Why and how do we fundraise?

Canteen fundraises in a range of ways that allow us to reach the greatest number of people, including individuals, families, organisations and local communities to bring our vision to life – that no young person go through cancer alone. We appreciate the generous individuals, companies, government bodies and more that help us raise money for cancer support.

We receive funds from:

• generous Australians – our CanDo Family of monthly giving supporters, those who choose to give a one-off gift or include a gift in their Will and our community fundraising event participants. More than 80% of our funds are gifted by this group.
• corporate partners
• people interested in philanthropy and giving back
• state and federal government
• trusts, foundations and grants

We fundraise:

• door-to-door
• in shopping centres
• through telemarketing
• via online (email and digital)
• by sending mail

Below is a quote from Ant, a face-to-face fundraiser in QLD who has represented Canteen for several years, on why he finds fundraising for Canteen fulfilling.

‘I’m so grateful for the opportunity to represent such an amazing cause, especially having been lucky enough to meet some of the people that Canteen supports. With many it’s quite close to home, so I absolutely love what Canteen are about and feel proud to play my part in supporting Canteen to do what they do best.’ - Ant 

Door-to-door fundraising, or ‘doorknocking’ is the most efficient and cost-effective way for us to connect with the largest number of Australians who want to help young people impacted by cancer. 

Our teams of door-to-door fundraisers are managed by third-party agencies and they allow us to build a personal connection with potential donors, and at the same time drive greater community awareness about Canteen’s free support services.

Every conversation they have could lead to a young person getting the critical support they need to face cancer.

For every $1 we invest in door-to-door fundraising, $3 -$4 is generated over three to five years which is the average length of time a donor gives to Canteen – otherwise known as our CanDo Family.

We completely agree that all generous donations made to Canteen should be carefully managed to achieve the best possible outcomes for young people impacted by cancer. This is why we choose to invest in this type of fundraising, because regular monthly donations allow us to better plan our support services to meet the most critical needs of the young people we support.

Our face-to-face fundraisers are often the first introduction our kind supporters have to Canteen. They are vital for raising funds which enable us to support young people and their families facing cancer.

It is important for Canteen to diversify our fundraising methods to make sure we’re making the most cost-effective way to being new supporters on.

All of Canteen’s fundraisers commit to following the Public Funding Regulatory Association (PFRA) guidelines which state that fundraisers must not intentionally approach a member of the public who appears to be a vulnerable person, and that they must politely terminate the conversation if deemed vulnerable at the earliest possible opportunity.

Fundraisers in shopping centers will be at a designated Canteen stand wearing a green or blue Canteen branded shirt and lanyard displaying their name and fundraiser ID.

Canteen door knocking fundraisers go door to door in residential streets. Like fundraisers in shopping centers they wear a Canteen shirt and lanyard displaying their name and fundraiser ID.

Canteen fundraisers do not accept cash donations, instead they will be asking members of the community to join our CanDo Family of regular monthly givers via direct debit or credit card. They will also be able to direct anyone in the community to the Canteen website if they prefer to make a one-off donation. 
 

Canteen fundraises across Australia. Want to know if fundraisers are located in your area? Call our friendly Supporter Care Team on 1800 639 614 (9am to 5pm Monday to Friday) or email at [email protected].

Phone calls are still one of the most cost-effective fundraising methods for us. We only call people if they’re already a supporter of Canteen or if they’ve given a gift in the past, and we use the phone to thank supporters, make sure their contact details are up-to-date, and to sometimes ask if they’d consider increasing their support or giving a single gift during one of our special appeals. 

As well as calls by our Supporter Care Team, we sometimes use fundraising agencies to make calls on our behalf. We work closely with them make sure calls are of a high standard and comply with all fundraising regulations.

Canteen’s tele fundraising is carried out by members of our staff and a third-party agency Canteen employees to work on our behalf.

Like our face-to-face fundraisers, our tele fundraisers are held to a high standard and are regularly given training.

Canteen monitors the calling on our programs which include thank you calls, upgrade and reactivation calling. 
 

There are several ways to identify an official tele fundraiser employed by Canteen is contacting you.

• You’ve approved to be contacted via the phone.
• The fundraiser will at the beginning of the call state their name, where they are calling from and that the call will be recorded for training and quality purposes. They will also only know information about your gift that someone who is employed by Canteen would have access to.
• The fundraiser will be calling about a specific reason, either to thank you or enquire about your donation.
   

As strange as it sounds, sending mail to our generous supporters really works despite the perception that it costs more and isn’t environmentally friendly. 

We’ve found that being as inclusive as possible – ensuring that anyone can give to us in any way they wish – is important. We do prefer online donations, but some of our biggest supporters still send cheques in the mail along with handwritten well wishes for our young people. 

We’re also very lucky to secure discounted charity rates for printing and postage, again making it a cost-effective way to reach and engage with our supporters. Plus, print continues to be a trustworthy communication channel.

Unfortunately, charities seem to be targeted by scammers who look like us but who don’t have important causes at heart.

Canteen is a registered Australian charity that follows all fundraising and government legislation. This means that our fundraisers always wear a photo ID badge and green or blue Canteen polo. They may also be wearing a Canteen hat or jacket if it’s a bit rainy or cold. They’ll also be carrying Canteen-branded material, such as brochures and cards, and will be very knowledgeable about us and what we do.

Please note that our fundraisers will not ask for money or be able to take cash donations from you. They'll only ask you to support Canteen with a regular monthly donation via direct debit or credit card. If a fundraiser asks you for cash, please refuse and call us straight away on 1800 639 614 – this person isn’t a genuine Canteen fundraiser.

Our mail and email fundraising will always have the Canteen brand on it, communicate with you from an official Canteen email address such as [email protected], and direct you to our website – canteen.org.au or bandannaday.org.au – or one of its landing pages for more information or to donate.

We have a list of all fundraisers working on our behalf and their locations and are always happy to confirm both for you. Or if you see, read or hear something that you think is a bit fishy and want to check it with us – we’d definitely like to know too – simply reach out to our Supporter Care Team on 1800 639 614 or [email protected]

We work hard to make sure that all of your personal information is secure no matter how you decide to give to Canteen.

Our face-to-face fundraisers will only collect your information using digital devices such as iPads to keep it safe and secure. We’ll use the information you share to provide you with a receipt for your gift plus how your generosity makes a lasting impact on young people living with cancer across Australia. 

It you don’t want further communication from us, please let our Supporter Care Team know by emailing [email protected], calling 1800 639 614, or sending a letter to GPO Box 3821, Sydney NSW 2001.

Canteen very carefully manages the privacy of and confidentiality of our young people, their families, caregivers, friends, donors, staff, volunteers and corporate supporters. We comply with the privacy standards set out in the Privacy Act 1988.

Our full privacy policy can be found on our website, but in summary:

• we do sometimes share your personal information with trusted third parties or service providers in Australia who help provide, administer and develop our programs, services and fundraising activities. 
• we use third party agencies to support some of our activities where we don’t have the specific skills or resources internally. This means we can focus on our mission of helping young people cope with the immense impact cancer has on their lives.