End of Year Report : 2009

Overview

From a small seed and the question – Can you imagine a world without books or reading? – The Indigenous Literacy Project (ILP) has grown into a national book industry initiative raising one million dollars in four years. During this period it has inspired the Australian Book Industry, ILP ambassadors, school children and Australians of all ages to raise funds to help reduce the gap in literacy in remote Indigenous communities. This report aims to briefly:

  • review the project’s achievements in terms of program delivery & fundraising
  • outline future challenges

Background

In 2005 The Riverbend Readers Challenge (RRC) was started by bookseller Suzy Wilson to help address the crisis in literacy in remote Indigenous communities.

In 2006 Wilson instigated and inspired the Australian Book Industry and its peak bodies, to adopt a national initiative. Consequently, The Australian Readers’ Challenge (ARC) was formed in partnership with The Fred Hollows Foundation and The Ian Thorpe Fountain for Youth. During that year, 14,000 participants read 150,000 books and raised $80,000.

In 2007 ARC evolved into The Indigenous Literacy Project. Working in partnership with The Fred Hollows Foundation, it aimed to hold a single fundraising day on the first Wednesday of September 2007. With the support of publishers, booksellers, schools and a generous donation from The NSW Bar Association, ILP raised $256,000.

In 2008 support for ILP continued to grow with the participation of over 300 schools and nearly 300 booksellers and publishers. Together with both general community and corporate support, ILP increased its fundraising by 19% raising $304,000.

Expectations were exceeded once again in 2009 when despite the Global Financial Crisis, ILP raised $377,000

Organisation Structure

ILP works in partnership with The Fred Hollows Foundation and is supported by The Australian Publishers Association and The Australian Booksellers Association.

In this partnership, the Australian Book Industry raises awareness and funds and The Fred Hollows Foundation administers the funds, working directly with remote Indigenous communities to provide books and literacy resources and to implement new literacy projects.

The Fred Hollows Foundation recognises the need to effectively address low levels of literacy in remote communities to support its core goal of improving health outcomes for Indigenous Australians.

ILP is run by a committee including nine volunteer booksellers and publishers, a part-time manager, and four colleagues from The Fred Hollows Foundation (which includes a full time ILP employee).

Review of project

In four years ILP has grown enormously and gone from strength to strength. This is reflected in its program delivery, fundraising and awareness of literacy issues in the broader community.

  1. Program Delivery

    Since ILP’s inception The Fred Hollows Foundation has expanded its reach from three remote communities near Katherine in the Northern Territory to over 200 communities (including 10 traditional NT Homelands) across Australia including NT, WA, NT, SA, QLD and N-W NSW

    In 2009 ILP funded a full time ILP Co-Ordinator (Ameina Brunker) based at The Fred Hollows Foundation’s Darwin office. This role has been pivotal in building strong relationships allowing the expansion of the program into new regions. Although Ameina has now left, her dedication and work in 2009 to increase the ILP’s coverage and delivery of books to over 100 communities (stretching from the Gulf of Carpentaria to Palm Island, Fitzroy Crossing to Broken Hill) has made a huge difference. Within these communities, books have been ordered by women’s and children’s groups, drop-in centres, outreach programs, schools as well as libraries. Ameina’s role has now been taken up by FHF staff member Maddy Bower.

    Additional projects include:

    • In February 2009, in conjunction with The Northern Territory Writers Centre, over 1000 Indigenous themed books were delivered in 75 remote schools in Northern Territory.
    • In August, Simon & Schuster sponsored the first Indigenous translation of GRUG and will produce the books for Booroloola and where possible into Indigenous languages in other remote communities.
    • In August, Simon & Schuster sponsored the first Indigenous translation of Ted Prior’s well loved children’s book GRUG; and will produce the books for Booroloola and where possible into Indigenous languages in other remote communities. In December/early 2010, nearly 20 remote WA communities, from Fitzroy Crossing to Wiluna to Halls Creek, will receive copies of the new WAARDA series developed by Sally Morgan/in conjunction with Fremantle Press.
    • By the end of 2009 ILP had delivered 15,000 books into 160 remote Indigenous communities. FHF is working hard to continue to develop new relationships to facilitate the delivery of ILP and other literacy projects.

    • Whilst it has not yet been possible to evaluate the effectiveness of program delivery to date, FHF has been collecting anecdotal feedback and comments from communities. For example, in Booroloola, in the Northern Territory, this comment from the Old People’s Home was made (and this is reflective of the very positive feedback Ameina Brunker had received from other communities):

      ”The kids have been humbugging us to get into the books – they like to sit and read with their Mimis (Mimi means grandparent).

