VINNIES CEO SLEEPOUT 21 JUNE, 2018 UNIVERSITY OF TASMANIA STADIUM, LAUNCESTON

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1 VINNIES CEO SLEEPOUT 21 JUNE, 2018 UNIVERSITY OF TASMANIA STADIUM, LAUNCESTON

2 VINNIES CEO SLEEPOUT A MAJOR ISSUE FACED BY THE HOMELESS IS THE LACK OF COMMUNITY UNDERSTANDING ABOUT HOMELESSNESS, ITS CAUSES AND EFFECTS. The Vinnies CEO Sleepout was initiated by local Western Sydney businessman Bernard Fehon in 2006 as a community event to raise additional funds for the Vinnies Winter Appeal. A little over $4,000 was raised on that night. Fast forward to 2018, the CEO Sleepout is now a national event, having raised over $42 million dollars to support Vinnies services around Australia. Vinnies in Tasmania has been hosting the Sleepout since 2011 and over $800,000 has been raised to support our services. Over the past seven years our Vinnies members have been able to provide the crucial assistance to people seeking help to secure a rental home by paying bonds and the rent required in advance and also by having the funds to assist with rental arrears. It is much easier to keep a family in their home than trying to assist once they have become homeless. Every year calls for assistance are on the rise as more and more families struggle to find the funds to make ends meet. People are falling behind with their rental payments and utilitiy accounts, issues begin to spiral out of control and it starts to have a domino affect. Physical and mental health suffer as people can see no light at the end of the tunnel. Vinnies is hear to help; we can provide the immediate assistance and work together to help with longer term plans, which may include referring to other agencies, assisting with financial literacy or being an advocate to speak on their behalf. But, we would not be able to offer this form of assistance without the funds we recieve from the CEO Sleepout. In the lead up to the CEO Sleepout the housing rental crisis is forefront in everyone s mind. We are reading in the local newspapers everyday of families struggling to find suitable and affordable rental properties; these are not only families on Centrelink benefits but also working families. People are having to put their belongings in storage and are living in tents and caravans in hubs around Tasmania. What does it truly mean to be homeless? What effect does it have on you as a person? What simple everyday things that we can take for granted become impossible? Having a home is a right not a privilege, people should be able to have these basic needs met, cooking nutritious meals, being able to have a hot shower, staying healthy, having the means to use life support machines if needed. How does someone use a CPAP machine for example? Having a warm bed to sleep in every night. Not one person or organisation can end homelessness but collectively as a community, we can all work together to make a difference; to help alleviate the immediate need, to empower people to regain control of their lives and to offer hope for a brighter and better future. Every Tasmanian has the right to have a place to call home. The Vinnies CEO Sleepout is not only a major fundraising event for the St Vincent de Paul Society to assist with homelessness but it also raises awareness and engages participants to talk about issues surrounding homelessness. Participatiing in the CEO Sleepout is nothing compared to someone who is homeless and faces these heartbreaking issues every single day. This event is about participating, fundraising and raising community awareness. We are encouraging CEOs, business owners, business leaders, managers and community leaders to please register for this year s event. Together we can make a difference and change the course of many people s lives. Register today at Phone

3 ABOUT VINNIES The St Vincent de Paul Society was founded in Paris in 1833 by a 20 year old university student named Frederic Ozanam. Frederic was deeply moved by the plight of those less fortunate, and formed the Society in order to assist the poor. From those humble beginnings the Society now operates in 150 countries and has over 800,000 members. These members and volunteers offer their time freely to assist people in need and combat social injustice. Vinnies in Tasmania The St Vincent de Paul Society has been operating in Tasmania since We currently have over 1,500 members and volunteers, 29 Conferences and 35 Vinnies shops and numerous Special Works. Vinnies members and volunteers work together, supported by dedicated staff to relieve not only the immediate requirements of those in need, but to identify the deep and long term causes leading to spiritual, financial and social hardship in our community, and provide a voice for the needy and disadvantaged. Each year the Society assists more than 20,000 Tasmanians. This help is not limited to providing material goods, food and shelter, but extends to providing spiritual support, relief from loneliness and encourages people to help themselves. TOGETHER LOUI S VAN AND VINNIES VAN PROVIDED OVER 21,500 MEALS TO THE BROADER HOBART AND LAUNCESTON AREAS. AROUND 2,400 PEOPLE ATTENDED DINING WITH FRIENDS OVER THE 16/17 PERIOD.

