Fundraising FAQs

Some frequently asked questions about MDFA fundraising

We rely on the generous support of our community to fulfil our purpose and so we will always encourage donations and gifts in Wills. However, we understand you may have questions about how we use your gift.

We will use your gift carefully and cost-effectively, so it has maximum impact.

We also aim to be fully transparent with our donors and supporters. If you have questions that are not answered in this section or by this website, we invite you to call our Supporter Care Team. You can contact us through the National Helpline on 1800 111 709 or via email.

Macular Disease Foundation Australia is a registered charity with the Australian Charities and Not-for-profits Commission (ACNC). You can view MDFA’s profile on the ACNC website.

• How can I contact Macular Disease Foundation Australia?

  Please see the Macular Disease Foundation Australia contact information available on this website. We welcome your calls and emails, so please don’t hesitate to reach out to us if you have any questions about how you can get involved in fundraising or volunteering.

• I'd like to donate, but want to know more about MDFA's purpose.

  Our purpose is to reduce the incidence and impact of macular disease in Australia.

  We do this via our four pillars of work – prevention and early detection, supports and services, advocacy, and research and data. Read more about MDFA.

  Prevention and early detection: With 8.5m Australians at risk of macular disease, your gift can help reach those at risk through education and campaigns. Early detection of macular disease is crucial to save sight.

  Funds from our generous supporters have assisted MDFA in launching Check My Macula, an online risk assessment quiz to raise awareness of macular disease among Australians over the age of 50.

  Macula Month, an annual awareness program held each May, is also designed to raise the profile of the range of macular diseases, and spread awareness.

  Supports and services:  Living with macular disease can be very challenging.  Your gift can help us continue to deliver individual support to thousands of Australians and reduce the risk of progressive vision loss. All our services are free of charge. Services include the National Helpline, which provides tele-health counselling, peer to peer support groups, and patient care plans. MDFA holds seminars and education webinars to further assist those living with macular disease. Find out about MDFA supports and services.

  Voice of the community: MDFA works to ensure all Australians can access universal treatment and resources to help them live with macular disease.  Your gift can help us raise the united voice of the growing macular disease community to make lasting change for better and fairer access to government support and affordable treatment. In a typical year, MDFA may make 150-200 policy submissions and representations to both government and non-government bodies on behalf of the community. Read more about MDFA advocacy.

  Research and data:  Through the generous support of Australians like you, MDFA has committed millions of dollars to research projects since 2011. In 2020, MDFA supplemented its Research Grants Program with a newly established Grant Family Fund. This fund supports young researchers with seed funding for blue-sky macular disease research projects. This new stream of grant funding was made possible due to a generous bequest gift, from the late Faye Grant. Read more about the Research Grants Program.

• How much does MDFA spend on fundraising?

  MDFA relies heavily on the generosity of everyday Australians to enable us to continue to empower the macular disease community well into the future. Fundraising also allows us to support talented researchers to continue their life-changing work.

  We try to keep our fundraising costs low; however, the percentage cost may vary depending on the amount of donations received throughout the year and the expenses associated with running our programs.

  For more information on the industry standards for cost of fundraising, please visit the Australian Charities and Not-for-profits Commission website.

  MDFA’s full financial statements are online if you require further information.

• How can I update my contact details held by MDFA?

  If you would like to update your contact details, please contact our Supporter Care team on 1800 111 709 or via email and we would be happy to update these details for you.

• I would like to be removed from your mailing, email or call list. What do I do?

  Please contact our Supporter Care team on 1800 111 709 or via email and we can update your contact preferences. You can also unsubscribe from all emails by clicking the unsubscribe button located at the bottom of the email.

Donations and receipts

• How can I donate to you?

