Community fundraising

Burdekin has been supporting and advocating for young people and their families who are homeless or at risk of homelessness for almost 40 years. We have always had strong community support throughout this time.

As a Public Benevolent Institution (PBI) and endorsed as a Deductible Gift Recipient (DGR) for donations of $2 and more, we take great pride in our long-standing efforts to build strong community connections and attract essential donations to support our work. 

Burdekin is also a registered charity with the Australian Charities and Not-for-profits Commission (ACNC). Our charity tax number is 10994, and our public profile is available online here.

Accountability and transparency are very important to us. Please look at our latest Annual Report.

There are rules in Australia about who can fundraise, and these apply to all charities and not-for-profit organisations.

Burdekin welcomes fundraisers of all ages. If you are under 18, we just need consent from a parent or guardian.

At Burdekin, we are committed to managing all funds responsibly and making sure every dollar we receive is used wisely. We carefully manage all our income, no matter where it comes from, and ensure it is spent in the right way.

Donations can be directed to specific projects, such as the Burdekin Youth Support Fund, or used to support our general work, depending on your preference. Donors can choose where their donation goes based on the donation options on our website.

Burdekin’s core focus is on supporting children and young people aged 9-24 who are homeless or at risk of homelessness. We receive funding from the NSW Government to support these essential services.

One reason we’ve been able to support young people for nearly four decades is our ability to provide additional services beyond our core programs, such as Prevention, Outreach, individualised case management, and support towards independence.

We fundraise for these extra services because we know that solving youth homelessness requires a full, wrap-around approach. The primary factors contributing to homelessness include family breakdown, school disengagement, mental illness, substance abuse, and financial stress.

Seasonal appeals, like our Christmas campaign, where donors can purchase gift cards for young people in care, allowing them to choose what they really need or want. We don’t encourage donating physical items, as it's hard to match gifts with a child’s or young person’s needs and wishes. Gift cards help reduce waste and give them more choice.

Donations help us support young people in ways that go beyond government funding. They allow us to invest in new programs and find better ways to help those in need.

Social Impact:
Your support helps close the gap for young people, giving them the same opportunities as their peers. Your donations can cover essential costs like textbooks, computers, and uniforms that many young people can’t afford because of the high cost of living. By donating, you help young people get ahead and work towards becoming independent.

Collective Good:
Did you know that even seeing an act of kindness can inspire us to be kinder ourselves? In uncertain times, giving back helps us focus on positive actions and gives us a sense of purpose. It also builds a stronger community for everyone.

Personal Benefits:
Giving back has many personal benefits. It can help reduce stress, anxiety, loneliness, and depression. It can also increase happiness, self-esteem, and life satisfaction. Giving may even help us live longer and healthier lives. Plus, when we help others, we feel good — this is called ‘helpers’ high’, and it happens because our brain releases feel-good chemicals like serotonin, oxytocin, and dopamine!

Tax Benefits:
Donations of $2 or more are tax deductible, meaning you can receive a higher refund on the tax you’ve paid during the year. If you’re a salaried employee, you can donate directly from your salary before tax, which increases your donation amount. If you’re close to the edge of your tax bracket, donating could even lower your taxable income and reduce your tax rate.

Like most charities, Burdekin relies on the generosity of donors and fundraisers, and we are very grateful for your support. If you’d like to fundraise for us, we’d love to help develop your idea. Please email fundraisingenquiries@burdekin.org.au, and we’ll get in touch with you soon.

Support us today!

You can check our credentials here. 

There are several ways to send the funds you’ve raised to Burdekin. You can make a direct deposit into our bank account or use the online donation link — whichever is easiest for you. We accept all major credit cards and offer payment options like PayPal.

If you donate directly to us online, you’ll receive a receipt by email right after the transaction, and the funds will be deposited straight into our bank account.

If you’re using a crowdfunding page, you’ll get a receipt from the provider, and we’ll receive the donations from them, minus a transaction fee.

When you donate or fundraise for Burdekin, young people will directly benefit from the support or services they receive from us.

Some of our fundraising efforts involve buying gift cards to fulfil the wishes of our young people, such as for birthdays, graduations, or other occasions like Christmas.

In these cases, the funds go directly to the young people in our care, rather than being invested into our services. However, all our services are still focused on improving the lives of these young people.

