From commencing work on our world-class campus redevelopment to finding new ways to provide vital services and keep people connected throughout the COVID-19 crisis – the team at Guide Dogs Victoria has been working around the clock. It has been a year of adaptation, innovation, and discovery for the whole Guide Dogs Victoria community.
Without the passion and ingenuity of our community, we would not be able to continue the crucial work we do every day. So, now it’s time to ‘paws’ and reflect on the agility and dedication shown by our Clients, our employees and volunteers, and our donors during what has been an unforgettable year for all of us.
To be the first choice provider of services for people with blindness or low vision that enables a lifetime of independence.
We see beyond sight loss.
We find ways to support independence.
We look for solutions to make big differences.
We create connected communities.
Community growth for Guide Dogs Australia social media channels:
Karen Hayes AM DSJ and Willow
CEO, Guide Dogs Victoria and
Chief Companion Officer
This year has been a challenging one for Guide Dogs Victoria – as it has been for all Australians – but despite the unprecedented situation the world found itself in as a result of COVID-19, 2020 has still produced some positive outcomes for us and, most importantly, for the Clients we support.
In January 2020, construction commenced on our “The Future is in Sight” campus redevelopment project, a $27 million capital campaign, funded largely through philanthropy, designed to create a world-class sensory campus for people with blindness or low vision. Although Guide Dogs Victoria employees were quickly mobilised to work off campus in March, due to COVID-19, the wonderful construction team from May Constructions were able to continue as planned and have accelerated progress over recent months, whilst our team work off site.
In April 2020, we secured a significant boost from the federal government for the funding of “The Future is in Sight” project, bringing us ever closer to unveiling the first fully accessible sensory campus in the world. This will create a sustainable future for our organisation and will enable us to deliver the quality of services our Clients deserve. I for one will be so thrilled to see the realisation of our vision and to welcome all our employees, Clients, volunteers and supporters to our innovative new campus.
Our Clients remain at the heart of everything we do and this unwavering commitment was reflected in the 3,093 Client programs delivered last year. In total, our amazing employees delivered 18,255 hours of services, utilising a truly blended Client Services approach during COVID-19. By using technologies like telepractice while our ‘in person’ capacity was restricted, we were able to continue supporting Clients – including those who were previously more ‘hard to reach’ – and enhance the depth of service for all Clients, in turn generating far better long-term outcomes.
I would sincerely like to thank our committed Senior Leadership Team and our wonderful employees, volunteers and donors for their passion and dedication to Guide Dogs Victoria and the vital support we continue to provide for those with low vision or blindness.
Much like our noble Guide Dogs, we will not be distracted by any barrier put in our way; but remain steadfastly focused on the road ahead to ensure thousands of Victorians with low vision or blindness who depend on us achieve the freedom and independence they seek.
While it is still too early to determine the financial impact COVID-19 will have on Guide Dogs Victoria, I have no doubt that our meticulous planning, and our ability to be agile, innovative and wise in our approach to funding, projects and overarching strategic planning, will put us in good stead to weather the storm that has been 2020.
As well as moving forward with the Guide Dogs Victoria campus redevelopment – designed to increase commercial revenue and decrease our reliance on philanthropic funding – we have also implemented several long-term operational changes to maximise every dollar we receive and create greater Client outcomes. These changes include executing year two of a diversified fundraising strategy that has included investment in digital and lottery fundraising, leveraging the Guide Dogs Victoria brand to expand into new donor demographics.
We have also established three Centres of Excellence across Guide Dogs Victoria and Guide Dogs NSW/ACT to achieve economies of scale and reduce duplication, and to strengthen our national presence through local knowledge and on-the-ground support. For example, since its inception in late 2019, the Marketing and Communications Centre of Excellence alone has delivered close to $1 million in savings.
Last but certainly not least, we have invested in technology to increase efficiency across the organisation and to optimise Client service delivery. By introducing a hybrid model of face-to-face service delivery and telepractice support we are able to service more Clients in less time, but still provide the high-quality, personalised support they require. This has been – and will continue to be – especially critical for our regional Clients who can now benefit from more frequent check-ins with our specialists and practitioners than were previously viable due to travel time.
The passion and dedication I have witnessed from Guide Dogs Victoria employees, volunteers and donors throughout the last year has been awe-inspiring, and has not gone unnoticed by the wider community. This was evidenced by Guide Dogs Australia being named the Most Trusted Charity Brand as part of Australian Reader’s Digest “Most Trusted Brands 2020”; the 7th time we have been awarded this title since being added to the annual Reader’s Digest’s Trusted Brands survey in 2013.
As we continue to navigate our way through the COVID-19 crisis, my belief in Guide Dogs Victoria has never been stronger. On behalf of the Guide Dogs Victoria Board, I congratulate all of you for banding together no matter the circumstances, and continuing to make a big difference in the lives of Victorians living with low vision or blindness.
Guide Dogs Victoria can be proud that employees, volunteers, donors, and supporters have found innovative ways to continue supporting Victorians with low vision or blindness, throughout what has been a difficult and uncertain year.
