Garvan is committed to supporting the work of our incredible researchers through fundraising so that they can predict, prevent, diagnose and treat the diseases affecting human health most today.

One way we find like-minded donors who are interested in supporting our work is face-to-face fundraising. This is one of the most efficient and cost-friendly ways to find generous members of the public who want to join us in the fight against disease on an ongoing basis.

We engage with third-party fundraising teams that work in various locations across Australia. They are professional fundraisers who act on behalf of Garvan and are knowledgeable about our amazing research programs and the impact the ongoing support of the public can have.

Is face-to-face fundraising COVID-19 safe?

Garvan fundraisers follow a strict set of guidelines enforced by the Public Fundraising Regulatory Association to ensure their own and the safety of the community (including all COVID-19 safe guidelines). Our fundraisers are happy to wear a mask when speaking to you, on request.

How can I tell a fundraiser is legitimately representing Garvan?

Our fundraisers will be wearing Garvan-branded uniforms (light grey shirts, black jackets, indigo/purple logo) and will have ID tags on lanyards. If you are unsure if a fundraiser is genuine you can ask to see their ID, which they are required to always wear while working. It should clearly state who they work for and that they are representing the Garvan Institute of Medical Research. Our fundraiser

 collect donation details on an Ipad and will never ask for cash. If you’d like to confirm you’ve interacted with a genuine fundraiser, please get in touch, with our Supporter Services team at 02 9295 8110 or via email at 

We take the security of your personal details extremely seriously and have measures in place to protect them. All personal details are collected via an iPad that immediately encrypts your data before it is safely stored in our database. The fundraiser will not be able to access it once submitted. See our privacy policy for more information.

If you have chosen to support us with a monthly gift, you will receive a follow up phone call and welcome pack to confirm we have the correct details and to thank you for your kindness and generosity.

Monthly giving is one of the most secure and effective ways of giving to charity. It reduces administration costs and generates a predictable and sustainable stream of income, allowing us to plan for the future.

What times of the day are fundraisers permitted to knock on doors?

Fundraising legislation differs from state to state and on days of the week. We generally fundraise Monday – Saturday 10am – 8pm. Please get in touch for more information about the guidelines in your area. 

Are councils and police aware of fundraisers operating in their areas?

Some councils require fundraisers to have permits to operate on street campaigns but not for residential campaigns. However, all fundraisers must carry an ID badge which must be displayed at all times. The ID badge states who they work for and who they work on behalf of (Garvan). Garvan holds state-based licenses in all Australian states and territories available on request.

How do I provide feedback about a fundraiser?

If you have engaged with one of our fundraisers and would like to provide feedback, please note their name, where you spoke with and the time of day and contact our Supporter Services team at 

02 9295 8110. We are always happy to hear from the community and take all feedback seriously.

How much of my donation will go to medical research?

For every dollar Garvan receives from the government, we need to raise at least another dollar to continue our vital medical research. If we didn’t generate additional funds, many research projects would not happen.

We pay a third-party fundraising provider a one-off fee for every new regular monthly donor who kindly decides to support us. While this fee is a one-off, most new supporters choose to continue giving to Garvan for many years, and often in different ways, making face-to-face fundraising a very cost-effective way to raise funds over the long-term.

Garvan is funding this campaign from its overall fundraising budget – which is pre-allocated, not directly from an individual’s donation. Of all the funds Garvan receives, only 12% go towards its total administration costs and fundraising.

How will Garvan benefit from this program?

The ongoing funding from our face-to-face program will help to give our researchers the momentum needed to make amazing discoveries. With the ability to better plan for our future thanks to this reliable form of support, we can develop better ways to predict, diagnose, treat and ultimately stop diseases before they start.

Face-to-face doesn’t work? So why do it?

Face-to-face is a highly successful method of fundraising and has been responsible for many charities being able to increase their impact. Across the charity sector, about 80% of all donors who give a monthly gift first donate via face-to-face.

Garvan is running this program so we can raise more funding for our medical research – to predict, prevent, diagnose and treat disease.

Face-to-face is regulated by the Office of Fair Trading (NSW) and the industry has two bodies who are responsible for compliance – the Public Fundraising Regulatory Authority (PFRA) and the Fundraising Institute of Australia (FIA).

The agency we use pay their staff in accordance with the Fairwork Australia rules, which set out entitlements and rights of workers.

How do you ensure a vulnerable person isn’t signed up for a donation?

Our fundraisers abide by strict codes of conduct and rules about whom they can and cannot sign up, and one of those groups is vulnerable people. They are trained to notice signs of vulnerability and may ask questions to ascertain if an ongoing donation is right for a potential donor.