Because of the volume of community fundraising events, we cannot personally participate in every event, but we can provide materials about Burdekin’s work and services for you to display at your event.

Children can take part in lots of fun fundraising activities, depending on their age. Many fun runs have family or children’s races, while some children grow their hair to donate for fundraising, or ask for donations instead of birthday presents for their favourite charity.

Younger children can get involved in activities like colouring-in competitions, school fetes, face-painting, second-hand toy sales, and dress-up days. Schools and community centres are often very supportive of children who want to fundraise.

Taking part in fundraising events can be lots of fun for children, but keeping them safe is our top priority. We all have a duty to protect them.

Any event that children can join should be safe and in the child’s best interests. It should have a responsible adult, a risk management plan, and all children under 18 should have parental or carer consent to participate or volunteer.

You can find more information on safeguarding vulnerable people here.

There are multiple crowdfunding platforms that can help you fundraise, and many are free to set up.  Some of the most popular are Go Fund Me, My Cause and Raisely.

• Pricing Go Fund Me - no set up fee and processing fees of 2.2% + 30c per donation.
• Pricing Raisely - no set up fee and processing fees from 1.4% + 30c per transaction
• Pricing My Cause – no set up fee and processing fees between 1.5%-2.5% depending on the selected payment option. 

To start a fundraiser in PayPal, all you need to do is login or create an account. From the main dashboard under ‘send and request’, select the donate button. From there you can search Burdekin. Once selected you have the option for a direct donation or to start a fundraiser simply scroll down to 'start a fundraiser', there are no fees to you or to the charity with the PayPal Giving Fund.

Social media platforms also offer fundraising options. Burdekin has accounts on Facebook, Instagram and YouTube which you could link to and raise funds for us.

Absolutely! All community fundraising questions can be directed to fundraisingenquiries@burdekin.org.au

Yes! We would be happy to provide resources to help make your fundraiser a success. Please find here our downloadable DL sized brochure.

Yes, but please seek permission using the community fundraising proposal form. Once your fundraising idea has been accepted and approved, we can provide you with logos and other materials for promotion.

We hope you have found plenty of ideas here to inspire your fundraising!

As an Australian registered charity, Burdekin is legally required to approve all external fundraising.

Complete the fundraising application form and we will take it from there.

If you would like to read more about authorities to fundraise in Australia see here.

There are many ways to raise funds for charities like Burdekin, but there are also some legal requirements because of our tax deductibility permit. We need to be accountable for every donation.

While fundraising is fun and rewarding, it’s important to follow these legal guidelines.

We’re happy to offer support and guidance, but the organiser handles the overall running of the event, including managing expenses, record keeping, and event management.

The NSW Government has Charitable Fundraising Guidelines to help you understand and meet any legal obligations. You can find them here.

Fundraising should be all about fun! Some ideas include:

• Table quiz
• Open mic night
• Coffee morning
• Sponsored cycle or other physical challenge
• Raffles and auctions
• Novelty ideas like walk backwards
• Tournament (basketball, golf etc)
• Bake sale
• Battle of the bands, concert, or disco
• BBQ or Sausage Sizzle
• Bingo
• Blind date event
• Book sale
• Any a-thons – cycle-athon, walk-athon, bowling-athon, dance-athon
• Car wash
• Carol singing
• Casual day at school or work
• Garage sale
• Family fun day
• Fashion show
• Fun run or marathon
• Themed party e.g. Halloween
• Sponsored shave or cut
• International days/world food days
• Fundraising get-together – lunch, night in, movie night, art exhibition, mystery tour, picnic, pie-throwing, dunk-the-teacher, skating event, sky diving, mountain climbing, talent show, the list is endless!

<< Link to the community fundraising application form here.>>

Most small to medium fundraising events can be done on a shoestring budget, and many ideas don’t cost the organiser anything but time. For example - it costs nothing to walk, cycle, sing, dance. The great thing about fundraisers is that you can go as big or small as you like!

It just takes imagination and organising.

Sydney is the largest city in Australia with a population of approximate 5.297 million people. There are so many opportunities for fundraising year-round. If you would like to participate in a fundraiser, but you’re not sure where to find them, you could do a quick search in your local area.

