Essential support costs

A small portion of funds raised through our appeals are used to cover the cost of essential support costs — that is, the infrastructure and activities that underpin our work. At Australian Red Cross, this includes the day-to-day running of things like IT systems, fraud prevention activities, fundraising, and bank and platform fees. These funds also support the operations of our field teams who spread the word about assistance programs in communities where people need help and our dedicated cash assistance team who process the grant applications.

We’re committed to keeping our support costs as low as possible to ensure that the bulk of our appeal funds go directly into the hands of people in need.

Maximising the impact of the flood appeal

With pro-bono support from our generous corporate partners, we were able to cover the administration costs of the Australian Unites Telethon appeal in their entirety. As a result, 100% of funds raised through the Telethon were transformed into our immediate relief cash grants program.

For the QLD and NSW Floods Appeal, 90% of the funds raised went towards cash grants, recovery and response activities, with 10 cents of every dollar retained to cover essential support costs. Any interest earned on donations was invested back into the appeal.