4 FUNDRAISING STRATEGIES So you have signed up for the 2018 Vinnies CEO Sleepout and now you are wondering where to start to raise funds. Don t panic, there are a number of easy and effective ways! SET YOUR TARGET Set a target and tell people about it and why you have chosen the amount. It may seem obvious, but the higher you set your target the more money you are likely to raise. You can always increase your target at any point on the website. SHARE YOUR STORY Update your profile page with a photo and the reasons you are doing the Vinnies CEO Sleepout. It will only take a few minutes but it will have a great outcome. We are happy to assist with any stats that you may wish to include. CREATE YOUR TEAM Encourage other people from your organisation or industry to join you and register as an executive team. That way you can split the fundraising between a few of you. It can also be a great team building exercise and you are fundraising for a good cause. ENLIST A SUPPORT PERSON Many of the participants recruit a support person to help them with their social media, requests or organise ways to raise money like morning teas or soup days. It can take some of the pressure off you - and many people enjoy this task and the difference they are making. EA s, receptionists and marketing personnel have often shown keen interest. BACK YOURSELF It has been said You can spend a lot of time making money. The tough times come when you have to give it away - so lead by example and sponsor yourself. It gives people one less reason to say no when you ask them for support. GET SOCIAL Social media is a great way to publicise your involvement. While a status update on LinkedIn or Facebook may bring in some money, a personal post on a friend s page or a private message will bring in even more. Don t forget to take advantage of your company s social media presence and your marketing team to promote your involvement using LinkedIn, Twitter, Instagram and Facebook. Encourage your staff to share posts on their social media networks. , , Most people self-sensor when it comes to ing people asking for sponsorship. It s a simple equation though; the more people you , the greater your fundraising returns. If you follow up with a second , you ll have an even greater chance of reaching your target. For an template, you can use the Spread the word button on your Vinnies CEO Sleepout profile. GET YOUR STAFF INVOLVED While you and your executive team are sleeping out, there are lots of other ways that your staff can be part of the event. A casual clothes day, a raffle or a special lunch are all ways of involving everyone and raising funds at the same time. Brainstorm with your staff, they may come up with lots of ideas. PUBLICISE YOUR PARTICIPATION You are sleeping out not only as an individual who cares, but as a business or community leader. Your staff will be proud to see you sleeping out in support of the people experiencing homelessness. You can: Include a banner on you intranet or website homepage. Publicise your involvement in your staff newsletter. Include our signature at the bottom of all your s. Ask your team to fundraise. Contact your marketing department to create some posters etc. or contact our office on and we can create some for you.

5 SUCCESS STORIES HERE ARE SOME EXAMPLES OF WHAT PAST PARTICIPANTS - PEOPLE LIKE YOU- HAVE DONE TO RAISE FUNDS. Getting Customers Involved. A retail CEO placed collection tins in her shops and shoppers were asked to make a donation. Staff wore pyjamas to get behind the cause. A business owner promoted their fundraising drive at the bottom of his company s invoices. Leveraging What Your Organisation Does Best An event management and catering company organised a mobile soup kitchen to sell soup to city workers with proceeds donated. They also organised an enormous staff soup lunch. Dollar Matching One CEO matched every dollar donated by her suppliers, another matched money donated by customers and another had his company match every dollar he raised. Getting Staff Engaged A number of companies organised for their staff to support their CEO and held a company sleepout in their workplace. Other participants held morning teas or movie nights and asked for a donation. Organising Special events A law firm hosted a beer and wine night, charged $50 entry and invited suppliers, clients and co-workers. The night served as a platform for further fundraising and a networking evening. A public relations company held a fashion parade using vintage clothes bought from Vinnies shops. Money from auctioned outfits and entry fees were added to the CEO s tally. Consider a collection while in a corporate lounge or box at a sporting event. Thinking Outside the Box A CEO formed an alliance with a local cafe recommending they donate $1 for every coffee sold on a specific day leading up to the CEO Sleepout. This translated to more sales for the cafe and money for his tally. Be sure to promote this internally and to other surrounding businesses. One participant pledged to wear a colourful onesie to the event if he raised $3,000 and yes he did!!

