Member Bulletin July 2026
Dear Members,
Welcome to the July edition of the PFRA Member Bulletin. As we settle into the new financial year, we know it’s a busy period for everyone, so thank you for taking the time to read through this month’s updates.
- Symposium Early Bird Tickets
- Sales Assured Guide
- Get to Know Leanne Riches
- Council Information Database
- Fundraiser Spotlight
- PFRA Featured on SBS’s Australia Explained
Symposium Early Bird Tickets
Tickets are now available for the PFRA Symposium 2026, with Early Bird rates in place until Friday, 21 August. This year’s event explores how AI is reshaping face-to-face fundraising, including emerging use cases and key compliance considerations.
When: Thursday 22 October, 9:00am–4:00pm
Where: Aerial Function Centre, UTS Sydney
Stay after for End of Year Drinks and the announcement of the 2026 Fundraiser of the Year.
Sales Assured Guide
We’ve published an updated guide, Using the Fundraiser Register – Charities, to support charity teams in confidently checking their fundraising crews on the Sales Assured Fundraiser Register. The guide covers logging in, filtering and exporting your crew list via My Crew Search, checking Criminal History Check dates for door-to-door fundraisers, and understanding shared deregistration responsibilities. Regularly reviewing the register is an important part of campaign compliance, and charities play a key role in flagging any missing or non-approved fundraisers to their supplier agency.
Get to Know Leanne Riches
We’re pleased to welcome newly elected PFRA Charity Board Member Leanne Riches, who has been elected for a two-year term. To help you get to know her better, we’ve included a short interview with Leanne below.
What first drew you into fundraising, and was there a moment early on that made you think this is the work I want to do?
It was 2002 and I had just returned from travelling after finishing college. I knew I wanted to do something that contributed to society, and while my Make-Up & Special Effects course had been fun, I didn’t really see it as fulfilling. Then I saw an advert in the Big Issue looking for travelling Face to Face fundraisers. I instantly felt inspired. The next week, following an interview, I found myself on the streets of Stoke-on-Trent in a big yellow puffer jacket with the Amnesty logo on the back and a clipboard. Once I shook the initial nerves, and had my first few conversations, I knew I had found something I loved…
Council Information Database
Have you tried using the council info database? This database contains information on local councils’ fundraising policies and permit requirements. You can search for an individual council name or even just a letter. You can also filter the search results by state, metro/regional, and access status. You can find out more by clicking the link below.
Fundraiser Spotlight
This month’s Fundraiser Spotlight shines on Nathan from Blackboat, who represents the Royal Flying Doctor Service Victoria in partnership with Cornucopia Consultancy.
While fundraising for RFDS Victoria in March, Nathan connected with a supporter who was immediately impressed by Nathan’s professionalism and genuine passion for the cause. Inspired by the interaction, the supporter expressed an interest in making a substantial one-off donation before the end of the financial year.
Nathan promptly passed the supporter’s details to Cornucopia, who then connected her with RFDS Victoria. Following this, RFDS engaged directly with the donor, resulting in a remarkable six-figure contribution processed in May.
RFDS Victoria CEO Michael commended Nathan’s outstanding representation of the organisation, highlighting this moment as a powerful example of how meaningful supporter experiences can lead to unexpected and significant outcomes.
Cornucopia is incredibly proud of Nathan for his initiative, quick thinking, and exceptional representation of RFDS Victoria. This story is a testament to the broader impact of face-to-face fundraising, while the goal may often be regular giving, sometimes it leads to extraordinary results such as a new major donor.
If you have a positive fundraising story to share, please email admin@pfra.org.au.
PFRA Featured on SBS’s Australia Explained
The PFRA recently featured on Australia Explained, an SBS podcast series exploring life in Australia for newcomers. The episode includes tips on how to identify a legitimate face-to-face fundraiser, and may be a useful resource to share with your own supporters and community.
June Quality Report
You can view the June Quality Report here or in the Updates and Publications area of the PFRA website.
Over June we recorded 7 breach free reports, which is a great result for the month.
PFRA CONTACT DETAILS
Jenny Kearney, Chair
chair@pfra.org.au
Ruth Bottrill, State Manager – Vic, SA, NT & Tas
ruth.bottrill@pfra.org.au | 0429 875 896
Polly Kornie, State Manager – NSW & ACT
polly.kornie@pfra.org.au | 0450 667 155
Mick Simmons, State Manager – Qld & WA
mick.simmons@pfra.org.au | 0447 266 816
Rachael Jensen, Membership and Administration Officer
rachael.jensen@pfra.org.au | 0419 666 089
Our mailing address is:
Public Fundraising Regulatory Association
c/o The Hub Southern Cross
Level 2, 696 Bourke Street
Melbourne VIC 3000
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