Issue 1 | 2014
Muscular Dystrophy
Association of
New Zealand
In this guide:
 About the MDA and
why you should fundraise for people with
neuromuscular conditions
Join Team MDA!
- Your Guide to Fundraising
 Great ideas for your
fundraising
Who is the MDA and what do we do
About the MDA
Our History
The MDA is a New Zealand not-for-profit
which provides information and support to
people affected by
neuromuscular conditions. We have a national office and
branches based
throughout the country
to meet the needs of
our membership.
We have been a part of
New Zealand since
1959. It all started
when Moira Gordon,
Ann Canty and Sadie
McDonald, all who had
family members with
Muscular Dystrophy began to meet at Sadie’s
home in Auckland's Dominion Road.
Our vision is that people living with a neuromuscular condition
have unrestricted opportunities to achieve
their full potential.
Since then the MDA has
broadened it’s scope to
support people with
other
neuromuscular conditions.
Neuromuscular
Conditions
Neuromuscular conditions primarily result in
muscle wastage and can
be devastating for those
diagnosed and their
families. Symptoms can
appear just after birth
of for others not until
much later in life, they
are unpredictable and
there is no cure.
 Choosing the right way
to fundraise for you
 Top tips for
successful fundraising
 Guidelines and important information to
consider
 Great websites for
setting up a donation
page
MDA National Office
PO Box 12063,
Penrose, Auckland,
1642
419A Church Street
East, Penrose,
Auckland, 1061.
0800 800 337 or
(09) 815 0247
[email protected]
Page 2
Why should you choose the MDA to fundraise for?
The MDA relies on donations from the general public and grants
from trusts and associations within New Zealand.
It is good to know that
we are not alone in our
situation and that
somebody out there is
listening and supporting us.
Without donations we
would not be able to
offer the free quality
services nationwide to
people affected by
muscle disease.
These conditions are
rare which means finding support and information—even an initial
diagnosis can be very
difficult. The MDA is
the only organisation
there to support them.
general public

The services offered by
the MDA and it’s
branches are unique

and diverse:

Specialised information regarding
neuromuscular
conditions

National
Fieldworker
service

Quarterly publication, “In Touch”
magazine
Workshops and
counselling

Liaison with health
professionals,
disability and social
welfare
organisations

and more...
Promotion and
education
amongst the
Great ideas for your fundraising
“Fundraising
is the gentle
art of
teaching the
joy of giving.”
- Hank Rosso
There are plenty of
ways to fundraise and
you can go as big or
as small as you want
to.
promote your
fundraising
event?
Things to consider:
Ideas for fundraising
at your home:

Who will help
you on the day?


Where will you
fundraise? Shopping mall, your
home or workplace?

What permission do you
need?

What resource's
will you need?

How will you

Have a good
clearout and
sell your things
on trademe
with the proceeds going to
the MDA or one
of it’s branches
Hold a themedbreakfast , dinner or high tea
and ask attendees
to come in exchange for a donation

Donate gifts or
money to the MDA
from a birthday or
even your wedding!

Have a movie
night, quiz or other fun event

Hold a garage sale
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Issue 1 | 2014
Great ideas for your fundraising continued….
Ideas for fundraising
at work:



Have a “ wear
your jeans day”
with a gold coin
donation

Have a collection box on your
front counter

How about and
office fitness
competition between departments, dress up
your workstation or xbox
gaming competition?
Have a morning
tea for a gold
coin donation
Fundraise with
the MDA merchandise (pens,
note pads, jelly
beans) in your
office

Get your work-
mates to donate
good quality items
to sell on trademe
for the MDA

How many MDA
pens in a jar competition

Office raffle or
prize draw

Don’t forget if
your comfortable
you could always
ask your employer
to match the donation total perhaps.
Organising fundraisers at
your workplace can be
one of the easiest and
fun ways to fundraise!
Ideas for fundraising
at your school or
your child’s:

Do a sponsored
sports activity
or day

Make and sell
themed crafts
day

Hold a colouring
or creative writing competition

Hold a bake sale
or morning tea

Hold an international lunch
where students
buy a plate to
sample all the
yummy delights

Hold a mufti
day

Hold a car boot
sale with the
parents and
families

Have a pop quix
night in the
school hall
Talent competition with an entry fee

MDA or disability

awareness themed
art competition or
design your own tshirt promoting
neuromuscular
conditions

Hold a school disco

Do a simple donation collection

Get older students
to help with a
street collection
There are loads of
different things
that you could do
through your
school, get them
involved and get
creative. Its fun
for the kid’s too!
Page 4
Ideas for fundraising in your community


“There are so many
great ideas, be creative
but remember to keep
your costs to a minimum
and simple is always
best!”

Hold a sports day
like a golf day or
even a poker
tournament.
Charge a team
fee and have a
raffle.
Get a bunch of
quality used
items that you
and your friends
no longer need
and have a garage sale or set
up a stall at one
of your local
markets.
group walk or fun
run.

Put on a community raffle and sell 
tickets within the
community and
through local businesses.

