Fundraising
ideas and
inspiration
Thank
You
For choosing to raise funds for Inspire.
This resource is full of ideas and inspiration
to help you raise vital funds for our work.
We hope you have a great time fundraising
to help young people all over Australia.
Inspire is committed to reducing the stigma
associated with mental health.
When you talk about your motivations for
raising funds for us, it is our hope that your
friends, family and colleagues will know that
it is ok to ask for help. Contents
WHAT You can do for your fundraising
HOW Your money will help
WHY Your support matters
WHAT
You can do
The (kind of) easy stuff
Ask
Ask sounds simple but it’s often the hardest thing to do.
However, the worst someone can say is no!
Set a target
Targets are great motivators and once you reach yours
don’t be afraid to double it!
Share your story
Why are you fundraising for Inspire? Letting people
know the reason behind your decision to raise money
for Inspire will help with donations.
Drum up support
Email, Facebook, Tweet. Get the message out there
and drum up support. Ask your friends to repost
it for you too!
Local newspapers are also a great way to get some
notice for your fundraiser.
Ask again
It might not be pay day, it may have slipped someone’s
mind; there are many reasons why someone may
have not donated yet. Research suggests the people
who follow-up their initial request are more
successful in their fundraising efforts - so don’t be
shy in asking again.
Ask your boss...
If they will match donations. Lots of workplaces
encourage employees to take up community events
and are really supportive.
Ready. Set. Go
When you enter your local fun run, walk or swim you
can be part of a growing number of people that combine
pushing themselves to new levels and raising funds.
Set up a fundraising page and watch how supportive
your friends, family and colleagues will be.
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!
Tea Party – after all
who doesn’t like cake
or biscuits
Quiz it up
Throw down the challenge and have a bake-off.
OR
Hold a high tea complete with cucumber sandwiches,
scones and pastries.
AND THEN
Ask people for a donation.
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!)
You can charge a cover fee. Just 20 people giving
a $15 donation will boost your fundraising by $300.
Movie Marathon
Hold a movie marathon, complete with popcorn and choc tops.
Invite your family and friends and ask for a ticket price donation.
Girls Night
Get together a bunch of your girlfriends and plan a girls night in. Enjoy facemasks,
makeovers and manicures then ask your friends to donate what they would have spent
at a salon. 5 girlfriends, $20 donation - an evening with loads of laughs and $100 to add
to your fundraising efforts.
Friday night footy
In the comfort of your home, grab a few pizzas or hot dogs then invite your mates and cheer
on your team. Ask for a donation. It’s also a great opportunity to ask how your mate is doing.
10 mates, $10 donation - that’s $100 to add to your fundraising tally.
Evening of
luxury
Everyone loves a bit of pampering!
Enjoy facemasks, makeovers and
manicures then ask your guests to
donate what they would have spent
at a salon.
Lawn
Bowls
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 Inspire!
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.
It’s your birthday
If you have a birthday coming up on the lead up 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 (maybe set
some ground rules first though!)
Auction your skills
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.
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.
Thank you
“Every dollar you donate to the Inspire Foundation 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
WHERE
your money will help
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With your help in raising awareness every young person living in Australia
will know that they are not alone – whatever they’re facing.
The money you raise will allow us to continue to lead research into young people,
technology, mental health and wellbeing ensuring that the services available
to them are relevant.
WHY
Your support matters
With your help, young men will change their perception of asking for or seeking
help. Through innovations and the use of technology young men will have a better
understanding that being well is not just a physical thing but a mental thing too.
All young people should be supported to be happy and healthy throughout their
school life. With your help, we will create a supportive environment for young
people in schools by ensuring that teachers have access to the tools and materials
needed to provide this.
Health care professionals play a crucial role in working with young people.
Your support will help ensure that healthcare professionals understand the
significance of technology and are supported to integrate this knowledge
into their practice to better meet the needs of young people.
In an average Australian Year 12
classroom of 30 students:
Young
people need
your help.
• 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.
Each week, five young people will suicide. Tragically it is the leading
cause of death in young people aged 14 - 25 years.
Unfortunately, our current mental health system is heavily reliant on young people
making an appointment to talk to someone like a psychologist when they need help.
It assumes that there is someone nearby, which simply isn’t true, but the biggest barrier
for most young people is that they simply aren’t prepared, willing, or able to ask for help.
You can make a difference
Attitudes to mental health
Even though tough times are a normal part of life many young people don’t have the knowledge,
skills and support to get through them.