  There are many ways you can donate to MDFA.
  • Online – visit our donations page.
  • Phone – to make a credit card donation by phone, please call 1800 111 709 (9am-5pm, Mon-Fri, Australian Eastern Time)
  • Mail – send your cheque, money order or credit card details to:

  Macular Disease Foundation Australia
  Reply Paid 85946
  SYDNEY NSW 2000 (no stamp is required)

  • By direct deposit – please include your full name and/or client number (if known) in the description, as well as either “R” for Research or “P” for Programs. That way we  can allocate your funds according to your wishes. Please also contact us with your name, address and donation amount so we can keep an eye out for your donation and send you a receipt.

  Our account details are:
  Account Name: Macular Disease Foundation Australia
  BSB: 082 057
  ACC: 5575 952 32

• Is my donation tax deductible?

  Yes, all donations of $2 and above are tax deductible.

  If you buy one of our ‘Eating for Eye Health’ cookbooks, these are not tax deductible as per Australian tax law.

  MDFA is a registered charity and an Item 2 Deductible Gift Recipient (DGR).

• How do I advise you of my new credit card details?

  To provide a your new credit card details or provide an updated expiry date, please contact our Supporter Care team on 1800 111 709. Please do not send credit card details via email.

• What is a CSC (card security code)?

  The CSC, also referred to as a CVV, is a 3 or 4-digit number that is not part of the credit card number. It is an additional security code that indicates you have the card in your possession. This number is usually found on the back of Visa and MasterCard, or on the front of American Express.

• I have donated to MDFA but have not yet received my receipt.

  If you sent in a single (one-off) donation, please contact our Supporter Care team on 1800 111 709 or email us. We will send a receipt out to you right away.

  If you are a monthly donor, we’ll send you an annual receipt in July for the previous financial year.

• I have lost my receipt. Can I get a reprint?

  Yes, we can send you a copy of your receipt if you need it. Please contact our Supporter Care team on 1800 111 709 or email us and we’d be happy to send it to you.

• How can I cancel or change my monthly donation?

  To cancel or change your monthly gift, please contact our Supporter Care team on 1800 111 709 or send us an email.

  Please do not send credit card details via email.

Gifts in Wills

• How does my gift in Will help MDFA?

  A gift in your Will to MDFA is a meaningful way to make a lasting impact on the eye health and the lives of future generations. Every gift in Will received allows us a considerable degree of flexibility and security in planning for the future so we can continue to support our community.

  Learn more about how to include MDFA in your Will and join a family of honoured supporters that we call Visionary Partners.

• Can I specify how my gift in Will is used by MDFA?

  Yes, you can request that we direct the gift you leave us in your Will to either our research program or our supporter care program. However, we encourage you to consider giving to general purposes so that we may direct your donation to the area that needs it most when the estate is realised.

• What types of gifts can I leave to MDFA in my Will?

  You can leave a gift in your Will in a number of ways. Please discuss these options with your family and your solicitor to work out what is best for you.

  We accept residual gifts, percentage gifts, pecuniary gifts and specific gifts such as property, stocks and shares or other items of value to MDFA.

  Learn more about leaving a gift in your Will.

• MDFA is a beneficiary of a Will I am an executor of. What do I do next?

  Please notify us by sending us a copy of the Will with a covering letter to our office. We can then verify our identity for you with an acknowledgment letter and commence the process from there.

  You can mail your notification to:

  Macular Disease Foundation Australia
  Reply Paid 85946
  SYDNEY NSW 2000 (no stamp is required)

  Alternatively, you can email us at bequest@mdfoundation.com.au.

• As an executor of a Will, where should I send the gift in Will donation?

  Before preparing the gift in Will, please notify us by either calling 1800 111 709 or emailing us.

  Cheques can be mailed to:

  Macular Disease Foundation Australia
  Reply Paid 85946
  SYDNEY NSW 2000 (no stamp is required)

  Or you can deposit directly into our account:

  Account Name: Macular Disease Foundation Australia
  BSB: 082 057
  ACC: 5575 952 32

  Please include your details in the description then email us with your name and address so we can send a receipt.

• Does MDFA accept Private Ancillary Funds?

  MDFA accepts donations from Private Ancillary Funds. To donate, please ensure cheques are made out to Macular Disease Foundation Australia.

