Fundraiser Profile

Name: David Issa
Occupation: Property Developer / Business Owner
Age: 31
Status: Highest Individual Fundraiser from 2006
Team captain of Team Forrest (the highest average fundraising team)
Number of team members: 5
Individual total: $15,595                        Team total: $20,000

How did you go about raising money to reach your personal target?

Most of the money I raised was collected by people donating online through my personal web page. I phoned all my suppliers and clients and asked them to give as much as they could in return for the loyalty and good service our company has provided them. For the larger companies we made it a $500 requested amount. This meant that they would donate close to half, if not all.

I also organised a ladies lunch which was promoted through a local primary school, this attracted over 30 women and we had all the alcohol donated through my contacts. We also ran a raffle at the lunch, of which all the prizes were donated by local business.

How easy and rewarding did you find making the effort to fundraise?

Fundraising started slow but as the event drew closer it all came in at once. I had to adjust my personal goal several times as I kept reaching it! I found that personally asking people was a great way to communicate my personal goal and realised they were more than happy to contribute, all I had to do was ask!

Persistance is the key, never give up or doubt that the money will come.

Here's a Fundraising tip - Try to get as much donation before the event - it is much easier to ask people for support prior to the ride, you can tell them that if you don't do it, they get their money back etc... It gives them an opportunity to hassle you about hard it is going to be. Make it fun!! That's what people buy into!!

How did you go about organising your team? How easy was it?

Team Forrest was made up of 4 other friends of mine, but will have a wider group involved in 2007. I just called and emailed to get them signed up and also told them to lock it every year, the Gong Ride is now the teams annual measure of fitness.

How did you go about raising money to reach your team target?

My goal from the very beginning was for Team Forrest to raise $20,000 and I publicised this as much as I could. The key is to make your target higher than your expectations....remember, 'if you want to hit the moon, shoot for the stars!'

I created a website in the theme of Forrest Gump (hence the team name also) as I felt that if I gave the fundraising effort some novelty value, I could gain interest and publicity from the local media.

The media exposure we gained (print is ideal as it is easy for people to get the web address) didn't actually drive the donations, however this exposure really helped when we would follow up the articles and radio announcements with phone calls and e-mails and people would comment, 'yeah, I saw you in the paper'. They felt compelled to play their part and contribute as they had seen that we were serious in what we were trying to achieve and trying to do all we could to help people with MS.

I challenged the team members to use their influence as effectively as I did on their suppliers and clients, and a little healthy competition never goes astray! I researched the disease and informed the team members about it so they could truly buy into the cause and in turn it was very important to be able to speak to potential donors with conviction about the cause.

The idea of beating some major corporates also greatly appealed to the team...

How easy and rewarding did your team find fundraising?

The team found fundraising extremely rewarding, it is not often that we had devoted so much time and energy to something that was completely selfless. It was a learning experience for all of us on different levels. eg. "faith and belief always comes with rewards". "Believe in peoples generosity and genuine concern for such a worthy cause".

Why do you support people with MS?

My neighbour has MS and I have seen first hand how debilitating the effects of the disease can be. My personal experience was the motivating factor for my fundraising, and once the team members and sponsors learnt more about the disease, they were more than happy to help!

How did Team Forrest go on the day?

The team had a great day, even with 'slightly adverse' weather, it was a great day and the vibe amongst the riders and volunteer staff was something that will not be forgotten!

We felt that we had already conquered the ride before the day of the event as we had done all we could to fundraise and help people with MS, and it felt fantastic!

Coming back in 2007?

Team Forrest will once again be chanting 'Ride, Forrest, Ride' as we return to the Gong in 2007.