2024 Giving Circles Campaign

In 2024 we will run our 10th Giving Circles fundraising campaign. Our first Giving Circles campaign was run in 2015, and with the input of 23 Giving Circle Coordinators we raised $35,836. Skip ahead to the 2023 campaign and 45 different circles worked together to raise a total of $113,100.

For the 10^th campaign, we will once again focus on ‘g-oz Travel Programs: 100,000 reasons why’. The Travel Programs are an essential part of g-oz, as they celebrate the cultural identity of the girls, while providing vital opportunities for them to learn how to thrive when they are away from home. All money raised during our 2024 Giving Circles campaign will go directly to cover the cost of our 21^st Travel Program, when girls from Halls Creek and Bidyadanga in WA, and Lockhart River and Kowanyama in QLD will visit Sydney in October for a week of singing, dancing and cultural connection. Along with these activities, we weave in some visits to further education and training settings, and introduce students to a range of professionals who we hope will inspire them.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a Giving Circle?

A Giving Circle is a group of individuals with shared values and goals, who donate to a shared pool, before deciding where to donate the money to. In our context, individuals who are passionate about supporting g-oz, sign up to lead their own giving circle and reach out to their network for donations.

Everyone has a network comprised of people who trust us or support us in everyday life. When we reach out to our network to donate or support initiatives that we are passionate about, they are more likely to do so. Therefore, the more networks we are able to connect with, the greater the impact.

How did g-oz Giving Circles start?

In 2013, Nicole Muir AM (Chair of Girls from Oz), attended an event run by Australians Investing in Women. Nicole was inspired by the words of keynote speaker Colleen Willoughby, who presented on the power of Giving Circles. In Colleen’s suggested model, you formulate a group and each give an agreed upon amount of money. This allows you to pool the funds together to make a greater impact for your selected charity. For example: If 100 people each donate $1,000 to the same charity, then the $100,000 raised will have a larger impact than each individual $1,000 could.

As CEO of the Australian School of Performing Arts, Nicole realised how Girls from Oz could harness the power of the Australian Girls Choir community to make a significant difference. For g-oz, the Giving Circle model involved each passionate supporter running a Giving Circle, where they ask their friends and family to donate. This is a “very easy model of going out to our circle and sharing something we are passionate about”. Although the Giving Circle model is focussed around monetary donations, Nicole believes that “raising awareness is what happens even if you are not raising funds”, and that sharing the g-oz story with our networks is impactful.

By being involved in collective giving campaigns you are “contributing to something greater than what you could do by yourself.” – Nicole Muir AM.

 I’m thinking about leading a g-oz Giving Circle, but what does that involve?

Being a g-oz Giving Circle Coordinator is far easier than one might think. Often when we hear the word coordinator, we worry that we will be expected to organise extensive and elaborate events. But leading a Giving Circle could be as simple as reaching out to your network to ask for their support. Sending a text or email to your friends and family asking them to donate is the easiest way to lead a Giving Circle. If you wanted to go bigger, then you might like to organise a dinner party with friends, a workplace bake stall, or Bunnings sausage sizzle. No matter the scale of your Giving Circle, when combined with other Circles the impact is great!

You might like to co-lead a Giving Circle with a friend or family member, using your combined networks to your advantage. For those unable to coordinate their own circle, your support in raising awareness for g-oz is just as valuable.

4 easy steps to become a Giving Circle coordinator:

1. Join: sign up to become a Giving Circle coordinator by emailing Dani at [email protected]
2. Connect: contact family, friends or anyone in your network to tell them about our aim to raise $100,000 by June 30.
3. Give: encourage your network to donate to your giving circle. This can be done directly via GiveNow, but don’t forget to remind them to mention your name in their donation.
4. Engage: after the campaign, continue to engage with g-oz by staying informed. Consider sharing with your network how their donations made a difference.

Where do I start?

• Read up about g-oz and begin learning about the projects and programs we run.
• Begin to educate your network about g-oz and the 2024 Travel Program.
• Share g-oz Giving Circle content on your social media platforms, or text your friends and family asking them to donate.

What if I wanted to step it up a bit?

• You might like to organise a daily challenge and start a go-fund me for g-oz.
• You could organise a movie night with friends or family and ask them to provide a donation as an attendance fee. There are many movies currently suggested when searching for ‘National Reconciliation Week films’.
• If your skills are in arts and crafts, you could make items to sell e.g. design cards or crotchet items.
• You could have a ‘paint and sip’ night with your network and invite them to donate to attend.
• You could contact Grill’d and apply for a local matters’ jar. Girls from Oz can provide you with the resources to apply.

Past Giving Circle coordinator Jody raised over $1,000 during the 2023 campaign by selling hand-made teapot holders (left image). In 2022, Jody used her talents to hand-make glasses cases to raise money for g-oz (right image).

What if I wanted to go bigger?

• If you are a keen baker, you could coordinate a bake stall at your workplace or liaise with a local Bunnings to host one there.
• You could run a stall at a local market e.g. selling clothes or goods.
• If running is your passion, you might like to run a marathon and donate the funds raised to g-oz.
• You could host a trivia night and encourage people to donate to attend.
• You could run a Bunnings sausage sizzle.

In 2022, g-oz instructor Laura and Australian Girls Choir alumni Ella completed a triathlon, raising over $1000 for g-oz.

How will g-oz support me during the campaign?

We provide our coordinators with content to assist them in sharing the campaign on a number of different social media platforms. We create a shared group for our coordinators to connect with each other, seek advice or assistance, as well as providing opportunities for joint events. We are also always here to provide ideas or suggestions for things you could do throughout the month of June to raise awareness and donations.

What if I don’t raise a lot of money?

Although the focus of Giving Circles is to encourage those in your network to donate, raising awareness about g-oz and our programs, is just as valuable. Your networks may have never heard about g-oz or understand the important work we are doing to reduce the cycle of poverty in remote Indigenous communities, by using performing arts as a hook to engage young women. You could use the campaign as a way to learn more about g-oz and share your findings with your network.

How will I know if I’ve been successful?

“A successful Giving Circle requires openness to meaningful learning opportunities, a willingness to share experiences and new ideas and the ability to collaborate with a diverse group of people, usually women”. – Australians Investing in Women

Whatever you decide to do for the Giving Circle campaign, make it something you feel you can achieve during the month of June, and don’t put too much pressure on yourself. There is no set formula for leading a Giving Circle and each individual will have their own approach. Some people may decide to adopt a more ‘low-key’ approach by sharing donation links with their network, or posting on their social media platforms. Others might have the time or capacity to organise a larger-scale event like a bake stall or fundraising night. As long as you are sharing g-oz with your network then you are making a difference.

In 2023, g-oz instructor Alice ran a bake stall at Bunnings (left image, pictured middle). Australian Girls Choir alumni Emma and g-oz instructor Hallie organised a bake stall for the Australian School of Performing Arts staff.

Okay, I’m in! What should I do now?

To join our fabulous team of volunteer Giving Circle coordinators, email Dani on [email protected] and she’ll set you up with everything you need to know.

Once you are signed up, start planning your campaign and encourage your network to support g-oz in raising $100,000 by June 30.