“Growing up, I never even knew what mental illness was. When I became depressed, and began to
suffer from panic disorder, I knew that something was wrong, but I thought that the problem laid
with me. I felt like I was a freak, the only person in the world that cried herself to sleep at night. I
didn’t feel able to talk to people, because I didn’t associate what I was going through
with an illness, I thought it was just me.” Sarah, 18 - Youth Ambassador
Good health is generally thought of in the physical sense only.
“For me, when I think of a healthy person, it just comes down to exercise.I don’t really think
of mental [health]” Male, 19 - WorkOut Research Participant
Sarah, 18 -Youth Ambassador
Using the internet for information,
help or support
Research shows that 90% of young people use the internet on a daily basis.
After friends and family, the internet is a key source of advice and support.
“It was 1.30am, I was desperate and had nowhere to
turn. I somewhat sarcastically went to Google and
typed in ‘help’. This was the first result. Thank you”
Anonymous, 19
Technology has shifted the way in which young people engage with the world. This means that
young people can access help and support immediately and anonymously, overcoming many
of the limitations and barriers of traditional services.
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.
Just $10 will ensure
that one young
person has access
to help through
ReachOut.com
for an entire year.
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 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
startedto 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 encouragement.
“I’d prefer to talk to someone on the internet and then maybe make my way to a counsellor
or a psychiatrist, rather than jumping straight in the deep end and going to a psychiatrist.”
Anonymous Male, Focus Group Participant
This eventually led me to seeking help in my community through counselling.”
When you help inspire you never know who you might be helping.
“My journey with Inspire 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.”
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.
You can ensure young men
like Daniel never feel alone
“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 are 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 realized this yet”
Just $50 will help
fund an extensive
campaign targeting
high risk groups
including young men
“I know that it’s not helpful to others, nor to me, if I post
REALLY negatively, like I have in the past, and I don’t
want to be unhelpful to others, so I am trying to stop
posting negatively, especially when I am in one of my
really pessimistic moods!… I know that I can get out
of this depression, and I know that one day, I will!!”
You will help create places for young people
to feel safe when asking for help
Kate was just 16 when she made her first post on the ReachOut.com forums. She had been feeling
depressed for some time but was extremely resistant to talking to anyone, including her parents,
or seeing a counsellor.
Kate began to identify sources of help, ask questions and
find out about the experiences of others. She got advice from
others about what to say and what her rights were when
talking to a professional. This made getting help and talking
face-to-face with someone seem much less daunting and
mysterious. With this support, Kate became confident enough
to approach and talk to her school counsellor, who then
referred her to a psychiatrist.
“I guess I am ashamed of the way I am feeling…It is my fault I am depressed and because it is
my fault, I need to deal with it myself. Well that’s what I reckon anyway. It is much easier to talk
about things online, not just on the ReachOut.com Forums, but elsewhere as well, than it is in
real life… low self-esteem could come into that, I don’t feel judged online, and I feel wanted.”
For the first few months of her time on the forums, Kate posted only about her own problems, even when
she was responding to other members’ posts. Her tendency was to use the forum predominately as a
place to vent her frustrations and misery, with little direction and helpfulness, rather than an opportunity
to accept support, consider alternative ways of thinking and managing, and to support others.
“I know that I really do need to see a doctor about my depression, but I am scared, and I don’t
want my parents to know. I wish I could just pull myself out of this depression. But I don’t know
how to. I am sick of feeling trapped and having a big black cloud flying over my head.
But I don’t know what to do. I just wish there was some simple answer.”
With the support and direction of ReachOut.com staff, forum moderators and other forum users,
Kate’s pattern of posts gradually began to change and the focus took a much more productive direction.
She started posting in positive discussion threads and recognised when her negative thoughts and
posts became unhelpful:
$130 will pay for a
trained moderator on
our forums, providing
a safe environment for
young people to talk
openly and without
judgement.
“I just wanted to thank you all for the help you’ve given
me... especially lately... with me going to the psych
and stuff... the support on here is just amazing!
I am so thankful to all of you... and your wonderful
suggestions and words of encouragement!.. I am on
the road to recovery!”
At around this time, Kate began to support other members
and took on more of a leadership role on the forums, referring
members to relevant fact sheets on the Reach Out.com
website, encouraging them to seek help from professionals,
and providing personal encouragement and inspiration.
“To the wonderful people who make this whole Inspire thing
possible—thank you. Thank you for your commitment,
your inspiration, your time, your resources, your care,
your thoughts, and your help.
Thank you for understanding the power of young people,
for wanting to create change, for helping us make change
and for making the lives of so many young Australians better.
It’s people like you that inspire me to be a good person,
to give back to my community, and remind me that the world
has great people in it.
Be proud of your contribution—every single one of you really
has helped us build something amazing.”
Rosie, 23.
w. inspire.org.au
e. [email protected]
p. (61) 2 8029 7777