The Fundraising Institute Australia Podcast

We sat down with Karen McComiskey CFRE who is the Head of Fundraising & Philanthropy at Brotherhood of St Laurence, who in the 2021 FIA National Awards for Excellence in Fundraising were named our 2021 National Fundraising Team of the Year — plus other awards recognition. She talked about why great results not only come from finding the right people, but also putting your team's health and happiness first. 

Peter talked with us about some the Six Fundraisers’ Dilemmas that fundraisers face, as researched for his book Giving Hope: The Journey of the For-Purpose Organisation and Its Quest for Success (published by Palgrave MacMillan 2019). Peter provides examples of, and solutions for, each of the Six Dilemmas he has experienced both as a fundraising professional and consultant to for-purpose organisations of all sizes and sectors, which will be relatable to fundraisers at any level. See the dilemmas below: 1. The Staff Turnover Dilemma 2. The Cost Ratio Dilemma 3. The Tied Funding Dilemma 4. The Product or Hope or Misery Dilemma 5. The Crowded Market Dilemma 6. The Pecking Order Dilemma

I spoke to Clancy Feuerriegel, a fundraising specialist for MS Queensland. She told us about the challenge her team faced when the MS Brissie to the Bay bike ride, which was celebrating 30 years, was mid-campaign when COVID struck - after a hugely successful launch.  At the time, the campaign was on track to raise $1.1m to create a major impact for people living with MS. But the MS Team didn’t just give up. In just under two weeks, they changed their campaign from in-person to virtual.   Clancy sat done with us to tell us about the challenges they faced along the way, how her team adapted and her advice for other fundraisers wanting to tap into digital fundraising and virtual events.