Get your friends

and family to support your participation in a marathon or other
sporting event.
Peer to peer fundraising is easy and
is often really suc-
cessful. You could
even get a team
together perhaps.
Hold a morning
tea, lunch or dinner at your home
and charge a donation per plate.
There are so many
great ideas, be creative but remember to keep your
costs to a minimum
and simple is always best!
Organise a
Choosing the right way to fundraise for you
Contact your
local MDA
branch or
the national
office for
permission
and so you
have all the
support you
need
Right at the beginning of planning have a think about some important
things to consider:

Who can help you?

Will you need more than yourself to make this happen?

Where and when would be best to hold any event?

Who will attend or donate, and how will you promote this fundraiser?

What permissions will you need? For example if collecting or
fundraising on the street will you need to get a counsel approval
or the approval of the shopping center you may want to fundraise
in front of.

Most importantly, have you contacted your MDA branch or the
national office for permission and so you can have all the support
you need?
Top tips for fundraising
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
Keep it simple
Define your goal, how much do you want to raise?
What will your costs be and how can you minimise them?
Can you get others involved to help, or promote the fundraiser? - many hands make
light work
Use facebook, twitter and other social network sites to promote it
Use an online fundraising site to receive donations, www.givealittle.co.nz is a good
site to use as 100$ of the donation goes to the cause.
Most importantly, be safe and have fun!
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Issue 1 | 2014
Guidelines and important Information to consider

Health and Safety - Make sure your fundraiser is safe and no one
can get hurt or injured. The MDA NZ can not take any responsibility or liability for any incidences as a result of an independently
run and facilitated fundraising event.

Food Safety - If you have food at your fundraiser or are selling
food to raise money you must comply with food hygiene regulations. Check out the foodsmart site for safe food guidelines your
local council may have specific guidelines that you need to
follow also, so check first:
- http://www.foodsmart.govt.nz/producing-food-forsale/charity-fundraiser-fairs/
- http://lgol.co.nz/find-a-council/

Raffles - Raffles are subject to rules and laws under the Gambling
Act, to ensure they are legitimate and professionally run. Go to
the below NZ Police website before setting up a raffle—big or
small.
- http://www.police.govt.nz/advice/personalcommunity/housie-raffles/games-chance
- http://www.dia.govt.nz/Services-Casino-and-NonCasino-Gaming-The-Rules-for-Running-a-GamblingActivity

Auctions - Charity auctions are not covered under the fair trading
act and this is because all funds raised go to a charity and there is
no commission charged. For more information contact the
Commerce Commission, www.comcom.govt.nz.

You have received formal written approval from the Muscular Dystrophy Association to fundraise on their behalf, and/or use the
MDA logo and branding. There is also an Authority to Fundraise
form that you may need to complete.
Make sure your fundraiser is safe and no one can
get hurt or injured. The
MDA NZ can not take any
responsibility or liability
for any incidences
Page 6
Mak e i t eas y – gr eat w eb si t es f or set t i ng up a donat i on p age
Keep it simple, use
the internet to
promote your
fundraiser
Promote it all by
your facebook,
twitter, google plus
account(s). You can
even email out
updates and links to
the fundraising
information to your
friends and family.
The MDA is set up as a recipient charity on a two of the best fundraising websites, both are NZ owned and operated. This means you can set up your fundraiser and your supporters can make secure online donations with an amount of
their choosing.

www.givealittle.co.nz

www.fundraiseonline.co.nz
(100% of the donation goes to the cause)
Once you have set up your fundraising event or challenge (running a marathon for example), then you can set up a page to receive donations using
either of the websites above. Then just promote it all by your facebook,
twitter, google plus account(s). You can even email out updates and links
to the fundraiaisng information to your friends and family.
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Issue 1 | 2014
Thank you for thinking of the MDA for your
fundraiser!
The MDA is a not-for-profit which provides specialist
information and support to people affected by
neuromuscular conditions. We have a national office and
branches based throughout the country to meet the needs
of our membership.
Our vision is that people living the theses conditions have
unrestricted opportunities to achieve their full potential.
Without support and donations from the public we would not be able to provide
our support services . As the only organisation in New Zealand set up to provide
the specialist support needed to be there for those diagnosed with these rare and
debilitating conditions, it’s vital that we continue to be there for them and their
families.

Phone: 0900 426 98 to make and automatic $15 donation

Online: Make a secure online donation at www.mda.org.nz

Cheque: PO Box 12063 Penrose, Auckland 1642

Internet Banking:
National Office: (ASB bank) 12-3077-0474718-02
Northern Branch: (ASB bank) 12-3051-0415162-00
Wellington Branch: (Westpac bank) 03-1533-0006178-00
Canterbury Branch: (Westpac bank) 03-1704-0014923-00
Southern Branch: (Westpac bank) 03-0905-0036200-00
Please use the word ‘donation’ in the reference field.
Issue 1 | 2014
MDA National Office
Your Notes:
PO Box 12063,
Penrose, Auckland,
1642
419A Church Street
East, Penrose,
Auckland, 1061.
0800 800 337 or
(09) 815 0247
[email protected]