AU2006200151A1 - Fundraising Method - Google Patents

Description

I

P001 Section 29 Regulation 3.2(2))

AUSTRALIA

Patents Act 1990 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION STANDARD PATENT Application Number: Lodged: Invention Title: Fundraising Method The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method of performing it known to us: FUNDRAISING METHOD FIELD OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to charity fundraising, and more particularly to an improved method of raising funds for a charitable cause through corporate or other sponsorship.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION There exists a wide variety of charitable causes, and corresponding organisations whose primary purpose is the raising of funds in support of such charitable causes. As a result, many different strategies and processes for raising funds within the community have been developed, including strategies for soliciting donations from the general public, as well as alternative approaches involving the sale of goods, services, raffle tickets and the like as a means of raising money.

The present invention is related primarily, though not necessarily exclusively, to the raising of funds via donations. In many cases, donations are solicited on behalf of charitable causes using networks of volunteers and/or paid workers operating within the community. Figure 1 is a flow diagram 100 illustrating a typical conventional volunteeir network based fundraising method.

Within the flow diagram 100 a charitable cause or organisation is represented at various stages of the process by the boxes 102, 124, while the volunteer network is represented by boxes 106, 118. According to the conventional process, the charity 102 provides volunteers 106 with fundraising tools and information, as indicated by arrow 104. The fundraising tools may include, for example, shaker tins, identification/authorisation cards, receipt books, fundraising manuals, saleable goods and the like. As indicated by arrow 108, volunteers 106 may initially seek donations through approaches to existing contacts 110, including family, friends, colleagues, neighbours, acquaintances, associates and so forth.

Alternatively or additionally, as indicated by arrow 112, volunteers 106 may raise funds in the wider community 114 by "tin shaking" and other approaches to the general public in public places such as shopping centres, busy intersections, or through door knocking.

Through the aforementioned and/or other means, donations are collected 116 by volunteers 118. As further indicated by arrow 120 donors are provided with materials, for example tickets, receipts for tax-deductible donations, or goods. The funds raised by volunteers 118 are returned 122 to the charity 124.

While simple and common, the process 100 suffers from a number of disadvantages. Firstly, many people feel uncomfortable soliciting donations from, or selling goods or services to, existing acquaintances and/or strangers. Many potential contributors, likewise, object to being approached by family, friends, neighbours, colleagues or strangers seeking donations to various different charitable causes. This may result in public resentment towards charitable causes, as well as providing a further general disincentive for people to volunteer to work on behalf of charities, even if they are positively disposed towards the corresponding cause. Additionally, the network of potential contributors available to each volunteer is limited, and the process 100 provides no mechanism for perpetuation of the fundraising method beyond these limits. Accordingly, the charity must rely upon recruiting additional volunteers in order to extend its reach, which may prove difficult due to the aforementioned disincentives. In the case of tax-deductible donations, the proper issuing of receipts by volunteers for enabling the donor to claim a deduction is also a significant concern. Alternatively, where goods are sold to raise money the non-return of unsold stock may be a problem.

A general concern is also the misappropriation of funds by volunteers.

Overall, therefore, there is a general need for charities to seek additional and alternative means of raising funds. One common approach is to seek additional funds, for example from the corporate world, through sponsorship arrangements. A typical conventional corporate network based fundraising process is illustrated in the flow diagram 200 of Figure 2. Within the diagram 200 the boxes 204, 224, 230 represent a sponsoring entity, such as a corporate sponsor, at various stages of the process. The charity is represented by boxes 202, 208, 234 while the charity's traditional volunteer network is represented by the box 212.

According to a conventional approach the sponsoring entity 204 makes a financial contribution, as indicated by arrow 206, to the charity 202. In return, the charity provides promotional opportunities to the sponsoring entity 204, for example in the form of event signage, sponsorship rights, logo use and so forth.

Additionally, the charity 208 may operate a conventional volunteer-based fundraising process, providing materials 210 to volunteers 212, who in turn raise funds from their own contacts 216 and the wider community 220, as indicated by arrows 214, 218. The volunteers 212 may further promote the sponsorship by the sponsoring entity 204 within the community 216, 220. Additionally, the charity 208 will typically publicise the sponsoring entity 204 within the wider community 220, as indicated by arrow 222. However, there is generally no incentive for volunteers 212 to promote the sponsoring entity 204 above or beyond the sponsorship consideration negotiated with the charity 208.

The sponsoring entity 224 will also typically publicise its involvement with the charity in the wider community 220, as indicated by arrow 226, as a further promotional tool. As a result of the sponsorship, the sponsoring entity 230 may expect to generate some level of additional business 228. Depending upon the agreement with the charity 234, the sponsoring entity 230 may pay a commission or further donations, as indicated by arrow 232, in consideration for the new business generated as a result of the sponsorship.

