Development Ratings

The Rotary Club connection is a hugely powerful tool for fundraising as well as contributing a massive network of contacts. Links with news agencies provide free publicity (there was 3.8 hours of TV coverage on ShelterBox at the time of the Myanmar cyclone disaster). Other funds have largely been raised by word of mouth. A Scouts Association connection will access 28,000 scouts worldwide as an additional source of publicity and funds. So far, the Trust has not targeted institutional funds as there has been no need. However, a new fundraising manager is beginning applications to institutions, corporate sponsors, and high net worth individuals. The Trust wants to keep its options open to be able to send ShelterBoxes wherever it chooses, though, and some institutions may have political objections to its box donations to, say, Myanmar, China or the US.

Fundraising costs rose sharply in 2007 as the Trust attended the Rotary conference in Los Angeles to publicise its work. Similar networking trips may happen again in the future but the Rotary profile is already higher now so the relative costs would be less. There are over 350 trained volunteer Rotarians around the UK who make ShelterBox presentations to schools and other organisations. This is an impressive free resource.

To support the large volunteer team in Cornwall with equipment such as boots for working in the warehouse and social events, ShelterBox is looking for around £25,000/year. It would also like to fund the recruitment, training, equipping and deployment of volunteer emergency teams around the world at a cost of £250,000/year. To save most of the nearly £1m/year of freight costs it currently spends, the Trust is seeking a donor to cover the operation of its own commercial aircraft. The net operating costs would amount to ~£1m/year. The plane could supply income from ‘return trip’ hiring by other aid agencies, as well. A longer-term aim is to develop a ShelterBox Academy to train volunteers and aid agency staff in humanitarian and disaster relief work.