It is also pleasing that the Guide Dogs Victoria campus redevelopment has been able to continue throughout this period. It promises to be a space in which to provide the best possible services for children and adults alike. I will look forward to visiting it in the future.
As Patron, I welcome the opportunity to thank everyone connected with Guide Dogs Victoria for their continuing commitment to the health and wellbeing of the entire Guide Dogs Victoria community, and for such tireless advocacy for improved accessibility and acceptance of those with low vision or blindness.
Never has this work been more important than during the challenges thrown up in 2020.
Find out how we've put our values into action this year.
We believe everyone should have the same access to the support and tools required to live a free and independent life. At Guide Dogs Victoria (GDV), we help Clients live their lives, their way. We understand that no two Clients are the same, so the journey and level of support for each Client and family is different – and that’s something we can be proud of.
As we take a look back at the year that was, this commitment is evident. During this tumultuous time when our Clients needed us more than ever, we saw GDV teams working tirelessly every day to find innovative ways to support Clients’ needs, to build and nurture positive relationships, and to demonstrate our ongoing commitment to improving outcomes for Victorians with low vision or blindness.
Meanwhile at Guide Dogs:
What is a long cane?
While our people may consider themselves ordinary Australians, every day it is thanks to their ingenuity and courage that our people – our employees, volunteers and donors – achieve extraordinary outcomes for Victorians living with low vision or blindness.
We are fortunate to have the support of over 600 dedicated volunteers who donate their time and their passion to make a difference to GDV. Despite our onsite volunteer programs being suspended during the COVID-19 crisis, our volunteers remained connected with us, participating in weekly Zoom catch-ups and offering assistance wherever they could.
Our volunteer Puppy Raisers continued to open their hearts and homes to the next generation of future Guide Dogs, working with our Puppy Development Team to find new ways to continue training our pups while we can’t be together in person.
Throughout 2020 we have had to adapt to new ways of reaching our donors. This presented a unique opportunity for our dedicated Fundraising Team who found innovative and exciting ways to engage our current donors and to expand into new donor demographics through online events and social media.
Our fundraising figures over the last 12 months are truly a testament to the immense trust we have built over the last 60+ years, and we are honoured to have the vital support of so many Australians, no matter the challenges we may all be facing. Whether you are a donor, Puppy Sponsor, one of our 1,248 Otus Fellowship members, host a Collection Dog or you have taken part in our Corporate Challenge – we thank you.
Meanwhile at Guide Dogs:
Zoom Puppy Meeting
In April 2020, the Federal Government announced a $2.5m contribution towards our $27 million capital campaign, “The Future is in Sight”. Funded largely through philanthropy, this project will see our Kew Campus transformed into a world-first sensory campus that will not only improve outcomes for our Clients but will allow GDV to produce steady, predictable, sustainable revenue and reduce dependency on philanthropic funding.
Construction commenced for Stage One of the build – the carpark and workshop – on 20 January 2020. With the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, we have been able to accelerate progress given most employees are working remotely. Stage Two will commence in October 2020, whereby the construction of the onsite Veterinary Clinic will begin. The concept design and plans for the Veterinary Clinic are currently being developed with our confirmed partner, Advanced Vet Care.
From Victoria to New South Wales:
Guide Dogs in Training pupdate
To maximise our impact and get the most out of every donated dollar, Guide Dogs needs to think commercially and sustainably. That’s why, over the last 12 months, we have established three Centres of Excellence across GDV and Guide Dogs NSW/ACT (GDN) including the:
The Centres of Excellence will allow us to create more efficiencies, lift performance and innovation levels and develop emerging leaders across both organisations to deliver the highest impact for the people we support.
A key part of our role at GDV is to respond to the emerging needs of those with low vision or blindness. This not only takes ingenuity and creativity from our employees, but also requires financial support to ensure we can deliver on innovative ideas that make a difference to our organisation and the communities we support.
GDV is extremely grateful to the philanthropic community for their support. In the last financial year, philanthropic grants made up 5% of GDV’s total income. These funds enabled us to launch a range of projects and innovations that support our mission to enable independence for people living with low vision or blindness.
Some of the projects made possible through the generosity of philanthropy include:
It is through the support of our philanthropic community that we are able to think big, aim high, and plan for a better future for those who need us the most.
Thanks to philanthropic funding, GDV is proud to pilot our new Early Childhood Service.
At GDV, we believe that every child living with blindness or low vision should be able to access the same advantages of early childhood education as their peers. That’s why we have developed the GDV Early Childhood Service (ECS) which involves working together with the child and their family to offer emotional and practical support from birth to six years of age (inclusive) – a key developmental period in a child’s life.
The pilot of GDV’s Early Childhood Service is being supported by a range of philanthropic foundations and private donors. We are so grateful for their investment in this service and in the futures of young babies and children living with low vision or blindness. In the past financial year alone, we have provided services to 15 children aged up to six years, and aim to support 50 children and their families in the year to come.
The stories of our Clients, employees and volunteers, and the passion they have for our organisation, are one of our greatest assets. By telling their stories we have the power to generate change and increase awareness of both our brand and the needs of those we support. When people see us in the news, we want to authentically represent Client voices, shift attitudes through advocacy, and inspire people to help us continue the work we do.