6 WHAT TO POST AND WHEN In the Lead Up to the Event I have just signed up to take part in the Vinnies CEO Sleepout. Help me raise money to help with homelessness at #ceosleepoutau Our CEO <insert name> has signed up for the Vinnies CEO Sleepout. You can support him or her at Help our CEO <insert name> raise $<insert fundraising target> to help with homelessness in Tasmania. Visit I ve just reached $<insert amount>. Thank you for your support. This June I am rising to the challenge by participating in the Vinnies CEO Sleepout to help improve the lives of the 1600 plus Tasmanians who are experiencing homelessness or are at risk of homelessness. I need your help to raise much needed funds to help those without a safe place to live. Show your support of people experiencing homelessnness by donating at Thanks to everyone who has donated so far. I still need to raise <insert amount> to reach my target. Please donate today at 60% of the homelessness population is under the age of 35. Please help me in my quest at www. ceosleepout.org.au. Domestic and family violence is the leading cause of homelessness for women and children. Help me in my quest at More than 17,000 Aussie kids dont have a permanent home. Help me in my quest to raise funds at People experiencing homelessness are more likely to suffer from severe mental health issues than the rest of the population. Help me in my quest to raise funds at Unemployment, family breakdown and drug and alcohol abuse are additional factors that lead to homelessness. Help me in my quest to raise funds at HOMELESSNESS FACTS IN TASMANIA (an extract from Shelter Tasmania s Fact Sheet - Homelessness in Tasmania 2018) Homelessness has been increasing across Tasmania for over a decade. Census 2016 showed the following:- 1,622 Tasmanians are homeless. 58% are males compared to 42% females. Most homelessness is hidden. Only 8% of homeless people are sleeping rough. Nearly 4 in 10 homeless people are younger than 25 years (38%). Of these, 48% couch surf or live with severe overcrowding, and 44% stay in supported accommodation. Nearly 1 in 5 homeless people are older than 55 years (18%). 1 in 10 homeless people are Indigenous (10.7%).

7 CEO SLEEPOUT SURVIVAL GUIDE CLOTHING It is likely to be very cold and possibly damp. It is advisable to wear warm casual clothes, bring extra layers. You will be provided with a CEO Sleepout beanie and scarf. BEDDING Cardboard will be provided for you to sleep on or to build a shelter. Please bring a sleeping bag and pillow. No airbeds, swags or luxury bedding items are permitted. DINNER ON THURSDAY Soup and a bread roll will be served as a basic evening meal. If you have any allegies or specific dietary requirements please advise us beforehand. Hot drinks will be served from Vinnies Van throughout the evening. BREAKFAST ON FRIDAY MORNING Breakfast will be served from around 6am from the wonderful team at Rapid Relief. WEATHER This is an experiential event which includes the elements of sleeping rough. Regardless of the weather, the event will go ahead. PHOTOS We encourage you to take photos throughout the evening and share via social media. PARKING Parking will be inside the grounds at the stadium and quite secure. AFTER THE EVENT Let your supporters know you followed through, thank them and make people know that they can still donate. The Team at Vinnies are here to help, please do not hesitate to contact them: Stuart Main Chief Executive Officer stuart.main@vinniestas.org.au Maryanne Singline Fundraising and Communications Manager / Event Co-Ordinator maryanne.singline@vinniestas.org.au Wendy Harper Operations Manager wendy.harper@vinniestas.org.au