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ReachOut AustraliaFundraising Kit

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Thank you!

For choosing to raise funds for ReachOut. This toolkit is full of ideas and inspiration to help you raise vital funds for our work, as well provide you with all the important information on fundraising in Australia.

ReachOut is committed to increasing the number of young people that get the help they need, when and where they need it most; reducing the stigma associated with mental health and youth suicide.

As someone that has been given authority to fundraise on ReachOut’s behalf, there are certain things you need to be aware of including some do’s and dont’s. Please read the fundraising guidelines section carefully (page 8), and if you have any questions at any stage please don’t hesitate to contact us.

We hope that you have a great time fundraising to help young people all over Australia.

“Every dollar you donate to ReachOut will help young people around Australia to live happier lives. I know this because someone just like you was able to do this for me. Even if your donation only helps one young person to live a happier life isn’t it worth every cent?” - Nick, 23

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Table of contents

Ways to fundraise

Important information you need to know

How will your fundraising help?

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We’ll support you all the way

Fundraising is a great way to support the work that we do and to help raise awareness of mental health issues in Australia. There are tonnes of fun and creative ways you can raise money. Whether it’s running, stepping, pedalling, quitting or organising your own event, you’ll be helping us reach out and let young people know there’s somewhere for them to get help, when they need it.

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RaceYou don’t have to be a pro athlete to join a sporting event. Running, swimming, cycling – there’s tonnes of events around the country to get involved in.

And when you fundraise for ReachOut, you’ll be part of an awesome team. Team ReachOut and Race (or team ROAR as we like to call ourselves) is all about having fun, and we’ll help with training, fundraising and all the way to the finish line.

Check out upcoming race events near you and we’ll help you set up an online fundraising page and give you all the tips and ideas you’ll need to get things rolling!

“...I know of a few people who have been through some tough times mentally. I really appreciate that there is an organisation out there, willing to provide the information, the contact links and the help for teenagers like myself on a variety of topics, in a medium that my generation are comfortable with.”- Leon, 18, ran City2Surf

ChallengeNothing screams ‘I love a challenge’ quite as much as rickshawing across India, swimming with sharks or walking miles for miles, and well, miles.

Whatever your plans, let us know and we’ll give you all the support that you will need to reach the top.

“I am embarking on a bicycle ride from Melbourne to Darwin ... to raise awareness of a worthy cause, and I’ve chosen youth mental health and suicide. While not warm and fuzzy, it is highly prevalent and deadly serious, and we all know someone who has been affected.”- Adam, 30, pedalled 5000k’s on his push bike

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Give UpWho said giving up was a bad thing? If you’re checking your phone every time it buzzes, constantly caving into your sweet, sweet cravings, or shivering at the thought of no morning coffee - a quit challenge might be the thing for you.

No matter what you decide to give up, let us know and we’ll give you all the support you need to help you get through it!

“...over 365 days I went alcohol free to raise money for ReachOut.com... The money goes directly to ReachOut.com and will help them continue to research into young people and mental health as well as providing a massive support network for teenagers.- Georgina, quit alcohol for a whole year

HostIf you feel like getting your hosting on, let us know! It could be something like a bake sale, a trivia night, a pictionary event or a morning tea!

You could also do it at anywhere - your school, work or community centret. Nothing unites your peers better than working together and getting behind a cause.

There’s loads of ideas kicking around that are super easy to do and whatever you choose to do, we’re here to help. Simply let us know and we’ll provide all the support you will need to get things started.

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Other ideas and inspiration

Do you have a secret talent?

► Paint, sing, joke, dance, hula hoop; we all have a secret talent. Pick a date, find a location, sell tickets and put your talent on show.

Sausage sizzle

► Sausage sizzles are a popular fundraiser (they’re difficult to resist when walking by). They are low cost to set up, easy to organise and fairly straightforward to run. Your local butcher might even donate some sausages and your bakery some bread if you ask!

Bake

► After all, who doesn’t like cake or biscuits? And if it’s for a great cause - even better! Throw down the challenge and have a bake-off and then ask people for a donation.

