# Australian media picks up on agency offer to pay return flights for British street fundraisers

- Link: https://fundraising.co.uk/2014/06/25/australian-media-picks-agency-offer-pay-return-flights-british-street-fundraisers/
- Published: 2014-06-25T10:41:16+01:00
- Author: Howard Lake

A face-to-face fundraising agency working in Australia and New Zealand has defended
its practice of paying return flights to experienced British fundraisers as the 
Australian media renews interest in street fundraising.

[Cornucopia](http://www.cornucopia.com.au/) offers to pay up to AUS$1,500 (£830)
return air fare for fundraisers, who must commit to work for six months and recruit
an average of three “good quality, ongoing regular supporters”. However, the offer
is only open to people who have made plans to travel to Australia or those already
in the country.

Speaking exclusively to _UK Fundraising_, Cornucopia’s sales manager Lauren James
said the agency had regularly employed ‘backpackers’ and overseas travellers as 
fundraisers since the early 2000’s, most of whom had worked as street fundraisers
in the UK.

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“For experienced face to face fundraisers, regardless of where in the world they’ve
travelled from, Cornucopia offers the chance to work with a charity focused agency
offering great opportunities,” James said.

“We are heavily involved in recruiting Australians to become F2F fundraisers; however,
we have found that the job has been particularly suitable for experienced fundraisers
from the UK, Ireland and Canada who are at a stage in their lives where the nomadic
lifestyle appeals.”

James said many of the early Cornucopia employees, some of whom were sponsored by
the agency, now worked in leading fundraising positions in Australian charities 
and in some cases had set up their own F2F agencies.

Although Cornucopia say the ‘free flight’ promotion is just one of “many recruitment
opportunities it offers” and has been in place for the past nine months, the story
has only recently been jumped upon by the Australian media, even making the Australian
section of the Daily Mail’s website.

 

## **F2F acts as ‘lightning rod’ in Australian media**

Paul Tavatgis of [Whipbird Consulting](http://www.whipbirdconsulting.com/) – who
is working with the Fundraising Institute of Australia to co-ordinate a sectoral
response to the media’s interest in F2F – told _UK Fundraising_ there had been a
recent in increase in media attention on fundraising.

> Recent stories focusing on ‘free flights’ have been picked up with more interest
> than usual by the Australian media

“Any issue relating to charity usually seems to refocus on fundraising, and the 
very public nature of F2F means that it often acts as a ‘lightning conductor’ for
this attention. As a result we have seen a lot more stories about F2F in the last
twelve months than previously.

“Recent stories focusing on ‘free flights’ have been picked up with more interest
than usual by the Australian media. This has come as a bit of a surprise, given 
that the subject matter on the face of it, is not really that controversial. It 
is perhaps another way of getting the “Did you realise these people are paid!” angle
into a new story.”

Tavatgis said the issues in Australia were similar to those that the UK F2F sector
has had to deal with charities reticent to defend F2F in public. “Until we develop
a more coherent, sector-wide strategy for F2F as a whole, not just for media response,
it will be very difficult to respond effectively to these stories, which now seem
to appear on a regular basis,” he said.

“Our challenge is to learn from our colleagues in the UK and from New Zealand, and
develop a structure that will support the long-term credibility and sustainability
of F2F in Australia.”

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