P&Cs Qld, led by CEO Scott Wiseman, has one goal- for every child to have access to the life-changing power of education. Empathy and boundless experience are at the core of Wiseman’s running of the state-wide not-for-profit, and he does it well.
Run by over 12,000 volunteers, P&Cs Qld has 1,250 P&C associations under its wing. The strong and vast community means they can make their ‘every child, every chance’ dream a reality. Wiseman says that the organisation is built on the backs of volunteers and the many state school parents who give their time. Without their support, P&Cs Qld wouldn’t have the vast reach needed to make a difference in the lives of school children.
Wiseman has a daunting task ahead of him; ensuring that all P&Cs have adequate and sustainable funding to support their school communities amidst an ever-changing and increasingly virtual world. The solution? P&Cs Qld has partnered with iSponsor to ensure that P&Cs are able to have year-round grassroots fundraising.
Student Life Disrupted
The disruption felt worldwide in 2020 with the onset of the COVID-19 outbreak found its way into Australian schools and we are still seeing the impacts today. Although Australian students fare better than most of the world, in Queensland alone, 177,000 kids go to school without breakfast and lunch every day. This was heightened during the pandemic as low-income households with children who depend on free or reduced-price school meals, were stripped of access to essential nutritional needs. Additionally, Queensland teachers contribute $150 million dollars a year out of their own pockets to provide some of the essentials that kids need as part of their learning day. As the impacts of the pandemic continue to be felt in Australia, with restrictions and lockdowns being a reality of life, schools and teachers are likely to continue to need extra support to keep children engaged in meaningful education.
When new guidelines were introduced in 2020 to protect Australians from the spread of the pandemic, parents and volunteers were often not allowed on school grounds. These restrictions caused state school P&Cs in Queensland to cancel or postpone fundraising plans and events, which impacted funds they would normally contribute to their school community. According to P&Cs Qld, a survey conducted in July 2020 concluded that COVID-19 restrictions resulted in the cancellation or postponement of over 90% of traditional fundraising activities, such as fetes and sausage sizzles. Prior to the pandemic, P&Cs contributed up to $40 million annually in Queensland to support state schools and student education. However, P&C associations must now reckon with the daunting task of adapting fundraising techniques to provide a sustainable stream of funds to the state school system.
A January survey of P&C Qld members revealed that association members were still apprehensive about planning larger in-person events, such as the traditional fete, and instead preferred conducting online fundraisers. In the search for an innovative fundraising platform to meet the pandemic needs of the present and stay agile for the future, Wiseman was introduced to the iSponsor team.
iSponsor: Revolutionising Fundraising for P&Cs
iSponsor is an easy-to-use shopping app that turns your everyday spending into fundraising dollars. Shop for everything on the app – from food, fashion, and electronics to any transactional goods. When a purchase is made online through the app, or in-store using a registered Visa or Mastercard, a P&C of the customer’s choice will receive a percentage of the purchase. P&Cs earn funds from their community members’ everyday transactions at no extra cost to them.
iSponsor has over 900 brands already on the app, ready to shop online or in-store with great discounts and deals on worldwide and national brands such as Lego, Bonds, Bing Lee, Footlocker, Puma and more. The iSponsor app revolutionises sponsorship and fundraising by connecting P&Cs, sporting clubs and other charities to local businesses. This means that by the simple act of grabbing your daily caffeine hit at the local cafe, you could be supporting your P&C association; coffee and giving back!
This partnership model encourages brand loyalty for businesses and a needed cash flow for P&Cs. According to Wiseman, “iSponsor is a great way for local businesses to get involved and be supported, without relying on the one-time $200 donation or the raffle prize.” By creating a symbiotic environment, iSponsor enables P&Cs to attract year-round grassroots fundraising, while benefiting local businesses.
P&Cs Qld and iSponsor are a match made in heaven. Both have community, support, and enriching the lives of our young people as core values, so the excitement about the partnership is high. Wiseman says “We are really excited about their [iSponsor’s] concept. It is a new way of looking at fundraising… and support.”
iSponsor and P&Cs in Queensland- it’s a no-brainer!
iSponsor was created from the belief that every child, no matter their socioeconomic status, deserves the right to play sport for their local club, and get the education they deserve. iSponsor has now grown into a company that supports any charitable organisation that serves its community. Linking up with iSponsor means that P&Cs will be able to tap into an ever-growing community of businesses; turning shopping into fundraising dollars. The classic sausage sizzle and fete aren’t going anywhere, and nor should they. iSponsor will complement traditional fundraising efforts while ensuring that community organisations can adapt to an ever-changing and increasingly virtual world.
