delicious products with something for everyone, no matter what your taste in chocolate.
Cadbury offer a wide range of fundraising options too, with products starting from just $1 RRP which means there is profit to be made from every box sold.
For example, a box containing 48 x 35g Caramello Koalas costs just $28.80 and will generate a profit of $19.20.
There is a minimum order of 12 boxes, so it’s a good idea to recruit your family and friends to help you by taking boxes to their workplaces.
There’s lots of information and tips for success on the Cadbury fundraising
website at:
https://www.fundraising.com.au
There’s also a handy calculator to help you work out the best mix of products to help you achieve your fundraising goal.
Spalding High Bounce Balls
If you have school-aged children, a Spalding fundraiser is ideal!
Spalding high bounce balls are a healthy alternative to sweets and treats and are ideal for down-ball, 2 square, 4 square and wall ball with five fun colours to choose from. Each box contains a mix of red, green, yellow, blue and black high bounce balls.
Each pack contains six fundraiser boxes containing 20 high bounce balls per box, with a total of 120 balls for you to sell at $3 each.
Each box returns a profit of $30 for a total profit of $180 towards your fundraising goal.
This is a fantastic way to raise funds and promote healthy living at the same time.
Stickybeaks Lunch Wallets
Stickybeaks is an Australian owned and run business established in 2008 by 4 hardworking and innovative mums who were looking for an alternative to ordering their children’s lunches in brown paper bags. They were looking for something that was both affordable and environmentally friendly.
Their feature product is the “Lunch Wallet”, a reusable alternative to the brown paper lunch order bag.
The range also includes insulated lunch bags, swim bags and pencil cases.
Stickybeaks are a great fundraising option for those with school-aged children. There are no minimum order quantities and the products return up to 77% profit.
Smencils Scented Pencils
Smencils and smens are scented pencils and pens made from rolled sheets of recycled newspaper. Smencils and Smens work the same as any regular pencil or pen, but they smell way better, and they’re good for the environment too!
There are three products available for fundraising and different ways of selling them.
All fundraising products are bought by the case (500 smencils and 300 smens).
Individual smencils are bought for $0.84 and sell for $1.20 each.
Individual coloured smencils are bought for $0.84 and sell for $1.20 each. Alternatively you can sell pre-packed bags of 10 coloured smencils for $14.00 each (purchased for $10.40 per bag).
Individual smens are bought for $1.90 and sell for $2.50 each.
These prices include the $19.95 per case shipping charge.
Click the button below to learn more about smencils:
Jolly Soles Socks
Jolly Soles is an innovative, practical and oh-so sellable fundraising item. You are provided with carry boxes of socks which you then sell on, at a profit. Everyone wears socks!
Each box contains 14 pairs of socks and costs $36. Each box is packed with 10 adult and 4 kids pairs,
but can be mixed up on request.
When each pair of socks is sold for $4, a profit of $20 per box is achieved.
There is no minimum order required, and free postage is available on order of 15 boxes and over.
If you order 15 or more boxes and pay upfront you will receive 1 box for free, which is another $56 in
profit for your fundraiser.
Information about fundraising with Jolly Soles Socks is available below:
Living Fundraisers
Living Fundraisers specialises in healthy, family-friendly fundraising. They offer a range of garden and lifestyle products specially designed to make it easy to raise funds. People will appreciate being able to help your fundraising by buying products that are better for their health and good for the community.
Living Fundraisers products include Herb Growing Kits, Flower Growing Kits, Veggie Growing Kits, Grass Hair Kits, Birthday & Greeting Cards, Soy Candles, Seed-embedded Christmas Cards and Healthy Snacks.
There are three ways you can fundraise with Living Fundraisers – through a take-home kit similar to traditional chocolate drive fundraising, by having a market stall, or through order form fundraising.
Details of Living Fundraisers products and fundraising options can be found by clicking the button below:
Zoom Kites
Zoom Kites offer a gorgeous set of kite designs for all ages.
Kites can be sold as a fundraising order drive, or alternatively you can buy them in bulk to sell at school fetes, stalls, markets, etc. It’s completely up to you. The minimum order is $540 which is 60 kites.
Each kite costs $9.00 including GST and you can sell kites for anywhere from $12.00 to $15.00 which gives you a profit of $3 to $6 per kite. Set your fundraising goals and then price your kites accordingly.
There are six kite designs to choose from and there is no minimum order for each design. Each kite is 90cm wide and they are suitable for children from 2 years of age and up.
Click the button below to learn more about Zoom Kites:
Billy G’s Gourmet Cookie & Biscuit Dough
Everyone loves cookies, especially freshly baked-at-home cookies. Billy G’s Gourmet Cookie Dough is a fantastic home baking product. Simply scoop dough from the tub and bake for about 14 minutes for irresistible cookies every time. As an order form fundraiser, it is so easy to organise and run with no money required up front!
You also have the option of setting up your own FREE online shop so you can easily share your fundraiser with family and friends far and wide, and online fundraising is as simple as click, order and pay.
Billy G’s Gourmet Cookie Dough is a local product, made in Australia. There are ten gourmet cookie and biscuit doughs in the range, and there is even a Doggie Dough! The dough comes in 1kg tubs which can be stored in your freezer, or in your refrigerator, and can be refrozen. From each 1kg tub you can bake 40 large 25g cookies. At the low suggested selling price of only $14.00 to $16.00 per tub each cookie costs only $0.35 to $0.40. Profit per tub is $3.50 to $4.00.
Information about fundraising with Billy G’s Gourmet Cookie Dough can be found by clicking the button below:
Submit a Fundraising Proposal
Fill out the form online or print and mail a physical copy to submit your proposal to Without a Ribbon.Print PDF