Supporter FAQs

How is the Foundation different from the Garvan Institute of Medical Research?

The Garvan Research Foundation is the marketing and fundraising arm of the Institute. Your donations to the Institute are channelled through the Foundation, unless you are a Private Ancillary Fund.

How much does Garvan Research Foundation spend on fundraising?

We always strive to ensure our fundraising costs are kept to a minimum. The amount varies each year depending on how much we receive in donations and what our expenses are. Over the past few years between 83% to 90% of donations have been used directly on medical research.

What is a CSC - or card security code?

The CSC is a 3 or 4 digit number that is not part of the credit card number. It's an additional security code that indicates the card is in your possession.

The number is usually printed on the back of Visa and MasterCard, or on the front of American Express.

How can I make a donation offline?

By phone: to make a credit card donation by phone, please call (02) 9295 8110. (9am to 5pm, Mon-Fri AEST)

By mail: download our donation form and send with your cheque or credit card details to Garvan Research Foundation, Reply Paid 68593, Darlinghurst NSW 2010 (no stamp needed)

Can I deposit into your account at the bank or via EFT?

Yes, you can. You’ll need to include your name or supporter number in the description, then contact us with your name, address and donation amount so we can identify and receipt your gift.

If you’d like to give in this way, you can send your gift to the following account:

Account Name: Garvan Research Foundation Gift Account

BSB: 082-057

ACC: 56 756 2610

Swift Code: NATA AU 3303T

Are donations to Garvan tax deductible?

Yes, all donations of $2 and over are tax deductible. However, event tickets are not tax deductible as per Australian tax law.

The Garvan Institute is a registered charity and an Item 2 Deductible Gift Recipient (DGR)

I donated money a little while ago and I still haven't received my receipt

If your donation was once-off, please get in touch with our Supporter Care team and we will send a receipt out to you right away. If you’re a monthly donor, you will receive an annual receipt at the end of the tax year in July.

I have lost my receipt - can I get a duplicate?

Yes, we can issue duplicate receipts. Contact our Supporter Care team to have one sent to you.

I am contributing via Workplace Giving. Can you give me a receipt?

If you contribute through Workplace Giving from your pre-tax income, you have already received the tax deduction and don’t need your receipt for tax purposes.

Can I donate shares to Garvan?

Yes, Garvan can accept donations of shares either as a living gift or as part of an Estate.

Donated shares will form part of the Garvan’s endowment fund investment portfolio. If you would like to make a donation of shares please contact us to discuss the best way to transfer the shares. Donations of shares under the value of $5,000 can be tax deductible in certain circumstances. You can visit the Australian Tax Office website to determine if your donation is tax-deductible and to find out information on Capital Gains Tax.

If you hold small parcels of shares in public companies (valued under $1000) that may cost more to sell than they are worth, or if you would like to tidy up your portfolio by donating your shares to charity rather than managing the ongoing documentation and small dividends these shares generate, you can use ShareGift Australia to donate the proceeds to the Garvan.

ShareGift Australia exists to provide Australian shareholders with the opportunity to sell their shares and donate the proceeds to charity, without having to pay brokerage fees. Shareholders are encouraged to nominate the charity or charities they would like their share sale to benefit. All shares held in Australian publicly listed companies may be sold.

If you would like to donate the proceeds of your share sales in this way please fill in the ShareGift donation form and simply include the name “Garvan Institute of Medical Research” as your suggested charity. Please note, when you give in this way, you will receive a tax-deductible receipt from ShareGift Australia (although remember you may also need to pay Capital Gains Tax). Through this transaction you are recommending that ShareGift Australia donates the proceeds of your sale to the Garvan Institute.

Can I make a bequest to a specific area of research?

Yes you can, however, as your bequest may not be realised until well in the future, we do try to encourage you to consider giving to general research purposes. This means the bequest will be directed to the area of most need when the estate is realised.

What happens to bequests at Garvan?

Bequests are typically directed to our endowment fund, which means the gift will provide income in perpetuity. This enables us to plan with security as well as fund new research projects with greater ease and speed. However, if the Will specifies an area of research to support, this wish will certainly be upheld.

I am an executor of a Will with Garvan as a beneficiary – what do I do next?

The first step is to notify us by sending a copy of the Will with a covering letter to our Bequest Officer, Donna Mason. We can verify our identity for you with an acknowledgement letter and commence the process from there.

Our address is 384 Victoria Street, Darlinghurst, NSW 2010, or email us at bequests@garvan.org.au.

I am an executor of a Will – where should I send the bequest donation?

Before preparing a bequest donation, please contact our Bequest Officer, Donna Mason at bequests@garvan.org.au.

