Fundraise for us
Would you like to be a First Light fundraising hero?
If you’d like to fundraise for us, firstly, we’d like to say a huge THANK YOU.
As a charity organisation that receives no government funding, we rely on our wonderful donation and fundraising heroes and amazing corporate sponsors to help fund our programs and resources. So, your fundraising efforts mean the world to us and and help us to focus on what we do best: bringing hope, community and understanding to the lives of widowed people in Australia.
Fundraising also helps raise awareness of our organisation and the support we provide – your event or fundraiser may help introduce and connect a young widowed person to our support network and community.
So, thank you, for considering becoming one of our fundraising heroes. It makes a big difference.
Ways to fundraise for us
There are many ways you can fundraise for us at First Light; in fact, you can do so in just about any way you can think of. Whether it’s hosting a large fundraising event, holding a bake sale, asking for donations in your honour for your next birthday or special event, or participating in a sporting event to raise funds for your efforts, your imagination is your main limit.
Here are some fundraising ideas to get you started:
Online fundraising events and Facebook giving
For example, you could opt for birthday giving, using a fundraising platform (like Facebook, PayPal Giving, Just Giving) and nominate First Light Widowed Association as your charity. We’re a registered charity organisation and donations over $2 are tax deductible.
Want to maximise your fundraising success? We recommend keeping your donors and prospective donors updated and engaged by posting your story, photos and updates regularly.
'Running for' First Light at a local fun run or sporting event
You can dedicate your entry in any sporting event throughout Australia to First Light, to raise funds and awareness.
Just nominate us as the local charity you’d like any donations to go to, and share a link.
For example, First Light team and community members run for First Light at the Bridge to Brisbane race each year. Search for our team page on the event’s website to join us or follow our progress.
For more information on representing First Light at a sporting event or fun run, contact us.
Choose us as your charity at your next corporate fundraiser
Looking for a good cause for your next corporate fundraiser? We would love for you to consider First Light Widowed Association.
If you’re hosting a big fundraising event, we may even be able to provide some volunteers and resources, and help promote your fundraiser.
Fundraising for us? We'd love to hear about it!
It’s wonderful for us to receive unexpected deposits to our account, but we would still love for you to tell us about it so we know who to thank for the amazing work.
Are you an organisation, or are you raising funds via a bigger event that you’d like to request our permission for? You don’t have to ask us before you fundraise for us, but if you’d like to anyway, simply contact us to tell us about your fundraiser, and include in your message that you’d like our express permission ahead of time.
Fundraising in memory? Join our Wall of Love
If your fundraising is in memory of someone special, please let us know as we would love to add your dedication to our Wall of Love
In-person fundraising ideas
- Host a memorial morning/afternoon tea, and celebrate your person while raising funds. You can even provide a book or note paper for people to share their favourite memories of your partner, so you can cherish them for years to come.
- Host a movie night or wine tasting evening. You can provide the wine or have guests each bring a bottle.
- Ask your local gym or fitness studio to get behind you and hold a class with proceeds gong to First Light.
- Host a sausage sizzle. You can ask your local Bunnings to host one for First Light, please email us to discuss this first if you'd like to choose this option.
- Host a work morning tea or lolly jar / chocolate jar guessing competition, and ask for a donation per guess.
- Hold a garage sale, with proceeds going to First Light (you can also print out some signage for additional donations. We can send you a donation sheet on request, if you'd like one).
- Host a fancy dress party with a nominal attendance fee (which gets higher if the attendee is not wearing fancy dress).
- Ask your local club or pub if they have any raffles or event nights which can be held in the benefit of charities.
Support First Light while getting exclusive offers and deals with our Entertainment Club membership!
First Light receives 20% from each Entertainment Club membership sold.
Access Entertainment 2-for-1 and up to 50% off offers through an Entertainment Digital Membership on your smartphone. As well as saving money, you will be helping First Light to deliver programs to support young widowed Australians.
Whether you sign up yourself, or you promote this membership to your friends, family and colleagues (along with First Light’s unique sign up link), you’ll be contributing to First Light while enjoying your exclusive offers and experiences!
Discover many of the best dining, travel, arts, attractions and shopping experiences in your area with exclusive offers only available to Entertainment Members.
In addition to saving money when you dine out, Entertainment Membership gives you a huge range of discounts for online shopping (including stores such as Big W, Dan Murphy’s, Sheridan, The Iconic, Cosette, PatPat, Sanity and more), gift cards and take away dining options.
Entertainment membership - participating cities
- Australia: Brisbane, Sunshine Coast and Surrounds, Cairns, Palm Cove and Port Douglas, Canberra, Darwin, Geelong and Ballarat, Gold Coast and Northern NSW,Hobart and Surrounds, Launceston, North West Tasmania and Surrounds, Melbourne, Newcastle, Central Coast and Hunter, Perth, Sydney, Townsville, Wollongong, The South Coast and Southern Highlands.
- New Zealand: Auckland, Christchurch, Canterbury and Nelson, Dunedin, Invercargill and Queenstown, Waikato and Bay of Plenty, Wellington and Manawatu.
- Indonesia: Bali.
How to get started with Entertainment Club
All memberships are now 100% digital. Click here, and you will be taken to First Light’s Entertainment Membership web page.
Choose a membership to suit you:
Single City: $69.99 for a one-year digital membership.
Multi City: $119.99 for a one year-year digital membership – unlock all 21 cities across Australia, New Zealand and Bali.
Multi Plus: $229.99 for a two-year digital membership - unlock all 21 cities across Australia, New Zealand and Bali.
Pricing and information current at 20 May 2020. Subject to change by Entertainment.
Download our fundraising guide
Our fundraising guide has more information on raising funds for First Light Widowed, and more fundraising ideas (if you are still stuck for inspiration).
Download our fundraising guide today.
Information for after your fundraiser
After your fundraiser, please be sure to thank those who attended and/or donated.
If you’d like, we have a Certificate of Appreciation template that we can provide. Simply contact us to request this to be sent to you.
Information on fund deposits and receipts
If you’re wondering how you can make payment of the funds raised during your event, you can do so in many ways;
- Send the money via our Donate Now link
- Transfer to our bank account online
- Deposit the funds in person at an ANZ bank
- Send us a cheque
If anyone who donated to your fundraiser would like a receipt, just collect their details and the amount donated, and we can provide this after.
We can provide tax receipts for donations over $2.
More information on receipts and donation deposits can be found in our Fundraising Guide — download a copy today.
Thank you again, so much, for thinking of us for your fundraising efforts. It means the world to us and the work that we do.
For more information on fundraising for First Light, you can download a copy of our Fundraising Guide. Alternatively, if you have questions, you can email us at [email protected]
Hope, community, understanding
Join our community for access to information, resources, events, and a network of widowed people for peer support. Our membership is free, with options to upgrade and contribute later to keep us running and helping others.