Fundraising manager

The real rewards of working for a charity.
Jannine Jackson knows that when you really want something all you need to do is ask. And she should know: Jackson is fundraising manager for Red Cross NSW. She says: "It is very surprising what people will give you if you ask.''

Jackson is responsible for everything from bequests and appeal letters to looking after people who make regular donations.

"People have different motivations for giving and different
capacities,'' she says. "People want to give to different causes for different reasons and it is pretty much my role to respect that.''

Her job, she says, is varied and no two days are the same. One of the things she enjoys most is the people she gets to work with.

"Generally, the people you get to deal with are very compassionate, wonderful people, who are getting rewards out of giving. You get to see a really lovely side of society through the job,'' she says.

Jackson has been with the Red Cross for just over a year but always wanted to work in the not-for-profit sector.

"I reached a point where working the hours in the corporate environment, where the money is much better, wasn't satisfying me. I moved so I could make a real difference in people's lives,'' she says.

"It's really special when you get to meet some of those people.''
But one of the challenges is the long hours and the small budgets.
"Working in the charity sector you are working with really small budgets but have to get significant results,'' Jackson says.

She is currently working on Red Cross Calling and has been instrumental in organising 40,000 volunteers to work across NSW to raise much-needed funds. They hope to raise $2.3 million to spend on projects such as homeless shelters and drug-education programs.

"The most exciting thing is when people give and they are really happy to give because you have connected with something that is important to them,'' Jackson says.

She has also worked with the Australian Paralympics committee preparing for the Athens Olympics, and on the Asian Tsunami disaster appeal when she first started her role with the Red Cross.

How to be...
a fundraising manager
You usually need to complete a diploma or degree with a major in marketing or sponsorship. For more information contact the Australian Marketing Institute,
1800 240 264 or ami.org.au

By Erica Watson, The Daily Telegraph, March 18 2006.