Bequest cheques can be mailed to the Garvan Research Foundation, 384 Victoria Street, Darlinghurst, NSW 2010, or you can directly deposit into our account:

Account name: Garvan Research Foundation Gift Account

BSB: 082-057

ACC: 567562610

When transferring, please put your details in the description, then email or mail us with your name and address for receipting purposes.

Can the Garvan Institute provide an Executor for my Estate?

The Board of the Garvan Institute of Medical Research has outlined a policy of not providing Executorship duties to our donors. This decision was made in order to maintain Garvan’s transparency and independence in such matters.

Will the Garvan recommend a solicitor to write my Will? 

No, but we do recommend you seek advice from the law society in your state or territory.

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

An Authority to Fundraise is a signed letter from Garvan Research Foundation, giving you approval to raise funds for Garvan. You’ll need to get approval from Garvan in order to go ahead with your fundraising event or initiative.

How to I get an Authority to Fundraise? 

Before you begin planning your fundraising event you’ll need approval from Garvan Research Foundation. To do this, please fill in and submit a Proposal to raise funds for the Garvan Institute of Medical Research form.

Are there any rules about fundraising I should know about?

Fundraising guidelines state that a fundraising event or initiative cannot spend more than the equivalent of 50% of the amount raised. For example, if you raised $20,000 at your event then you would need to ensure that expenses did not exceed $10,000.

What support and assistance can Garvan provide for my fundraising activity?

We are very grateful for your interest in fundraising to support our work.  Our fundraising pages highlight all the ways you can support our crucial medical research. We can also provide you with:

• Fact sheets about Garvan and its work 
• Promotion on our website and community fundraising section 
• Tips for effective and successful fundraising initiatives.

What support and assistance is Garvan unable to provide?

We are unable to provide the following:

• Prizes for your fundraising activities 
• Applying for relevant permits, licences or insurance covers related to third party activities 
• Garvan staff to coordinate or assist at your event 
• Sale of tickets, products or services as part of your initiative 
• Reimbursement of event-related activities 
• Financial contributions to any event related promotional material or equipment.

How do I pay in the funds I've raised?

You can pay in the funds you’ve raised through fundraising in the following ways:

1) By credit card over the telephone – please ring 1300 73 66 77, and quote your supporter ID number (which is marked at the top of your authorisation letter) and let us know that this is for your community event.

2) By credit card securely online at any time.

3) By cheque or money order made payable to Garvan Research Foundation.

Please mail your cheque or donation coupon to: 

Garvan Research Foundation

Reply Paid 68593

Darlinghurst NSW 2010

No stamp is required when sending via mail.

4) Electronic Funds Transfer

When making an electronic funds transfer, please put your supporter id in the description (for example, 123545 Slipper event) and email foundation@garvan.org.au with your name and address for receipting purposes.

Our transfer details are:

Account name: Garvan Research Foundation Gift Account

BSB: 082-057

Account: 567562610

When must I send fundraised money to Garvan?

Funds raised must be provided to Garvan within 14 days of the conclusion of your event or activity.

Do you have spaces for Corporate Volunteers? 

Due to the nature of the work done at Garvan, we have limited corporate volunteering opportunities available, and generally reserve these for our existing corporate partners and supporters. 

My workplace would like to host a fundraising event to raise money for Garvan. What do we need to do? 

Please contact corporate@garvan.org.au to discuss your fundraising initiative.

How do I change my address? 

Get in touch with our Supporter Care team and let us know your name, previous address and new address. 

How do I advise you of my new credit card number or expiry date? 

If you have a new credit card number, please call us and we’ll update your payment details. If you just need to update the expiry date on your card, you can either call us or use our online form. 

How can I be removed from your mailing list? 

Get in touch with our Supporter Care team and they will remove you from our mailing list. 

I’ve been contacted by a member of your fundraising team. How did they get my details? 

We undertake direct marketing activities to find new donors to help support our medical research work. You might have recently completed an online survey, expressing interest in the work of the Garvan Institute. Or your details may be on a marketing list provided by a third-party.

If you’d like to find out if your name is on a marketing list or stop receiving marketing from us, please contact our Supporter Care team.

How can I donate via a Private Ancillary Fund? 

Garvan is pleased to accept donations from Private Ancillary Funds. To make a donation, please ensure cheques are made out to Garvan Institute of Medical Research. 

The Garvan Institute of Medical Research (ABN 62 330 391 937) 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 Philanthropy team at philanthropy@garvan.org.au or (02) 9295 8110.

We have teams of face-to-face fundraisers in many locations around New South Wales and Queensland talking about Garvan's medical research. Our teams will also sometimes go on road trips to other states such as Tasmania. They are trained fundraisers, acting on behalf of Garvan, and will be knocking on doors to share some of our amazing research programs and ask for your support.

• Read more about how and why we do this fundraising