The Client

Bringing head and heart to fundraising, the Westmead Medical Research Foundation (WMRF) seeks to claim the position as Western Sydney’s medical charity of choice.

Westmead Medical Research Foundation is a not-for-profit organisation that awards grants, provides fundraising support and community advocacy for health care and medical research in Western Sydney.

The Foundation relies on a diverse fundraising source comprised of individual, business, trust or community groups that help enhance services at Westmead Hospital and the Westmead Millennium Institute for Medical Research.

Celebrating 25 years in 2015, The Westmead Medical Research Foundation and its support system have impacted the lives of over 1 million patients and their families through excellence in clinical care and research.

The Challenge

The Westmead Medical Research Foundation entered a partnership with UTS Business School and EMBA students to enhance fundraising activities and develop a sustainable revenue model. It operates in a cluttered environment where many causes compete for the generosity of the Australian community.

The Solution

Combining interviews with secondary research on industry best practice, the EMBA student team identified three areas for improved revenue raising at The Westmead Medical Research Foundation:

  • Centralise its three divisions into one Westmead brand to establish a coherent set of values and avoid ‘donor cannibalism’
  • Create customer-centric digital campaigns to engage the Western Sydney community, building on existing activities. The creation of a Westmead Campus App was suggested to funnel patients into appropriate care services and to cultivate an engaged user base
  • Shift attention towards cross-campus collaboration and industry partnerships for knowledge acquisition and exposure. Suggested pathways to engage corporate partners include the establishment of workplace giving programs. Donated funds are to be considered in salary packaging

The work undertaken by the project group was of extremely high calibre. We were positively impressed by the rigour of the methodology used, the financial modelling and the assumptions behind the data. The business plan will be of significant assistance as we endeavour to increase Westmead's funding.

- Ken McKenzie, Board Member, Westmead Medical Research Foundation