Published Friday, 28 May 2021
Almost 40 years ago, Craniofacial Australia came to life at 226 Melbourne Street, North Adelaide. Our offices have served as a haven for patients, a place to offer kindness and support and a space for people who are inspired to change people’s lives, whether it be working to further research or just make a patient’s day a little easier. The decision to establish the Foundation in North Adelaide was strategic, with the location nestled in the Adelaide medical precinct less than half a kilometre away from the Australian Craniofacial Unit.
Like everyone, we have needed to make some tough decisions as a result of COVID-19. Donations have been down on previous years as everyone feels the pressure of the pandemic, which is why we have been looking at ways to ensure our longevity as a Foundation by reducing costs where we can.
To save funds and to ensure we remain focussed on patient support, we are moving to a smaller office. The new office location had to be carefully considered, as we wanted to ensure our location could be easily accessed by patients, families, and members of the Adelaide medical community.
This is why we are delighted to announce that we will be moving just a few doors down the road, to 204 Melbourne Street, North Adelaide. Although COVID-19 has had an impact on the Foundation, it has not shifted our focus on what is important to us – helping people.
As we embark on this new chapter in our history, we invite you to all be a part of this new journey. Our new location will still be a haven for patients, a place for you to share tea and biscuits. It will still be a place to change people’s lives, to further research and to educate tomorrow’s best surgeons. It will still be a place where we help people with craniofacial deformities or who have suffered from trauma. It will still be a place for all of these things. It will just be a few doors up the road.
Update from the Board of Management
Craniofacial Australia will show a loss this financial year. But there is no need to be alarmed.
We would like to take this opportunity to give you an update on our year-to-date financial situation despite there still being several weeks to go. All of what follows is therefore subject to change according to our financial outlook.
The first thing to note is that for the previous financial year, 2019-2020, the Foundation’s revenue exceeded its expenses by approximately $530,000. This year we will be close to the reverse, expecting a net loss of approximately $400,000.
Why is that?
The short answer is the impact of the Coronavirus pandemic.
As the scale of the pandemic developed from March 2020 onward, receipts from fundraising, donations and bequests understandably diminished. We also saw this reflected in a sharp downturn in global stock markets.
We have extensively reduced the costs of operating the Foundation over the last year; moving offices to cheaper accommodation being a primary example. However, we would be reluctant to limit grants for patients, research or education, since they are the very reasons for our existence.
What then, is ahead for the Foundation?
We have a substantial capital base that has been derived from sound financial management over the last 10 years. Accordingly, by reason of the generosity of our donors, we can withstand revenue loses – but not indefinitely.
As the economy improves, we will hopefully see an increase in receipts from fundraising and donations. So too will our investment income improve as the economy becomes more buoyant. There are signs of that happening now.
We are hopeful that we will be able to maintain grants for education, research and patient support at 60% of total expenses, but will do so only if revenue improves as expected.
In all, the adverse effects of the COVID-19 pandemic have called for increased diligence in the fiscal management of this worthwhile Foundation whose ongoing health is dependent on your generosity.
Yours faithfully,
David Smith QC
Board Member
How we are managing the impact of COVID-19
In an unprecedented year such as 2020/2021, things don’t always go to plan. Tough decisions were required to ensure Craniofacial Australia continued to support our community as best we could. For the Board, this meant having to sacrifice a positive financial position for the year, something we haven’t done for 15 years.
Fortunately, the substantial capital base of the Foundation that the Board has spent many years building came in handy, and our reserves were used to ensure that Service Delivery continued even in trying circumstances.
Achieving this is very satisfying.
For a Board, it is always interesting to look back over a difficult year and assess if the right decisions were made at the time.
2020/2021 was challenging, but assessing what has been achieved and the lives impacted, categorically, the Board would do it all again if given the choice. Minus the pandemic of course.
Amanda Haskard
Corporate Manager
A new generation of Indonesian surgeons
In April, Craniofacial Australia launched a new online lecture series and with it our very own e-Learning platform. The 20-week lecture series, Advanced Cleft and Craniofacial Management, is being given by Dr Ben Grave and Professor David, live-streamed from our offices via Zoom to surgeons and all kinds of multidisciplinary team members across Indonesia.
More than 200 students registered for the free course, which will provide lectures on cleft management, all kinds of syndromic and non-syndromic craniosynostoses, as well as in-depth case discussions. We are extremely grateful to Drs Lobredia Zarasade and Magda Hutagalung for their invaluable help organising things from Indonesia’s side.
How you can get involved
Leave a gift that will last a lifetime
When you are preparing your Will, you may want to consider leaving a gift to support the life-changing work of Craniofacial Australia. If you are considering leaving a lasting gift to us and would like to know more, please contact our Fundraising and Marketing Manager.
Simone Lavelle
Fundraising and Marketing Manager
T 08 8267 4128
E Simone.Lavelle@acmff.org.au
W craniofacial.com.au/bequests
Start a Facebook Fundraiser for Craniofacial Australia
For her birthday, Anna, whose twins both have Metopic Synostosis, launched her own Facebook Fundraiser for Craniofaical Australia, raising nearly $200 above her goal. We are so grateful for the support shown by Anna and her friends and family.
Corporate Partnerships
We offer a wide range of partnership opportunities and ways to be involved with our organisation, including having Professor David attend as a guest speaker. If you would like to know more about developing a symbiotic relationship which is beneficial to both parties please contact us on 08 8267 4128 or email info@acmff.org.au.
Workplace Giving
Workplace Giving is an easy way for you to support Craniofacial Australia and transform the lives of people living with craniofacial deformities. As little as $10 a week could help a rural family in Australia receive better treatment and care. Find out more about how you can get involved with workplace giving here.
Refined Real Estate
The printed version of this newsletter was made possible by the generosity of our platinum sponsor, Refined Real Estate.
Refined Real Estate have been one of Craniofacial Australia’s major sponsors for over five years. A multi award-winning boutique real estate agency, specialising in the sale and rental of residential real estate, Refined combine proven principles and practises with the latest in techniques to deliver industry-leading service to their clients. Their 16 agents sell over 200 properties each year and manage over 400 properties.
I would like to congratulate Principal Victor Velgush for his recent appointment as a director of REISA, the peak body representing the real estate industry in South Australia.
For every referral received through the Foundation, Refined will donate an extra $500 for every rental and $1,000 for every new sale to Craniofacial Australia on top of their existing donations and sponsorship. Please don’t hesitate to get in touch with Refined, via email at reception@refined.com.au or by phone on 08 8357 9001 and ask to speak with Victor Velgush or Cheryl Misso, to help with your property rental or sale needs.
Warmest regards,
Amanda Haskard
Corporate Manager