While the charity 202 obtains at least a direct financial benefit 206 from the sponsorship in accordance with the method 200, the process nonetheless suffers from a variety of disadvantages. Firstly, while the sponsoring entity 204 obtains some access to, and benefit from, the charity's network of volunteers 212, it may be unclear what impact this has on new business, since there is generally no way to determine the extent to which any new business is generated as a result of the sponsorship, or as a result of other channels of promotion and/or business development. By contrast, however, the charity does not gain any benefit from the marketing or distribution networks of the sponsoring entity. Consequently, there may be little additional benefit to the charity beyond the funds directly received from the sponsoring entity. Similarly, in the absence of any incentive for volunteers to make special efforts to promote the sponsoring entity, the sponsorship arrangement does not result in any real or lasting expansion of the sponsor's marketing and distribution networks to produce any sustainable business growth. Accordingly, it is plainly apparent that the full potential value of the partnership is not fully realised by the conventional process 200.

It is therefore desirable to provide an improved method of fundraising for charitable causes through corporate sponsorship, which mitigates at least some of the aforementioned problems of conventional methods. For example, it is desirable to improve incentives for volunteers to participate in fundraising, by reducing the difficulties arising from the need to request money from reluctant acquaintances and/or strangers. It would also be desirable to provide additional value to both the sponsoring entity and the charity as a result of a sponsorship arrangement, such as a sustainable growth in the distribution and marketing networks of both parties. It would additionally be desirable to provide improved mechanisms enabling the sponsoring entity to measure the real value of the sponsorship arrangement in terms of new contacts and business growth.

Similarly, it would be desirable that the level of fundraising resulting from the activities of specific volunteers could be measured by the charity, for the purposes of recognising and/or rewarding outstanding performance.

The present invention therefore seeks to address one or more of these desires.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In one aspect the present invention provides a method of fundraising for a charitable cause supported by a sponsoring entity which provides goods and/or services to consumers, the method including the steps of: distributing to recipient consumers information relating to the charitable cause and the sponsoring entity, said information including an incentive offer for said recipient consumers to provide contact information to the sponsoring entity; at least one recipient consumer providing contact information to the sponsoring entity; and the sponsoring entity contacting the recipient consumer in fulfilment of the incentive offer, wherein the sponsoring entity also requests that the recipient consumer make a contribution of funds to the charitable cause, whereby funds may be raised from one or more recipient consumers for the charitable cause.

A fundraising method in accordance with the present invention provides numerous potential advantages over known methods. For example, a recipient consumer is provided with the option to become a contributor to the charitable cause, but is under no obligation. Accordingly, a positive perception by the consumer of the charitable cause, and of the method generally, may be maintained. The recipient consumer is able to take advantage of the incentive offer provided by the sponsoring entity, whether or not they ultimately choose to become a contributor to the charitable cause. Contributions may be made directly to a charitable organisation, thereby avoiding the perception that a sponsor organisation is somehow gaining a direct financial benefit, such as a commission or other payment, out of the contribution. A direct donation to a charitable organisation may be made without receiving any goods or services in return from the charitable organisation, so that any applicable tax deduction available to the donor is maintained. Alternatively, the consumer may purchase goods and/or services from the charitable organisation, with proceeds from such sale being used to support the charitable cause. The goodwill generated out of the incentive offer provided by the sponsoring entity may effectively be channelled to the charitable cause. The method does not require intrusive selling or collection in public places, or door-to-door, that may otherwise detract from the public image of a charitable organisation. Accordingly, the confidence and general goodwill generated by the method may be of significant commercial benefit to a charitable organisation.

Additionally, the inventive method may provide a simpler and more effective means for volunteer fundraisers to attract contributions to the charitable cause. There is no need, for example, for fundraisers to directly request or collect money, to issue receipts, or to sell goods or services on behalf of the charitable cause. Rather, a fundraiser may simply distribute the information relating to the charitable cause and the sponsoring entity, for example as printed pamphlets or in electronic form. The fundraiser is not required to develop rapport with potential contributors, to explain the charitable cause, or to justify their own role in the fundraising program, since the distributed information may include all of the relevant information for review by recipient consumers.

Yet a further advantage is the degree of control available to a charitable organisation representing a charitable cause. According to the method, money may be contributed directly to, and collected and receipted by, the charitable organisation. Accordingly, opportunities for misappropriation of funds, and erroneous or inappropriate use of receipts, may be substantially eliminated. The integrity of the fundraising process therefore may be greatly enhanced. As a result of a contribution received by the charitable organisation from a recipient consumer a direct relationship between the consumer and the charitable organisation may be established, which may not be the case when contributions are collected by fundraisers such as volunteers.

The inventive method of fundraising also provides advantages for a sponsoring entity, such as a corporate or other commercial enterprise. For example, the method may provide the sponsoring entity with access to an enthusiastic and motivated referral network, in the form of volunteers for the charitable cause, without payment of direct remuneration to such individuals.

Access to this referral network may have significant commercial benefits as compared with traditional methods of soliciting referrals, such as commission sharing, soft commission or loyalty programs. Furthermore, the sponsoring entity may benefit from an improved public perception by association with the charitable cause.