  MDFA (ABN 52 096 255 177) is a registered Health Promotion Charity and an endorsed Deductable Gift Recipient Item 1 by right of an act of NSW State Parliament.

  To discuss any deductible gift recipient requirements please contact the Supporter Care team via email or phone 1800 111 709.

Fundraising for MDFA

• I'd like to raise funds for MDFA, how do I go about that?

  If you would like to discuss a fundraising idea, or to find out about fundraising events taking place in your area, please contact MDFA on 1800 111 709.

  To collect funds on our behalf you require an Authority to Fundraise from MDFA. We can organise that for you.

  If you are participating, or planning to participate in an event and want to raise funds for MDFA online you can use Go Fundraise.

• What is an Authority to Fundraise and do I need one?

  An Authority to Fundraise is a signed letter from MDFA, giving you approval to raise funds on our behalf. Before planning your fundraising event, contact MDFA to request this approval.

  Please contact our Supporter Care Team on 1800 111 709 or via email.

• I'm hosting a fundraising event on behalf of MDFA. What support and assistance can you provide?

  Due to limited resources, MDFA isn’t able to coordinate your event, and can’t help with ticket sales, soliciting prizes or organising celebrities.

  The event, including the financial aspects, fundraising, raffles, record keeping and management, shall be conducted in your name and is your sole responsibility.

  We can, however, provide you with fact sheets about MDFA, the work we do, and about macular disease if we think it may assist you in your fundraising or raise awareness about macular disease generally.

   

   

• Can I keep any portion of the funds raised on behalf of MDFA?

  Unfortunately, you can’t retain any part of the gross profits raised during the event as a commission, wage or other fee.

  All profit (minus fair and reasonable expenses) must be sent to MDFA. You must not retain any part of the profit or any other benefit received from your fundraising event.

• When do I have to send the money raised to MDFA?

  The proceeds of the event, the official sanction letter and a statement of income and expenditure, together with copies of receipts for all expenditure, are to be sent to MDFA within 14 days of the conclusion of the event.

• How can I pay the funds I have raised to MDFA?

  You can pay the funds you’ve raised to MDFA in the following ways:

  Online – visit our donations page and make a single donation.

  Phone – make  a credit card donation by phone by calling 1800 111 709 during office hours, Mon-Fri.

  Mail – send your cheque, money order or credit card details to

  Macular Disease Foundation Australia
  Reply Paid 8594
  SYDNEY NSW 2000 (no stamp is required)

  Direct deposit: Please include your full name and/or client number (if known) in the description, then contact us with your name, address and donation amount so we can keep an eye out for your donation and receipt you appropriately. Our account details are:

  Account Name: Macular Disease Foundation Australia
  BSB: 082 057
  ACC: 5575 952 32

Workplace giving

• What is workplace giving?

  Workplace giving is where you give a regular donation from your pre-tax pay, managed through payroll. Provided you are employed, and your employer offers workplace giving, you can choose your preferred amount you wish to donate, and your employer will pay the donation directly to MDFA each payday. Read more about workplace giving…

• What provider does MDFA use for workplace giving?

  MDFA is already registered with Good2Give. If your company uses this provider, you will be able to support MDFA through your company’s existing platform. If your company uses a different provider, please contact us, and we can investigate setting up the MDFA with your company’s provider.

• My company manages workplace giving in-house, what do I do?

  Please put the relevant member of your HR department in touch with us, and we will then work together to get you set up and donating to MDFA.

• What happens if my company isn't set up for workplace giving?

  Please let your HR department know that you would like to support MDFA in this way. We can offer step-by-step support to HR and Finance departments to set up workplace giving donations on a case-by-case basis. To access this support, please contact us via email or call on 1800 111 709.

• I am donating through Workplace Giving, do I get a receipt?

  When you donate via workplace giving, you are already contributing from your pre-tax income. This means you have already received the tax deduction and don’t need a receipt for tax purposes.