the challenge
Ronald McDonald House Charities South East Queensland (RMHC SEQ) is part of a global organisation operating in 64 countries and regions, supporting seriously ill children and their families through accommodation and support services.
RMHC SEQ has historically had an over-reliance on physical events in its fundraising mix and is now looking to grow its overall net revenue position over the next 12 months and beyond in a scalable and sustainable way.
Team changes and a new CEO in Emma Thompson, who has a track record of overseeing growth in fundraising, presented an opportunity to really expedite this strategic shift in 2023 and beyond.
FED was engaged to conduct a review of all facets of RMHC’s fundraising program – events, corporate, trusts and foundations, cash, regular giving, major gifts and gifts in wills, bringing our insights and knowledge of the broader charitable sector to help shape a clear path forward for growth.
how we tackled it
Following meetings with key team members and a review of financials, data analysis and communications materials, we summarised our observations and recommendations into a succinct report showing the key areas of fundraising RMHC SEQ should be investing time and money into over the short (immediate), medium (6-12 months) and long term (12 months +). Included alongside were practical considerations, including recommended team structure and systems required to successfully bring this plan to life.
Our focus was on establishing some initial ‘wins’ and leveraging opportunities that require lower levels of investment, before turning to more substantial levels of investment over the long term. This would allow time to build the right team structure and culture to support the longer-term strategy.
the result
The key outcomes of the review were presented by Kirsty Graham, FED’s General Manager – Strategy & Innovation by request of the CEO, to the RMHC SEQ Board to get their understanding and support of the path forward for fundraising.
This was received with universal support and the plan is presently being put into action with a new team structure in place and a greater focus on Trusts & Foundations, Major Gifts and Gifts in Wills, amongst other recommendations.