As will therefore be appreciated, the inventive fundraising method may overcome numerous deficiencies of prior art methods, and provide substantial mutual benefit to the charitable cause and the sponsoring entity.

The information relating to the charitable cause may be distributed by a variety of mechanisms, including in printed form, such as letters, brochures and the like, and in electronic form, for example via email, web links and so forth.

Whatever mechanisms are utilised, the information is preferably distributed using distribution channels and networks of the charitable cause and/or the sponsoring entity. The method may therefore utilise existing members of the networks of the charitable cause and/or the sponsoring entity.

Network members may include, for example, the volunteer network of the charitable cause consisting of individuals who donate their services to raise funds for the cause. Network members of the charitable cause may also include participants in specific fundraising events and/or fundraising drives. Through these networks, information may be distributed to recipient consumers including the volunteers, participants in fundraising events, and their family, friends, colleagues, neighbours, acquaintances, associates and so forth.

7 The information relating to the charitable cause and the sponsoring entity may also be distributed, for example, via the marketing and distribution networks of the sponsoring entity, including retail outlets, service provider locations, and the like. As will be appreciated, the nature and extent of such distribution networks may depend upon the nature of the business of the sponsoring entity.

For example, where the sponsoring entity is an insurance broker, the distribution network may include doctors' clinics, medical service providers, accountants, lawyers, financial planners, bank branches and so forth. It will be readily appreciated that in various embodiments of the inventive method many different types of sponsoring entity may be involved, each of which will have a corresponding network for the marketing and distribution of its goods and/or services, which may be utilised to the mutual benefit of the sponsoring entity and the charitable cause.

It is particularly desirable that members of distribution networks responsible for providing information to recipient consumers be identifiable, for example for the purposes of assessing performance and/or providing additional incentives or rewards to the member. Accordingly, in preferred embodiments brochures and similar printed information may be uniquely numbered, or alternatively marked with a barcode or other unique identifying information, which may subsequently be provided by a recipient consumer to the sponsoring entity and/or a charitable organisation, for tracking purposes. Alternatively, in embodiments based on online distribution of information, distribution network members may each be provided with a uniquely identifiable web link which may subsequently be used by the recipient consumer in providing contact information and/or a contribution to the charitable cause, such that the network member responsible for distributing the information to the recipient consumer may be identified.

Advantageously, by providing tracking mechanisms such as unique numbering of brochures and/or identification of network members distributing electronic information, it is possible to credit the distribution network members, such as volunteers, for the funds that their distributions and fundraising efforts generate. Depending upon the details of a particular embodiment of the method, credit may take the form of certificates, awards and/or other forms of recognition, or, in the case that non-volunteer networks are utilised, may involve the payment of commission or other financial benefit to network members. Accordingly, additional motivation may be provided to network members, for example in the form of gifts, awards, financial compensation and/or other forms of recognition, on the basis of, for example, the number of recipient consumers contacted and/or the total level of contribution ultimately received as a result.

The incentive offer may include goods and/or services provided by the sponsoring entity. Such goods or services may be offered at a discount, or free, whereby the recipient consumer is able to obtain goods or services from the sponsoring entity which are perceived to have a value exceeding the cost to the consumer. Alternatively, the sponsoring entity may provide a free or low-cost service to the recipient consumer resulting in longer term financial benefits to the consumer. For example, the sponsoring entity may provide investment advice, advice on insurance policies, telephone service plans and so forth, resulting in ongoing savings or income growth for the consumer.

As will be appreciated, any difference between the value to the consumer and the cost of the incentive offer represents goodwill, which the inventive method is able to channel wholly or in part to the charitable cause. In particular, the consumer may be encouraged to contribute a proportion of any actual financial benefit received as a result of the incentive offer to the charitable cause.

It will be understood that a variety of other incentive offers are possible, such as entry into a competition operated by the sponsoring entity or associated organisation, prize draws, provision of further free information regarding goods and/or services provided by the sponsoring entity, free samples, and so forth.

The recipient consumer may provide contact information via the completion of a form, either on paper or online. The provision of contact information may further include providing additional information, such as personal information relating to a service provided to the recipient consumer by the sponsoring entity. In preferred embodiments, the provision of information is made as simple and convenient as possible for the recipient consumer, to avoid creating a disincentive for the consumer to provide contact information. For example, information distributed via a brochure may include a simple form with a reply-paid envelope. Electronically distributed information may include a link directing the recipient to a simple online form.

The request made by the sponsoring entity for the recipient consumer to make a contribution to the charitable cause may include providing a donation form or letter to the consumer in order to minimise the effort required to make a donation. The recipient consumer may be requested to make a one-off donation, and/or encouraged to make ongoing periodic donations, for example monthly or annually. A simple mechanism may be provided, for example in a paper or online form, for a recipient consumer to make donations of funds via direct debit or from a credit card, by providing an appropriate authorisation to the charitable organisation collecting funds for the charitable cause. Alternatively or additionally, the request from the sponsoring entity may include promotional material relating to merchandise, fundraising raffles, and/or other goods, services and competitions offered by the charitable organisation as a means of raising funds, preferably along with a form enabling the recipient consumer to place orders for such goods or services.

