Tapping Philanthropy in CALD Communities
Helping, sharing and enabling are concepts that are part of the cultural life of CALD communities across Australia. Bringing these into the broader Australian community is an opportunity that serves time attention and resources. A smart investment through engaging with CALD communities will deliver a significant dividend.
The Giving and Volunteering in Culturally and Linguistically Diverse and Indigenous Communities research report indicated that the giving and sharing of money and material wealth was central to the principle of personal responsibility for collective wellbeing.
Most research participants saw giving as the duty of everyone – individuals, families, community groups – at all levels of material wealth. What to give and how much were directly linked to the giver’s level of material wealth and the urgency of need of the receiving individual, community or project.
While reciprocity, helping and supporting families and communities is central to the daily life of many CALD communities, the concepts of ‘volunteering’ and ‘philanthropy’ may not translate easily, or similarly, into other languages and cultures. Voluntary contributions within CALD communities often go unrecognised by community members themselves (and therefore in available research) due to narrow definitions and understandings of volunteering and giving.
Armed with these and many other insights, Cultural Perspectives have been working with the Sydney Children’s Hospital Foundation to broaden their reach and deepen their engagement with CALD communities, especially those in the broader catchment of the two main children’s hospitals.
The recent Sydney Sick Kids Appeal is one of the Foundations biggest, and most vital fundraising initiatives of the year, celebrating the positive difference hospitals can make to the lives of sick and injured children, who need the community now more than ever.
In 2020 alone, The Children’s Hospital at Westmead and Sydney Children’s Hospital, Randwick saw more than 50,000 inpatient admissions, 88,000 Emergency Department presentations and facilitated close to one million outpatient service visits.
This year’s Sick kids appeal included an articulated CALD social media campaign to align with the overall campaign messages and particularly target CALD communities. The purpose of this sub strategy included raising awareness of the Sydney Children’s Hospital Foundation brand, raising funds through this appeal, and reaching new audiences in a way that resonates culturally and delivers an appropriate and meaningful invitation to give.
All cultures want to keep their children safe and well so that they grow up to fulfil their potential as adults.
The impact of the campaign is currently being measured but early indications indicate that the SCHF has created significant traction and engagement with a new and highly valuable donor base.
