NSW bushfires: Donations tidal wave hits $535m
More than half a billion dollars appears to have been raised in response to Australia’s bushfire crisis but the tsunami of donations is causing a headache for some organisations who have no idea how to spend the cash.
NSW
Don't miss out on the headlines from NSW. Followed categories will be added to My News.
- Fundraising queen‘s grand gesture for Qld wildlife hospital
- Red Cross hits back at fury over cash stash
More than half a billion dollars appears to have been raised in response to Australia’s bushfire crisis but the tsunami of donations is causing a headache for some organisations who have no idea how to spend the cash.
In what could be the biggest ever fundraising response to an Australian natural disaster, a list of announced donations from charities, celebrities and organisations compiled by News Corp Australia shows the total amount raised is sitting around $535 million.
Social media giant Facebook has confirmed more than $50 million USD ($72.6 million AUD) has been raised through its platform, with fundraising efforts led by comedian Celeste Barber who is believed to have raised over half of that total.
Meanwhile, crowd-funding platform GoFundMe has raised over $35 million with some 480,000 donations made from 170 countries – including the continent of Antarctica.
Among the leading GoFundMe causes are the Port Macquarie Koala Hospital – which will receive over $7.5 million in donations – and the Ellen DeGeneres fundraiser that has raised $1.6 million USD ($2.3 million AUD) for the Australian Red Cross and the WIRES wildlife rescue organisation.
About $173 million has been donated to major charities, while celebrities and companies have raised approximately $222 million and fire services will receive at least $33 million.
It is possible there may be some overlap with donations. The final figure will not be known for some time.
But with donations streaming at a rate of knots, some organisations are saying they need more time to work out how to spend the money responsibly.
Senior NSW Rural Fire Service spokesman Ben Shepherd said that outside of the Celeste Barber Facebook fundraiser – which has clocked up over $51 million AUD in donations for the RFS trust – he understood about $30 million has been donated directly to the service.
Mr Shepherd said the RFS had not yet decided how the money will be spent but would be led by feedback from volunteers – many of whom are still deployed on foregrounds.
But he suggested it could be put towards on training aids and community education programs rather than hoses and nozzles that are already provided to the service.
“There is no doubt this has been the largest amount of donations the service has ever seen,” Mr Shepherd said.
“The generosity shown by the community has been overwhelming and that’s not just in money but things like food and goods that has come directly to us but also to brigades.”
While the NSW RFS stands to receive an astonishing $80 million, Mr Shepherd said the money could be redistributed pending the outcome of legal discussions between the agency and Ms Barber.
The comedian wants the donations to go towards volunteer firefighters and the families of those who have died, as well as bushfire victims and injured wildlife.
But she has directed the donations to the Trustee for NSW RFS & Brigades Donations Fund, which only allows money to be spent on firefighting equipment and training.
A spokeswoman for Victoria’s Country Fire Authority said it had received over $11.5 million to its Public Fund and Brigade Donations Trust.
“We are working hard to identify and prioritise projects which support brigades and volunteers in their firefighting, community safety education and community connectedness activities,” she said.
“We will be confirming specifics in the coming weeks and months.”
Rob Snowdon, the chair of South Australia’s Country Fire Service (CFS) Foundation, said the it had raised “well in excess of $1 million” but had already distributed over $700,000.
“Our purpose is to support volunteer CFS firefighters and if they’re impacted while they’re volunteering through injury, death, loss of property or mental health issues,” he said.
“We’ve supported more than 30 families through places like Cuddly Creek and Kangaroo Island … we’ve received a lot of donations and we’re distributing them on a daily basis.”
A Queensland Fire and Emergency Services spokeswoman (QFES) said this week said the agency had received about $2.24 million.
“All donations will support Rural Fire Brigades in undertaking the essential work they do to support their communities,” she said.
“This includes the purchase of water tanks, construction of bores to access water, and phone extenders to extend communication coverage.”
“Funds will also be used to purchase IT equipment, solar packages, lockers and security systems for stations, and universal sat sleeve wireless hubs to provide communication in remote areas.”
A spokesman for the Australian Charities and Not-for-profits Commission (ACNC) said registered charities must use funds in support of their charitable purpose.
“This includes the more immediate and direct uses (for example, providing shelter or food to affected communities) and other long-term or indirect uses (for example, rebuilding infrastructure or planning long-term recovery),” he said.
University of Sydney professor of economics and charitable behaviour expert Robert Slonim said fundraising was “very much part of the national identity right now”.
“These bushfires are just so attention-grabbing, it’s so salient, it’s so personal to everybody and it actually brings us together as a society,” he said.
“I would not be surprised in the least if the outpouring of help that’s happening right now turns out to be the largest ever – it’s just non stop.”
“Years from now when people say, ‘I feel good to be Australian’, I think this is one of the things we will look back on.”
Home and Away’s Sophie Dillman said the heartbreak caused by the bushfires had been felt across the country and around the world.
“It’s at times like this that I am so proud to call myself Australian,” she said.
“The response from everyday Australians has been nothing short of a miracle. People donating money, clothes, goods and even places to stay for those left homeless. Everyone has given all they can and it’s still keeps coming.”
Originally published as NSW bushfires: Donations tidal wave hits $535m