As previously mentioned, it is particularly preferred that the contribution be made directly to the charitable cause, without intermediary action by the sponsoring entity or any other organisation, in order to preserve any tax deductibility available to the contributor and to ensure the integrity of the fundraising process from the perspective of the contributor. Advantageously, a donation to the charitable cause is entirely voluntary, and is not conditional upon the supply of goods or services, thereby ensuring that applicable tax benefits associated with donation to the charitable cause are not affected.

According to preferred embodiments of the method, it is considered that the integrity of the fundraising process, the charitable cause, and the sponsoring entity benefit from the existence of a perceived concordance between the nature of the charitable cause, and the nature of the business conducted by the sponsoring entity. For example, medical research and health insurance are naturally linked in the minds of consumers, and thus sponsorship of a medical research charity by a provider of insurance services may tend to enhance goodwill, increasing response rates and levels of contribution. Similarly, real estate services and charities supporting the provision of affordable housing or assistance for homeless persons may be beneficially linked. By contrast, for example, the sponsorship of a charity supporting the mentally ill by a provider of telecommunications services may be perceived as merely opportunistic marketing, which fails to resonate with the recipient consumer, such that goodwill is reduced and rates and levels of contribution are adversely affected. Of course, in practice, the development of appropriate relationships between sponsoring entities and charitable causes in order to achieve maximum benefits to all parties will depend upon the specifics of the organisations involved, and accordingly the aforementioned examples should not be considered in any way prescriptive or exhaustive.

In another aspect, the present invention provides a method of a sponsoring entity supporting fundraising for a charitable cause, wherein the sponsoring entity provides goods and/or services to consumers, and the method includes the steps of: distributing information relating to the charitable cause and the sponsoring entity, said information including an incentive offer for recipient consumers to provide contact information to the sponsoring entity; receiving contact information from at least one recipient consumer; and contacting the recipient consumer in fulfilment of the incentive offer, and in the course of said contact requesting that the recipient consumer make a contribution of funds to the charitable cause, whereby funds may be raised from one or more recipient consumers for the charitable cause.

In yet another aspect, the invention provides a method of a consumer contributing funds to a charitable cause supported by a sponsoring entity which provides goods and/or services to consumers, the method including the steps of: receiving information relating to the charitable cause and the sponsoring entity, said information including an incentive offer to provide contact information of the consumer to the sponsoring entity; providing contact information of the consumer to the sponsoring entity; receiving a fulfilment of the incentive offer from the sponsoring entity, the sponsoring entity further requesting a contribution of funds to the charitable cause; and r contributing funds to the charitable cause in response to said request.

Further preferred features and benefits of the invention will be apparent from the following description of preferred embodiments, which is provided by way of example only and without limitation to the invention as defined in any of the preceding statements, or in the claims appended hereto.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Preferred embodiments of the invention will now be described with reference to the drawings, wherein: Figure 1 is a flow diagram illustrating a conventional volunteer network based fundraising method; Figure 2 is a flow diagram illustrating a conventional corporate network based fundraising method; Figure 3 is a flow diagram illustrating a fundraising method according to one embodiment of the present invention; Figure 4 is a flow diagram illustrating a fundraising method according to another embodiment of the present invention; and Figure 5 is a flow diagram illustrating a fundraising method according to yet another embodiment of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Turning now to Figure 3, there is shown a flow diagram 300 illustrating a fundraising method according to one embodiment of the present invention. The embodiment 300 is characterised in that information is distributed in a printed form, for example by pamphlets, letters or the like, via an existing volunteer network of a charitable organisation. More particularly, within the flow diagram 300 a charitable organisation, which acts on behalf of a charitable cause, is represented at various stages of the process by the boxes 302, 328. The organisation's volunteer network is represented by the boxes 310, 336. The boxes 304, 322 represent a corporate sponsor of the charitable organisation. In all of the preferred embodiments described herein, a charitable cause is represented by a specific charitable organisation, which receives sponsorship from a corporate sponsor. However, it will be understood that the particular structure of the charity and the sponsoring entity is not of primary significance, but rather that the method is based upon the relationships established thereby between the charitable cause and the sponsoring entity. Accordingly, the sponsoring entity need not be a corporate, and could be, for example, an individual, a government entity, or other organisation. Similarly, it will be convenient to use the terms "charity", or "charitable organisation" when describing particular embodiments of the invention, however the important feature is the existence of a charitable cause, typically represented by such an organisation, to which the sponsoring entity, and contributors within the wider community, may wish to lend their support.

In accordance with the embodiment 300 of the inventive method, the charity 302 receives customised informational materials from the corporate sponsor 304, as indicated by arrow 306. These information materials may be provided in a number of formats, including pamphlets, brochures, letters, web-based materials, explanatory information and so forth. The charity 302 distributes 308 these materials and information to volunteers 310. According to preferred embodiments of the process 300 the volunteers 310 are also able to request 309 further materials and/or information directly from the corporate sponsor 304, and receive 311 requested materials in response.