Quiz it up

► This one takes a little bit of organising but who doesn’t love a trivia night! Approach your local pub or club, tell them it’s a fundraiser, then invite your family and friends (and ask them to invite their friends and family!) Charge a cover fee.

Movie marathon

► Hold a movie marathon, complete with popcorn and choc tops. Invite your family and friends and ask for a ticket price donation.

Lawn bowls

► A great way to spend an afternoon and raise money. Book it with your local bowling club, invite your friends and ask for a set donation.

Use it or lose it

► Sell your unwanted items on eBay OR organise a garage sale OR get a stall at your local market AND donate 10% - 100% of the sale price to ReachOut!

It’s your birthday

► If you have a birthday coming up, on the leadup to the event, ask for a donation rather than a gift. Turning 16, ask for $16. Turning 40? Why not ask for $40.

The only answer is YES

► Get involved in a yes day challenge. Ask people to sponsor you to say yes to everyone’s demands (might be best to set some ground rules first though)!

An oldie but a goodie

► Fill a jar with lollies and have everyone make a gold coin donation to guess how many are in there. It’s a great one for the office or school.

Auction your skills

► Ask your friends and family to donate their skills and services for auction. It could be mowing someone’s lawn once a month for six months, washing someone’s car, weeding a path or doing something ‘handy’ like changing light globes.

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Important information you need to know

As someone that has been given authority to fundraise on ReachOut’s behalf, there are certain things you need to be aware of including some do’s and dont’s. Please read through this carefully and if you have any questions at any stage please don’t hesitate to contact us.

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Before you start fundraising, you may need to complete an authority to fundraise form. It just gives ReachOut the information we need so that we can approve your fundraiser. If you’re using an Everyday Hero or GoFundraise page, you don’t need to do this.

If you are not collecting donations via an online fundraising page (and are instead collecting cash donations) please email us at fundraising@reachout.com so we can provide you with an authority to fundraise letter.

Because of our commitment to young people, ReachOut cannot support any event or behaviour that is detrimental to the mental health and wellbeing of yourself, young people or members of your community. Examples include events that:

• Promote excessive drinking or drug use.

• Promote unhealthy or dangerous behaviours, including smoking and gambling.

• Promote bullying behaviour (including online), violence and discrimination.

• Are in any other way detrimental to the mental health and wellbeing of yourself, young people or any other members of the community.

Keep in mind that some activities may require you to provide evidence of public liability insurance. This protects you and/or other participants in the event of accident or injury to a member of the public or to third party property. ReachOut is unable to provide public liability insurance cover to your event.

Visit localcommunityinsurance.com.au for further information if you think you may require insurance for your fundraiser.

Authority to Fundraise

Fundraisers responsibilityAs a fundraiser it is important that you read the following information and you are aware of your responsibilities.

The Charitable Fundraising Act requires that fundraisers are fully aware of the cause to which they are donating, and who they are making the donations to. We have provided a section in this guide that tells you all about who we are and what we do.

Please remember that your fundraising event will not be a ReachOut event, but rather an event to raise funds for, and awareness of ReachOut. The event will be conducted in your name and will be your sole responsibility as the fundraiser.

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National & state fundraising infoThere are rules for fundraisers to protect you, your sponsors and ReachOut. You need to be familiar with the rules surrounding the Charitable Fundraising Act and Regulations, including permits, licenses and permissions, running raffles, providing receipts etc. Please refer to the following pages for state and national fundraising information.