  2. Program Delivery

    Book Buzz – an early literacy project 2009/2010

    At the end of May, ILP launched a new early literacy project called Book Buzz. The project aimed to provide a set of board books to children 0-5 years old living in remote communities, with multiple sets being delivered in schools, mother & childcare centres and other groups within the community itself. BOOK BUZZ was launched in Manyallaluk at the end of November at a special ceremony and lunchtime BBQ involving different members of the community including elders, mothers, families and children. One of the elders, Mavis, gave the project a special endorsement and read to the kids. Andy Griffiths read The Very Hungry Caterpillar and all the kids and received a Book Buzz pack. Andy spent part of the day giving writing workshops and in the afternoon the school kids read the books aloud to Suzy, David, Karen and Andy.

    In rolling out the project into Manyallaluk we realised and saw its enormous potential but also the great need to have both the elders and the school actively involved and committed to the project. In Manyallaluk, Mavis will be our ILP ambassador and the local principal, Oriel Hawke, has also lent her support. Book Buzz will also be rolled out in North West NSW (Wilcannia) and in Warburton in 2010.

Fundraising

The project raised $377,000 in 2009.

Since 2006 fundraising has grown from $80K to $361K in 2009. Since the reorganisation of ILP in 2007, fundraising has continued to grow at an average of almost 20% per year.

Fundraising reflects the steady growth and support from within the Australian Book Industry. To date, the bulk of donations has come from the Australian Book Industry. In 2008, 300 publishers and booksellers supported ILP and that increased by 20% in 2009.

In 2009, ILP held two major launches (Brisbane & Sydney) and on Indigenous Literacy Day managed 16 major events across Australia in partnership with schools, libraries, institutions and universities, publishers and booksellers. In addition, working with multiple partners, the ILP managed five major fundraisers, including two major ABC Radio promotions in Brisbane and Sydney, which generated huge public response and revenue. In the lead-up to ILD in 2009, over 35 news items/and interviews occurred in addition to hundreds of other print and electronic media generated throughout the year with the assistance of ambassadors like Josh Pyke.

Substantial growth in fundraising is also reflected in three sectors of the community:

  • Schools – whose contributions went from $9K in 2006 to $27K in 2008 (200%). In 2009 ILP ran the Great Book Swap which was adopted with great enthusiasm by many schools. One small school in Balmain NSW for example was so enthused, it raised $900 in one morning.
  • Individuals – whose contributions have grown from $9K to just over $30K ytd (2006-2009). This represents a 200% increase and is a direct result of increased profile seen in media exposure, events & fundraising activities.
  • Fundraising Activities – In 2009 ILP aimed to increase fundraising by holding a series of events in every state throughout the year. A key part of the strategy was to form partnerships with organisations such as Melbourne Writers Festival, Victorian Writers Centre, National Library of Australia, Independent Booksellers of Canberra as well as media partnerships including ABC Qld and ABC Sydney. Revenue generated through five major events was $75,000.

Future Challenges and Goals

ILP faces some enormous challenges in 2010. Not only is there the drive for the ILP to continue to raise and increase its revenue (keeping expenditure to an absolute minimum), there is also the important question of how the funds will be spent and how that expenditure will be evaluated.

Our partner, The Fred Hollows Foundation, under the direction of its new manager Joy McLaughlin, has recommended some exciting new initiatives that include:

  • the appointment of Indigenous ambassadors located in remote communities
  • production of local Indigenous resources
  • the continued expansion and delivery of books into existing and new communities
  • the rollout and assessment or evaluation of Book Buzz

Special Highlights of 2009

  • JOSH PYKE GUITAR BOAT AUCTION – FEBRUARY

    Pyke’s boat was used in the video for his song ‘Make You Happy’, and its auction launched the 2009 ILP fundraising appeal. (you can watch the ‘Make You Happy’ clip and a news article on the auction here)

  • BIG IDEAS FESTIVAL – MARCH 27

    ILP was launched on March 27 at the State Library of Queensland as part of the Think Do tank at the Ideas Festival. A panel of speakers and musicians included Ernie Dingo, Shellie Morris, Adam James, and Dr Chris Sarra. Over 200 children attended.

  • LAUNCH OF Book Buzz – MAY 2009

    ILP’s Book Buzz was launched at Customs House in Sydney in an event that the SMH described as almost upstaging Sydney Writers Festival. Dance, song and special stories from young children from Wilcannia kept the audience entertained and ILP Patron Thérèse Rein talked about the importance of reading and special stories.

  • SONGS FOR STORIES BENEFIT CONCERT – AUGUST 2009

    Some of Australia’s bestloved performers and authors joined forces with Melbourne Writers Festival to raise over $50,000.

  • FRED HOLLOWS FOUNDATION FIELD TRIP NORTHERN TERRITORY – AUGUST

    2009 Ambassadors, ILP committee and special members of the Australian Book Industry trekked down to Katherine to visit three remote communities and join in storytelling workshops with Indigenous children.  See Kaz Cooke’s website for a description of that tour.

  • INDIGENOUS LITERACY DAY, WEDNESDAY 2 SEPTEMBER 2009

    Fifteen major events provided a major focus to celebrate Indigenous Literacy Day across Australia.