The information and materials provided to the volunteers 310 includes information relating to the charitable cause and the corporate sponsor. For example, the information may include details of the charity, the work that it performs, and the uses to which the funds raised by the charity are put, and additionally information about the sponsor, such as the goods and/or services that it provides, its relationship to and/or interest in the charitable cause, and so forth.

In particular, the information provided by the corporate sponsor 304 includes an incentive offer for the ultimate recipients of the informational materials to provide contact information to the sponsor 304.

The volunteers 310 distribute the informational materials to personal contacts 312 and the wider community 314, as indicated by the arrows 316, 318 respectively. Personal contacts 312 may include family, friends, colleagues, neighbours, acquaintances, associates and so forth. Distribution of informational materials to personal contacts may typically occur directly, for example by volunteers 310 delivering materials by hand or by mail. Materials may be provided to the wider community 314 via more general mechanisms, such as by arranging for materials to be left on display in publicly accessible places such as local shops, offices, community centres and the like. Additionally, volunteers 310 may provide personal contacts 312 with additional copies of materials, so that these may be further distributed within the wider community 314, as indicated by arrow 320. Accordingly, the method 300 provides for the extended distribution of information relating to the charity 302 and the corporate sponsor 304.

The information distributed via the volunteer network 310 ultimately makes its way into the hands of recipient consumers, who are potential contributors to the charitable cause. The recipient consumers are generally individuals having an interest in either the charitable cause, the corporate sponsor, or most preferably both. Accordingly, it is highly desirable that there be some natural association between the corporate sponsor, and the nature of goods and/or services provided by the sponsor, and the charitable cause. This maximises the incentive for recipient consumers to accept and digest the distributed informational materials, and to take up the incentive offer provided by the corporate sponsor 304.

Recipient consumers interested in the incentive offer provide contact information to the corporate sponsor 322, as indicated by arrow 324. In return, the sponsor 322 fulfils the incentive offer, as indicated by arrow 326. In the course of doing so, the sponsor 322 also requests that the recipient consumer make a contribution of funds to the charitable cause. It is considered that the method 300 may be more effective where the incentive offer provides a value to the recipient consumer that exceeds the corresponding cost to the consumer of goods and/or services provided in accordance with the incentive offer. For example, the incentive offer may be provided at no cost to the recipient consumer, and may include free goods, services, entry into a competition or draw providing goods or services of value, or may involve discounts on supplied goods and/or services. Alternatively, services provided by the corporate sponsor for free, or at nominal cost, may result in a longer term financial benefit to a recipient consumer. For example, the corporate sponsor may provide investment advice, advice on insurance policies, other financial advice, brokerage services, and so forth, resulting in ongoing savings or income growth for the consumer. In all of these examples, there is considerable goodwill developed through the interaction between the recipient consumer and the corporate sponsor which the method 300 is able to channel to the charitable organisation.

To provide a specific, and non-limiting example, the corporate sponsor may be a provider of insurance brokerage services, wherein payment for the services is provided through commissions paid on insurance policies issued following a recommendation by the broker. Such a brokerage service can therefore be provided at no cost to a consumer. This is accordingly of great benefit to the consumer, however the income received form commissions may be insufficient in itself to provide the insurance broker with the funds necessary to significantly grow its business. However, by entering into a sponsorship program with a charitable organisation, in accordance with the method 300, the insurance broker is able to gain access to the volunteer distribution network of the charity, in order to more widely promote its services with a view to ongoing growth. In this example, the incentive offer provided to recipient consumers is the free brokerage service provided by the insurance broker. Recipient consumers provide their contact details to the insurance broker, along with additional personal information necessary to enable the broker to provide the consumer with appropriate insurance advice and recommendations. Along with its recommendations, the insurance broker forwards a request to the recipient consumer to consider making one or more contributions to the sponsored charity. Particularly in cases where the insurance broker is able to make a recommendation providing ongoing savings to the recipient consumer, the prospects of such a contribution being made may be reasonably good.

In the embodiment of the method 300 in which information is distributed in printed form, a recipient consumer typically provides contact information, and any other required details relating to the incentive offer, through the completion and return of a printed form. It is preferred that this be made as simple, cheap and convenient as possible, for example by ensuring that the form is as straightforward as possible, and by providing a reply-paid envelope so that the consumer does not have to pay postage.

Similarly, the request made by the corporate sponsor for the recipient consumer to make a contribution to the charity preferably includes providing a contribution form or letter to the consumer in order to minimise the effort required to make a contribution. The contribution form or letter is preferably addressed directly back to the charity, and may include space for the recipient consumer to provide suitable payment information, such as direct debit and/or credit card authorisation. Preferably, the recipient consumer is provided with a variety of contribution options, such as making a one-off donation and/or periodic donations (eg monthly or annually), in order to ensure that the process caters for the widest possible range of consumer preferences. Alternatively or additionally, the request from the sponsoring entity may include promotional material relating to merchandise, fundraising raffles, and/or other goods, services and competitions offered by the charity as a means of raising funds, preferably along with a form enabling the recipient consumer to place orders for such goods or services.

