Rebecca āEbeā Ganon calling: working on the ANU phone appeal
Even if someone doesnāt donate today or donates just a small amount, youāre creating that link and communicating with them.
I applied to work on the phone appeal because I felt really lucky to have been awarded a scholarship from generous donors.
Working on the phone appeal affected how I look at being a scholarship holder because I was able to connect with the sorts of people who have given me the opportunity to be here: to come all the way from Perth and experience ANU.
The appeal changed my view of philanthropy at ANU and of giving in general because I realised that there are people behind those donations as opposed to just money floating around in the ether. There are people who give everything from Tuckwell-level donations to recent graduates who are able to give $100 or $150, for example.
Everyone is valuable because you're creating connections. Even if someone doesn't donate today or donates just a small amount, you're creating that link and communicating with them.
I really enjoyed receiving advice from alumni who are happy to tell you what did and didn't work for them and what they recommend for you. It's a really fun thing to get to speak to some really awesome people.
To all the people we managed to speak to during the phone appeal I would say thank you for taking the time to tell me about your experiences. It's great that we're able to connect with alumni because it's a very different channel of communication that isn't often utilised. We're lucky at ANU to be able to do that because creating those long-term connections is what counts.