Alternatively, we have listed some of them here:

• January - Sydney Harbour Splash 
• February - Sun Run - Dee Why to Manly.
• February - Cole Classic Ocean Swim
• February - Bay to Bridge Batemans Bay
• April - Swim Run Sydney East
• May - Runaway Sydney Half Marathon
• August - The Bay Run - Iron Cove Bay
• August - City to Surf
• August - Beach2Beach Charity Fun Run and Festival
• October - Swim Run Sydney North

There’s also the run calendar and ocean swim calendar.

Please get in touch if you are participating and wish to raise funds for us through one of these fun activities. fundraisingenquiries@burdekin.org.au

If you would like to know more about the NSW charitable fundraising guidelines, please visit this page.

If you would like to know more about Burdekin fundraising guidelines, check out our terms for community fundraising.

Burdekin must consider all factors to reduce the risk of harm, exploitation, or abuse to children and young people, and we have safeguarding processes in place to protect them as much as possible.

All fundraising activities must be in the best interests of children and young people, align with our values, and show an understanding of the challenges vulnerable children and young people face.

Fundraisers must be ethical. The language, behaviour, and conduct used must be appropriate and sensitive to the young people who will benefit from the funds.

Burdekin does not allow the use of any case studies, information, images, or videos of children and young people in our care for fundraising.

There are many ways to fundraise as a family!

Once you decide on your fundraising event, set a date and location, you can invite friends, family and community to support you.

Most public events will have sponsorship forms and instructions on how to participate.

Children can write letters, design posters to hang in local shops, community centres, to add to school newsletters or design and drop off leaflets to neighbours.

If you would like to run your own activity, please complete our form community fundraising proposal and we’ll get back to you.

We are in a very good financial position where our core operating expenses are covered by our government grants. Therefore, most of the time, 100% of your donation goes to the cause rather than to administration. It is also our policy to not use over 25% of funds raised for administration.

Burdekin’s Goals and Specific Outcomes
Burdekin works with the community to take an integrated approach to solving child and youth homelessness. Our goal is to ensure that every child or young person has a safe home and improved wellbeing within their community.

Accreditation and Certification
We have received the ACNC tick of approval, which assures the public that we operate as a registered charity in a transparent and accountable way. All ACNC registered charities are listed on the ACNC Charity Register.

In 2023, we were awarded a three-year renewal of our accreditation through the Australian Services Excellence Standards. From June 30, 2024, all homelessness providers in NSW are required to have this accreditation.

More about our accreditation here.

Transparency
Each year, we prepare and publish our Annual Report. These reports outline our activities for the previous year and show how we are changing lives. You can view them on our website. 

Burdekin is audited by an external auditor once a year. The financial summary from this audit is included in our ACNC report and Annual Report.

Burdekin has a long track record of success. We plan to sustain our positive impact by using good governance and management practices. This includes strategic planning, stakeholder participation (including staff and client surveys), community outreach, and our Reconciliation Action Plan, all of which are informed by staff, community members, and clients.

We ensure young people’s perspectives are included in everything we do, from governance to our future direction. With their input, we recently mapped the journey of young people in our housing services. We also constantly evaluate our work to ensure we meet our vision of helping young people achieve their full potential.

There are many gaps in our society that leave young people vulnerable and create cycles of disadvantage. Our goal is to address these gaps, often with the support of funds raised by community partners and donations from the public.

We are focused on championing young people. With determination and creativity, we develop solutions to ensure they have a safe home and improved wellbeing in their communities.

Burdekin provides a continuum of care for young people and their families through an integrated approach to intervention, support, and housing. Young people can access our services from the age of nine up to 24, including housing options, family support services, early intervention, outreach, and other programs.

Approximately 25% of young people in our Out-of-home Care are Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander. This disproportionate representation has led us to form an Aboriginal Unit. Burdekin aims to be an organisation that is culturally aware and culturally safe, particularly for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander young people, their families, and their communities.

The average age of a young person in Burdekin’s Youth Housing program is 19 years. (Data from Annual Report 2023/24)

The average age of a young person in Out-of-home Care is 17 years. (Data from Client Survey 2023.)

According to Burdekin’s 2024 Client Feedback Survey, the young people surveyed identified as:

• Australian: 41%
• Other/Mixed: 15%
• Asian: 15%
• Oceania: 13%
• Indigenous: 10%
• European: 7%

(61 participants took part in the survey: 32 female, 25 male, and 3 non-binary.)