According to the preferred embodiment 300, contributions are accordingly made directly to the charity 328, as indicated by arrow 330. This arrangement provides numerous advantages, including the establishment of a direct relationship between the charity 328 and the contributing consumer, as well as confidence of the contributor that all funds contributed are received by the charity 328, and additionally that any tax incentives, such as tax deductibility of donations, are unaffected by the sponsorship arrangement between the charity and the corporate sponsor. Furthermore, the charity 328 is able to directly issue receipts, and/or forward any goods or other items ordered, to contributors, as indicated by arrow 332. Indeed, once the charity 328 has relevant contact information provided by the contributing consumer, the relationship represented by arrows 330, 332 may become a permanent ongoing relationship, through which the charity may provide further information directly to the contributor, and the contributor may provide further contributions and/or other support directly to the charity.

The preferred embodiment of method 300 further includes mechanisms for tracking of informational materials distributed by volunteers 310 such that individual volunteers responsible for providing information to recipient consumers may be identified. This enables the performance of each volunteer to be measured and/or assessed, in their effectiveness in distributing information to recipient consumers and/or in achieving positive outcomes, in terms of contributions, for the charity. For example, when charity 328 is able to identify a

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particular volunteer, or alternatively a team of volunteers, responsible for distributing information leading to a contribution 330, it is possible for the charity S 328 to provide positive feedback and/or other incentives to volunteers 336, as nindicated by arrow 334.

In the embodiment 300 information is distributed in printed form, and accordingly a preferred method for tracking the distribution of information involves printing a unique sequence number, barcode, or other unique identifying Sinformation, on each brochure, leaflet and the like, which is distributed by I volunteers 310. According to this embodiment, the sequence number or other C 10 identifying information is printed on a portion of the printed material that is completed by a recipient consumer and returned to the corporate sponsor 322. In this way, it is guaranteed that the corporate sponsor 322 is able to identify the returned document. Assuming that materials provided to each volunteer are registered, and the unique numbers appropriately recorded, the sponsoring organisation 322 will be able to associate the returned document with the volunteer responsible for its distribution. This information can then similarly be included in documentation returned to the recipient consumer requesting a contribution to the charity, so that the charity 328 is in turn able to identify the responsible volunteer upon receipt of any subsequent contribution.

As will be appreciated, a particular advantage of the method 300 is thus that the corporate sponsor 322 is able to measure and assess the effectiveness of the sponsorship arrangement in producing referrals from recipient consumers, and the charity 328 is able to measure and assess the performance of the sponsorship arrangement in generating new contributions. Additionally, the method 300 enables the effectiveness of particular volunteers, teams of volunteers, fundraising programs and/or fundraising drives in generating referrals and contributions.

Turning now to Figure 4, there is shown a flow diagram 400 illustrating a fundraising method according to another embodiment of the present invention.

The method 400 is characterised in that information is distributed in electronic form, for example through email, via an existing volunteer network of the charitable organisation. Within the flow diagram 400 the charity is represented at various stages of the process by boxed 402, 428, while the corporate sponsor is represented by boxes 408, 422 and the volunteer network by boxes 404, 436.

According to the embodiment 400, the charity 402 receives contact details and any other information required from the volunteers 404, as indicated by arrow 406. Subject to any required consent from the volunteers 404, contact information is forwarded to the corporate sponsor 408, as indicated by arrow 410.

The contact information of volunteers 404 includes electronic contact details, such as an email address. Each volunteer 404 is then provided with information and other materials for distribution in electronic form, indicated by arrow 411. The information provided to each volunteer 404 includes a web link to a server, typically operated by or on behalf of the corporate sponsor 408, which is unique to the individual volunteer, or alternatively to a team or other grouping to which they belong. Because each such web link is unique, any subsequent use of the link by a recipient consumer, in order to contact the corporate sponsor as described hereafter, can be readily tracked and associated with the volunteer or volunteer group responsible for distributing the corresponding information.

In similar manner to the method 300 based upon the distribution of printed matter, the volunteers 404 distribute the electronic information, including information relating to the charity 402 and the corporate sponsor 408, to personal contacts 412 and the wider community 414, as indicated by arrows 416, 418 respectively. Distribution may be via email and/or other means of electronic communication, including posting on personal web pages of the volunteers 404, and accordingly it is straightforward for any recipient of the information to forward the email or other reference on to their own contacts. This additional method of referral into the wider community is represented by arrow 420 in the flow diagram 400. As will be appreciated, in electronic form the potential for further distribution of information is exponential.

