# Silence is golden for RSL ANZAC Appeal

- Link: https://fundraising.co.uk/2014/05/07/silence-golden-rsl-anzac-appeal/
- Published: 2014-05-07T09:39:15+01:00
- Author: Howard Lake

Organisers for the RSL ANZAC Appeal in Australia have this year invited the public
to donate to listen to one minute of silence.

By phoning 1902 25 04 14 or texting SILENCE and their state to 1999 1234, they could
listen to one minute of silence pre-recorded by 80 current and former Australian
Defence Force members and their families, including veterans from the Second World
War to Afghanistan and Iran.

Those that “buy” a minute of silence are given a link to a website where they can
receive a thank you for their support from veterans.

## Advertisement

ANZAC Appeal national spokesperson Damien Thomlinson told Campaignbrief.com that:

> “The fundraising landscape is changing and to enhance the valuable work that the
> RSL’s traditional fundraisers do by selling ANZAC badges on the streets of cities
> and towns across the country, the Minute of Silence will allow Australians to 
> support the cause directly from their mobile phone or landline”.

 

## Silence as a fundraising tool

Silence has been used as a fundraising tool before, not least by individuals and
groups running **sponsored silences**. But it has also been used to raise funds 
for armed service charities as part of a Remembrance campaign. In November 2010 
the [Royal British Legion benefited from the Two Minute Silence](http://www.theguardian.com/music/2010/nov/11/remembrance-day-single-silence)
as it entered the top 20 of the music charts. It cost 99p to download.

Indeed, the first time the Legion placed the [Two Minute Silence online was in 1998](https://www.fundraising.co.uk/1998/11/07/two-minute-silence-online/).

Similarly a [church used the sounds of silence for a fundraising campaign](https://www.fundraising.co.uk/2012/10/22/church-raises-funds-sound-silence/)
in 2012.