The business of charities
NATIONAL charities are businesses. As hard as it is to accept it just has to be. I have a lot of conversations with different people who have concerns with money going toward administration and wages, and that sort of thing, for charity organisations.
At the end of the day, I can tell you, if it wasn’t for someone being paid we wouldn’t have these charities, which make a big difference when you are going through difficult times through your life. In my case, I can talk about the shades of pink. Firstly if Mcgrath Foundation didn’t exist and wouldn’t have raised a pool of money, would I have had a breast care nurse?
She was the person who was there for me who I could be honest with about my fears and help me with the information and resources that I needed when I was on the journey.
If I hadn’t received resources like “My Journey Kit” from BCNA (Breast Cancer Network Australia), a national not-for-profit, would I have been so well informed about what I was going through?
Would I have had access to an online network to be able to connect with others nationally for support?
Look Good Feel Better is another national charity. Without covering their expenses, would I have been able to attend a workshop and receive the help I and every other woman in that room received for our self-confidence during chemotherapy?
Even though the local volunteers give their time and run the workshops, they have to be trained, there needs to be logistics to get the packs to all the workshops, and the reality of it is they need people in paid positions to make this happen.
The Cancer Council is another one. It offers financial support for the bills that keep on coming even if you’re off work fighting for your life. Fundraising initiatives help them achieve that.
Canassist is a local charity and the money goes to locals but they’re governed by an umbrella body.
The National Breast Cancer Foundation has to fundraise for research or there wouldn’t be money for research.
Only in July this year, I had a conversation with a person with the National Pyjama Foundation and I asked the question, "Will Dubbo get a Pyjama Angel?’ and their answer was they have to have growth, sustainability, the recruitment of volunteers and more first, and all that costs money.
Everyone’s got the time to volunteer here and there, but no-one is in a position to volunteer their time, full-time. We need these big charities. They need money to support those who need their services.
I don’t always agree with all fundraising activities or strategies nationally! That’s just how it all works!
Of course, I love seeing money raised locally going to locals which is a reason I founded Pink Angels in 2011 to care, help and support other locals.