The electronically distributed information includes the same details of an incentive offer provided by the corporate sponsor 408 as provided in the embodiment 300 of the inventive method. However, rather than requiring a recipient consumer to complete and return a printed form in order to take up the incentive offer, the recipient consumer may simply utilise the web link included within the distributed information to access a web page or pages operated by or on behalf of the corporate sponsor 408. In preferred embodiments, access to the web page referenced by the web link enables the recipient consumer to complete an online form proving contact information, and any other details required in relation to the incentive offer, to the corporate sponsor 422, as indicated by arrow 424. The corporate sponsor 422 is then able to respond, also preferably by electronic means, as indicated by arrow 426. The response includes a request for the recipient consumer to consider making a contribution of funds to the charity 428, and the mechanism for doing so may itself be electronic, or based upon a form or letter that may be printed and sent by the recipient consumer.

Accordingly, in like manner to the previous embodiment 300 of the inventive method, contributions may be made directly to the charity 428, as indicated by arrow 430, and contact established directly between the charity 428 and each contributor, as indicated by arrow 432. The use of unique web links associated with each volunteer or volunteer group 404, once again enables the specific volunteers responsible for generating referrals to the corporate sponsor 422, and subsequent contributions to the charity 428, to be tracked. Accordingly, it remains possible for positive feedback and/or other incentives to be provided by the charity, as indicated by arrow 434, to volunteers 436.

Figure 5 shows another flow diagram 500 illustrating a further fundraising method according to another embodiment of the invention. The method 500 is characterised in that information is distributed in electronic form via an existing distribution network of the corporate sponsor, and that the volunteer network of the charity therefore need not be involved.

According to the method 500 the charity 502 and corporate sponsor 504 negotiate an appropriate sponsorship arrangement, and the charity 502 provides details necessary for promoting its activities to the corporate sponsor 504 as indicated by arrow 506. The corporate sponsor 504 then generates appropriate informational materials in electronic form relating to the activities of the charity 502, its own goods and/or services, and an incentive offer, and distributes the materials via its own distribution and marketing networks 508, and into the wider community 510, as indicated by arrows 512, 514 respectively. Distribution into the wider community 510 may be through general advertising and promotional activities of the corporate sponsor 504. Since materials may be provided in electronic form, in like manner to the method 400 it is relatively straightforward for the existing contacts 508 of the corporate sponsor 504 to further distribute the information into the wider community 510, as indicated by the arrow 516. Furthermore, the generation and provision of unique web links associated with each existing distributor enables the subsequent tracking of referrals, and the provision of credit for referrals to responsible distributors.

After receiving the distributed information, recipient consumers may take up the incentive offer provided by the corporate sponsor 520 by accessing the provided web link, and completing an online form, as indicated by arrow 522. The corporate sponsor 520 then responds to the contact in fulfilment of the incentive offer, and requests the recipient consumer to consider a contribution of funds to the charity 502, as indicated by arrow 524.

The recipient consumer is subsequently able to take up the option to contribute to the charity 526, as indicated by arrow 528. As in the preceding methods 300, 400 contact is thereby provided directly between the contributor of funds and the charity 526, which is able to establish a relationship and/or provide information and receipts, as indicated by arrow 530.

It is to be understood that the foregoing description of preferred embodiments is intended to be exemplary only, and that the invention is not limited to the specific procedures described herein. Numerous variations are possible within the scope of the invention, and such variations will be apparent to those skilled in the art. For example, embodiments of the inventive method may utilise networks of a charitable organisation and/or networks of a sponsoring entity in various combinations, and by the distribution of information in printed form, electronic form, and/or in any other forms which may be apparent and applicable, and indeed different networks and forms of distribution may be combined in any convenient and effective manner. For example, the corporate distribution network described in association with the flow diagram 500 may be utilised in combination with the distribution of printed information, and/or may be combined with distribution via a volunteer network of the charitable organisation.

It will also be appreciated that the networks available to a charity may consist of individuals and organisations other than volunteers, and may include, for example, paid employees, or participants in a particular targeted fundraising program or drive who do not normally operate as volunteers for the charity.

In other variations, incentive offers provided by sponsoring entities may include offers other than services provided at no cost to the consumer, such as discounted goods or services, entry into prize draws and the like, or further information regarding the goods and/or services provided by the sponsoring entity. As a general rule, the typical requirement in order to obtain benefits from the inventive method is that the value of the incentive offer to the recipient consumer should exceed its effective cost, in terms of time and/or money, such that the consumer is motivated to take up the offer, and ultimately to consider a contribution of funds to the charity.

Accordingly, the invention should be understood to encompass these and other variations within the scope of the claims appended hereto.

Claims (24)

1. A method of fundraising for a charitable cause supported by a sponsoring entity which provides goods and/or services to consumers, the method including the steps of: distributing to recipient consumers information relating to the charitable cause and the sponsoring entity, said information including an incentive offer for said recipient consumers to provide contact information to the sponsoring entity; at least one recipient consumer providing contact information to the sponsoring entity; and the sponsoring entity contacting the recipient consumer in fulfilment of the incentive offer, wherein the sponsoring entity also requests that the recipient consumer make a contribution of funds to the charitable cause, whereby funds may be raised from one or more recipient consumers for the charitable cause.