Australia

Australian Tax Office:has state-by- state requirementsfor non-profit organisations andfundraising

ato.gov.au

Australian Insitute of Community Practice & Governance:has state-by-state help sheets

ourcommunity.com.au

Local Community Insurance Services localcommunityinsurance.com.au

VICConsumer Affairs VictoriaPh: 1300 558 181

consumer.vic.gov.au

NSWNSW Office of Liquor, Gaming and RacingPh: (02) 9995 0666

olgr.nsw.gov.au

QLDDepartment of Justice and Attorney GeneralQueenslandPh: 13 13 04

fairtrading.qld.gov.au

WADepartment of Racing, Gaming and LiquorPh: (08) 94251888

ourcommunity.com.au

SALiquor and Gaming CommissionerPh: 1300 558 181

localcommunityinsurance.com.au

TASLiquor and Gaming BranchPh: (03) 6233 2475

treasury.tas.gov.au

ACTACT Gambling & Racing CommissionPh: (02) 6207 0361

gamblingandracing.act.gov.au

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Using the ReachOut logo

We’re happy for you to use the ReachOut logo - just let us know and we will email it to you or you can download it from here: about.au.reachout.com/brand-assets.

IMPORTANT:

As a Community Fundraiser, your activity is not run by ReachOut, but rather to raise funds to be donated to ReachOut.

We suggest that you use ‘Proudly supporting ReachOut Australia’ in the promotion of your event.

If you are promoting your event in the media or producing any promotional materials relating to your event, please send them through to us in draft form for approval prior to publication.

Financial stuffFinancial management and accurate record keeping is your responsibility as the fundraiser and you need to comply with the Charitable Fundraising Act and Regulations. If you’re holding a fair, concert or anything that will involve expenses, make sure you do a budget first and include a contingency. You can find a template here - about.au.reachout.com/tips-tools

The general obligations under the Act are:

• You must keep accurate and detailed records of your fundraiser including income and expenses.

• These records should be of such quality that they are able to be audited if necessary.

• ReachOut cannot pay expenses incurred by you, but you can deduct your necessary expenses from the proceeds of your fundraiser, provided they are properly documented.

• If you ask for a donation to cover an expense - the donor must be made aware that the donation: - will be used in this way - is not tax deductible

At ReachOut, when doing a fundraising event we attempt to ensure that for every dollar we spend we receive at least three in return.

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Getting funds to usIf you are using an online fundraising site then all of your donations will be automatically remmitted to ReachOut. You don’t need to do anything other than fundraise!

If you are collecting cash donations, please ensure they are kept secure at all times. Collection tins must be sealed, labelled and numbered. Two people must count the cash, and it must be banked as soon as possible after the event. See Receipts and tax deductibility section below for more information.

If you have collected funds in other ways, for example via cash donations, you can transfer them into our bank account. Give us a call and we’ll provide our account details and a reference so that we can issue a certificate .

If you would like to send us a cheque, please make it out to ‘ReachOut Australia’ and post it to us at PO Box Q501, Queen Victoria Building, NSW 1230. Please ensure you include your details in the envelope so we know it has come from you!

Receipts and tax deductibilityDonations over $2 are tax-deductible. In order to qualify as a tax-deductible donation, money must be given freely with no expectation of goods or services in return. As tax information is subject to frequent change, we suggest you visit the Australian Tax Office website (www.ato.gov.au) for the most up-to-date information. Here is a general guide to help you:

Tickets Generally, tickets sold for fundraising events are not tax-deductible.

Auctions Generally, buying items at an auction does not qualify as a tax-deductible donation and incurs GST.

Raffles Buying a raffle ticket does not qualify as a tax-deductible donation. GST does not apply to raffle tickets. Depending on the total value of prizes in your raffle, you may need a permit from your state lottery and gaming authority, so please check with your relevant state authority.

Goods If you sell chocolates, pens or any other item, these ‘goods’ are not tax-deductible.

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Organising a raffleRaffles are a fun way to raise funds amongst your friends or colleagues. Each state has rules about raffles so you need to check them out.

Here are a few things to remember when organising a raffle:

1. If you are selling raffle tickets to the public, you may need a licence. Check the authorities in your state regarding raffle regulations.

2. If you are selling tickets in advance of your event, then you will need to design your own. Remember you will need: - two of each number - to include information as to when the raffle closes, when it will be drawn and how the winner will be notified, and any other rules

3. If you are doing a lucky door or ‘on the day raffle’, then you can purchase standard raffle tickets in most local post offices or stationery shops

4. Source prizes that range in value from local businesses. Why not aim to secure a top prize, a second prize and a range of smaller value prizes. Base the price of each raffle ticket on the type of prizes you secure, for example if your top prize is a holiday then raffle tickets can probably be sold for $5 each or 3 for $10.

