Hi there! My name is Max and I’m a face-to-face fundraiser for Royal Far West. I came all the way from Germany to Australia in 2014 as a young backpacker looking for adventure. After travelling both the east and west coast, I settled in Perth where I was approached in my local shopping centre by a fundraiser. I really enjoyed the interaction and at that point I was looking for work and ready for my next challenge.

How long have you been working in the field?

When I first started fundraising, I was going door to door in Perth and really enjoyed how much I was learning about communication and continually improving my interpersonal skills. Fast forward to today, I have been in the industry for more than six years and worked in Perth, Brisbane, Melbourne, Sydney, and all-over New Zealand.

What inspires you to work as a fundraiser?

What keeps me motivated, is that so many organisations are doing outstanding work but all struggle to provide more services due to a lack of funding. This is where I see the opportunity to use my passion and abilities to connect people with charities.

What’s unique about Royal Far West?

In late 2021 I had the opportunity to travel through rural NSW and raise funds on behalf of Royal Far West. I was blown away by how many people had personal connections to this organisation and I used the chance to have amazing conversations especially around Dubbo and Singleton.

You must have a lot of conversations about Royal Far West’s services and what we do?

One of my favourite aspects about Royal Far West is that it helps people in rural parts of the country. Especially after travelling a lot through Australia and meeting people outside the big cities, it’s clear to see that people in the country only have access to a fraction of services compared to people in the city.

From meeting people in the country, I came to understand that sometimes all someone needs is to know that services are available and accessible when urgently needed. Everyone who has used Royal Far West’s services themselves tell me how amazing and how needed this service truly is.

What would you like to tell us about fundraising as a career?

The best thing about fundraising is that I get to be myself and meet amazing people every single day, while helping to make a difference in the world. It’s never boring that’s for sure.

Regarding fundraising itself – I understand that life gets awfully busy sometimes and of course most of the time when people approach you in a shopping centre they will ask for money. However, even if you only have two minutes to spare – just stop for a chat. You might be surprised how much fun the conversation turns out to be!

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