2. A method of fundraising according to claim 1 wherein the step of distributing information to recipient consumers includes distributing information via a network of volunteers associated with the charitable cause.

3. A method of fundraising according to claim 2 wherein the step of distributing information includes distributing the information to a wider community via contacts of members of said network of volunteers.

4. A method of fundraising according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the step of distributing information to recipient consumers includes distributing information via a marketing and/or distribution network associated with the sponsoring entity.

5. A method of fundraising according to claim 4 wherein the step of distributing information includes distributing the information to a wider community via contacts of members of said marketing and/or distribution network.

6. A method of fundraising according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the step of distributing information includes distributing printed material, and wherein the recipient consumer provides contact information to the sponsoring entity by completing and returning a printed form.

7. A method of fundraising according to claim 6 wherein said printed form is marked with an identifier and the method further includes identifying a distributor responsible for distributing the information utilising the identifier.

8. A method of fundraising according to any one of claims 1 to 5 wherein the step of distributing information includes distributing electronic materials, and wherein the recipient consumer provides contact information to the sponsoring entity by completing and submitting an online electronic form.

9. A method of fundraising according to claim 8 wherein the electronic materials include an identifier used to access said online electronic form, and the method further includes identifying a distributor responsible for distributing the information utilising the identifier.

A method of fundraising according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the incentive offer includes the provision of goods and/or services having a perceived value to the recipient consumer which exceeds a corresponding cost.

11. A method of fundraising according to claim 10 wherein the incentive offer includes the provision of goods and/or services at no cost to the recipient consumer.

12. A method of fundraising according to any one of the preceding claims wherein requesting that the recipient consumer make a contribution of funds to the charitable cause includes providing the recipient consumer with information and/or materials for making a direct contribution to a charitable organisation associated with the charitable cause.

13. A method of fundraising according to any one of the preceding claims further including the step of at least one recipient consumer making a contribution to the charitable cause.

14. A method according to any one of the preceding claims further including the step of providing rewards or other incentives to distributors of the information on the basis of one or more of: the number of recipient consumers providing contact information to the sponsoring entity; the number of recipient consumers making contributions to the charitable cause;and the total value of contributions made to the charitable cause.

A method of a sponsoring entity supporting fundraising for a charitable cause, wherein the sponsoring entity provides goods and/or services to consumers, and the method includes the steps of: distributing information relating to the charitable cause and the sponsoring entity, said information including an incentive offer for recipient consumers to provide contact information to the sponsoring entity; receiving contact information from at least one recipient consumer; and contacting the recipient consumer in fulfilment of the incentive offer, and in the course of said contact requesting that the recipient consumer make a contribution of funds to the charitable cause, whereby funds may be raised from one or more recipient consumers for the charitable cause.

16. A method of supporting fundraising according to claim 15 wherein the step of distributing information includes distributing information via a marketing and/or distribution network associated with the sponsoring entity.

17. A method of supporting fundraising according to claim 16 wherein the step of distributing information includes distributing the information to a wider community via contacts of members of said marketing and/or distribution network.

18. A method of supporting fundraising according to any one of claims 15 to 17 wherein the step of distributing information includes distributing printed materials, and wherein contact information is received as a result of the recipient consumer completing and returning a printed form.

19. A method of supporting fundraising according to claim 18 wherein the printed form is marked with an identifier and the method further includes identifying a distributor responsible for distributing the information utilising the identifier.

A method of supporting fundraising according to any one of claims 15 to 17 wherein the step of distributing information includes distributing electronic materials, and wherein contact information is received as a result of the recipient consumer completing and submitting an online electronic form.

21. A method of supporting fundraising according to claim 20 wherein the electronic materials include an identifier used to access said online electronic form, and the method further includes identifying a distributor responsible for distributing the information utilising the identifier.

22. A method of supporting fundraising according to any one of claims 15 to 21 wherein the incentive offer includes the provision of goods and/or services having a perceived value to the recipient consumer which exceeds a corresponding cost.

23. A method of supporting fundraising according to claim 22 wherein the incentive offer includes the provision of goods and/or services at no cost to the recipient consumer.

24. A method of a consumer contributing funds to a charitable cause supported by a sponsoring entity which provides goods and/or services to consumers, the method including the steps of: receiving information relating to the charitable cause and the sponsoring entity, said information including an incentive offer to provide contact information of the consumer to the sponsoring entity; providing contact information of the consumer to the sponsoring entity; receiving a fulfilment of the incentive offer from the sponsoring entity, the sponsoring entity further requesting a contribution of funds to the charitable cause; and contributing funds to the charitable cause in response to said request. A method substantially as herein described with reference to Figures 3 to of the accompanying drawings. DATED this 13 th day of January 2006 HEALTH INSURANCE CONSULTANTS AUSTRALIA PTY LTD WATERMARK PATENT TRADE MARK ATTORNEYS 290 BURWOOD ROAD HAWTHORN VICTORIA 3122 AUSTRALIA P26630AU00