5. If you are selling raffle tickets at your fundraising event or in your office remember to have lots of change on you as people will often pay with a note!

6. If the winners are not at the event you will need to contact them to arrange providing them with their prize.

A little bit about ReachOutReachOut is Australia’s leading online mental health organisation for young people and their parents. Our practical support, tools and tips help young people get through anything from everyday issues to tough times – and the information we offer parents makes it easier for them to help their teenagers, too.

We’ve been changing the way people access help since we launched the world’s first online mental health service nearly 20 years ago. Everything we create is based on the latest evidence and designed with experts, and young people or their parents. This is why our digital self-help tools are trusted, relevant and easy to use.

Available for free anytime and pretty much anywhere, ReachOut is accessed by 132,000 people in Australia every month. That’s more than 1.58 million each year.

How will your fundraising help?

Nothing we do would be possible without your help. The money you raise will go directly back into our programs to help improve the mental health and wellbeing of young people.

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Where your money will help

Why your support mattersIn an average Australian Year 12 classroom of 30 students:

• 7 young people will have experienced a recognised mental health difficulty, but only 2 will have sought professional help.

• At least 1 will have attempted suicide.

• 70% of young people who need, help never get it.

ReachOut.com

Professionals

Parents ReachOutSchools

Youth Involvement Program

Research andInnovation

Youngmen

LGBTQI

Rural &remote

OUR PROGRAMS

WITH A FOCUS ON:

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You can help young people like Stacey lead happier lives

“The day I came across ReachOut, I was searching for a way to end my life. Suicide, quick and easy were the three words I typed hoping I could find my exit from this world. Amongst my search results I found ReachOut”

When she was 15, Stacey hated the world, and herself. Unable to turn to friends or family for support, Stacey withdrew from life. “I was miserable, scared and felt so alone.” She thought constantly about taking her life. That is, until she found ReachOut.com.

“I like to think of it as a journey. I know for me, when I first started to engage in the site I mainly used fact sheets and stories to gain an understanding of what was happening to me. As time progressed I felt more and more comfortable and started to engage in a different way and started to use the online community forums, where I felt safe enough to explore the issues I faced and other young people were able to support and encourage. This eventually led me to seeking help in my community through counselling.”

Even then, ReachOut.com continued to provide Stacey with a place to go, to find clarity and support at any hour of the day or night.

“My journey with ReachOut has gone from a young person seeking help, to a young person wanting to make a difference, it has given my life inspiration and hope.”

ReachOut.com is not just another website. Each young person that engages with ReachOut.com will use it in their own way and will take away something different.

“I thought I was alone. So, so alone, like I was the only person who had to deal with this, and now I know that was, and is, far from the truth”

When you’re going through a tough time, growing up in a rural area with limited access to information and youth friendly services has its challenges. It can leave you feeling isolated and completely alone.

“Throughout my high school years I suffered from what I now know was depression. There were times when I seriously considered taking my own life. I could not explain what I was going through to other people, and even if I could felt they would not understand. I felt alone in sorting out my problems, but I didn’t have a clue how to do this.”

Daniel turned to the Internet in the hope that he could find information with answers. It was then that he came across ReachOut.com.

“I couldn’t believe what I found: an easy to navigate website with fact sheets covering a range of issues and information on where to find help

I cannot put into words how much the ReachOut.com website has changed my life. For the first time I was able to understand what I was experiencing, and learned strategies for helping myself, and my friends, get through.”

I thought I was alone. So, so alone, like I was the only person who had to deal with this, and now I know that was, and is, far from the truth. But for those who don’t know about ReachOut.com there are many young people who have not realised this yet”

You can ensure young men like

Daniel never feel alone

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w. about.au.reachout.come. fundraising@reachout.comp. (61) 2 8029 7777

ReachOut AustraliaLevel 2, Building B35 Saunders StPyrmont, NSW, 2009