Case Study
Ovarian Cancer Foundation New Zealand
Empowering Growth and Impact: Building a sustainable future for ovarian cancer awareness and research in New Zealand.
We knew we needed to grow our capacity and revenue to make more of an impact for those affected by ovarian cancers, and we had a passionate team with great skills and experience - we just needed guidance on where to focus our efforts.
A dedicated team.
When we think about the clients we have worked with in the past, we think about the places and spaces in which we as a consultancy have added the greatest value. Ovarian Cancer Foundation NZ (OCFNZ) is an organisation that sits in the forefront of our minds. Originally called Cure Our Ovarian Cancer, OCFNZ was set up by their founder Jane Ludemann, and is the only dedicated ovarian cancer charity in New Zealand.
The Fundraising Agency (then Barrer & Co) was initially approached by OCFNZ in 2022 to build a fundraising strategy. At that point, the organisation had been running for four years, and Jane was working in the organisation full-time as a volunteer, supported by a group of dedicated Trustees. Although the organisation had done an incredible job of fundraising with limited resources, they knew that to achieve the growth required to improve ovarian cancer care in New Zealand, they needed support, including the creation of an operational fundraising strategy.
It was the right time for the organisation to engage The Fundraising Agency for support; there was a huge opportunity for OCFNZ to cement itself in an inadequately served area, that of:
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Funding transformational research
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Advocating with those affected by ovarian cancers for access to equitable health care
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Facilitating support for Kiwis who were or could be affected by ovarian cancers
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Leading awareness of ovarian cancer and its symptoms.
We felt proud to be part of their journey, and that were contributing to a cause so close to our hearts.
A comprehensive fundraising strategy.
“After our Board met with Sarah, we all agreed that The Fundraising Agency felt like the right fit for us, and could provide the support we needed.” Alana Allan, Chair of OCFNZ
In mid 2022, we began working with the OCFNZ Board to build a comprehensive fundraising strategy, addressing several different revenue streams, including major gifts, corporate partnerships, Trusts and Foundations and individual giving, with a view to delve into bequests as a longer-term stream.
The Board felt that we captured the organisation’s strengths well, and that we created a strategy that would set them up for success.
Sarah and her team were knowledgeable, and created an operational fundraising strategy that we could see we help us grow in a scalable way. We had some big goals we wanted to achieve, and the strategy laid out a pathway for us in an 'easy to understand and implement' way.
It was a big investment for us as a newer charity, but it was a fundamental step to building an organisation that is sustainable, and can make an impact well into the future.
Recruitment & organisational alignment.
With the fundraising strategy in place, our next step was to support OCFNZ through the process of recruiting a Fundraising Manager to drive the strategy. During that process, we were able to help them identify and secure a fantastic Fundraising Manager.
“It was incredibly helpful having Sarah part of our recruitment process - her knowledge of fundraising, and ability to analyse CVs and candidates experiences, as well as being able to articulate what we needed from a Fundraising Manager, helped us recruit an amazing new team member, who has been able to grow alongside our organisation. They helped us lay the foundation to rebuild those relationships." Alana Allan, Chair of OCFNZ
"TFA's understanding of our organisation and the ovarian cancer space, due to their previous work with us, meant they were able to help us identify the key areas we should focus on, while keeping our fundraising strategy in mind." Alana Allan, Chair of OCFNZ
Our commitment to giving back.
Again, in 2024, when OCFNZ promoted their Fundraising Manager to General Manager (the first GM of the organisation!) they asked us to create job descriptions for several key roles within the organisation, including the Chairperson, Founder, and the new GM.
"With the new GM role, we wanted to have formality around each individual's role, so everyone knew what they were responsible for. It was essential to help our GM hit the ground running, and for us as a Board as well. It just made sense of us to get Sarah's support with this." Alana Allan, Chair of OCFNZ
As part of our commitment to giving back, each year we dedicate in-kind hours to some of the projects we work on, and it was honour to gift OCFNZ pro bono support for this particular project.
We reviewed the tasks each role was performing, and laid out the job descriptions to capitalise on people's strengths and skills, making sure that each role had a clear remit and tasks to perform, and that there were clear boundaries on responsibilities.
We are very proud of the work we have done with OCFNZ, and the relationships we have built - seeing the change that has occurred over the time we have spent with them has been truly rewarding.
We have watched them go on to raise further funds, meet their target, and can't wait to be involved in their next project that comes along.
It's been amazing to have The Fundraising Agency's support at key points of our organisation's growth - while we've got a diverse range of skills and experience within our team, being able to draw on Sarah's guidance and knowledge has helped our Board and GM feel confident in the direction OCFNZ is headed.
When something comes up, we know we can reach out to The Fundraising Agency team.
Let’s talk strategy
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