Our Guide Dog Graduation Day is a highlight of the Melbourne media calendar, not only attracting media coverage, but more importantly, providing GDV with the chance to showcase the difference a Guide Dog or Therapy Dog can make to someone’s life. In 2019 we were able to share moving stories of Client Hamish and his Therapy Dog, and couple Peter and Pearl with their Guide Dogs across major media outlets.
Our 2019 International White Cane Day campaign featured some of Victoria’s top CEOs walking around the Melbourne CBD blindfolded with Clients – followed by TV crew from Channel 7 – to highlight the access challenges Clients face every day. Footage of our first litter born in 2020 resulted in over 50 new Puppy Raising enquiries across NSW and VIC. Since the advent of the COVID-19 pandemic, we have worked with the media to share stories of new challenges facing Clients and how the community can help.
The emergence of COVID-19 and subsequent lockdown restrictions limited our access to our communities and therefore our ability to create ‘in person’ content. This also presented us with a new opportunity to generate our own content and find new ways of reaching our audience. Our International Guide Dog Day 2020 Zoom event was just one example; allowing us to share this iconic day on the GDV calendar by beaming directly into people’s lounge rooms through their computer screens. The day generated a huge amount of media interest, and created increased engagement through our social media channels.
Since January 2020, these stories of real people facing and overcoming real challenges have reached a huge 350 million people across the country. We are confident that by continuing our successful collaboration with Guide Dog organisations around Australia, we will only see this increase, for the benefit of those whose stories are being heard, and the longevity of the GDV brand.
Meanwhile at Guide Dogs:
Supporting our Clients through telepractice
Community growth for Guide Dogs Australia social media channels:
We all know how powerful social media can be in keeping people connected, especially those members of our community who are most vulnerable or isolated. We also know how vital this connection is during COVID-19 and we wanted to make it easier for our social media followers to get the most timely and critical content all in the one place.
In April 2020, we embarked on a mission to streamline state-based Guide Dogs social media pages into one united channel, starting by bringing together GDV and Guide Dogs NSW/ACT under the Guide Dogs Australia national brand.
By the end of June, the Guide Dogs Australia Facebook had grown by over 7,000 new followers which was seven times higher than the growth achieved by the Guide Dogs Australia pages in the previous period! As a result of the success of the trial, Guide Dogs SA/NT and Guide Dogs Queensland joined the social media consolidation trial in August 2020.
Disability in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities is twice as prevalent, more complex in terms of co-occurring disabilities, and compressed within a shorter life expectancy compared to other Australians. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples are also three times more likely to go blind than other Australians. The eye health gap is improving, but more can be done – and this is where we come in.
In 2020, GDV began work on our first Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP). Our “Reflect” RAP will allow us to scope and develop relationships with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander stakeholders, decide on our vision for reconciliation, and explore our sphere of influence, before committing to specific actions or initiatives. This process will help us produce future RAPs that are meaningful, mutually beneficial and sustainable.
At Guide Dogs, we know reconciliation is not one single act, but a journey that requires a commitment from non-Indigenous Australians to take ownership and responsibility for their own learning and role in the process of reconciliation. Our first RAP is just one step in this journey towards talking, walking, and working together to overcome the division and inequality between Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal Australians.
Meanwhile at Guide Dogs:
The story of Isabel and Bill Patchett
GDV Client Kaitlyn is seven years old and has a condition called microphthalmia – this is a condition where the eye is not fully developed. Kaitlyn’s mum Jessica was given Kaitlyn’s diagnosis at her 20 week ultrasound.
Kaitlyn’s formal diagnosis was bilateral microphthalmia, which means that both Kaitlyn’s eyes and associated tissue did not fully develop in utero. Kaitlyn describes the vision in her right eye as only having perception of light and dark, while in her left eye, Kaitlyn can make out some colours and silhouettes.
Jessica is married and has a ten year old son, Jack, who is Kaitlyn’s older brother. The family introduced Kaitlyn to a cane at around fifteen months old. This wasn’t a mobility aid at this age but they wanted to have a cane in the home so it was a part of normal life.
Mid-way through 2019, Kaitlyn’s family came to GDV seeking further support for Kaitlyn and met Kaitlyn’s Orientation and Mobility Instructor, Danielle Kruger. When Kaitlyn and Danielle met, Jessica knew that they were the perfect match.
Danielle is friendly, funny and sometimes even goofy and Jessica believes the bond Danielle has built with Kaitlyn has been so beneficial as she has at last met someone who has been able to match her own fun-loving personality.
This outgoing and bubbly personality has seen Kaitlyn make many friends at school, with her friends even arguing over who gets to be her guide each day! One of her friends has also been practicing his left and right from a young age so he can be a guide for Kaitlyn when she needs him.
The biggest challenge for Kaitlyn is not being able to do everything her big brother does but that hasn’t stopped her from aiming high. Right now, Kaitlyn’s ambition is to be an author or a bus driver or a hairdresser.
Jessica just hopes that Kaitlyn will be able to do anything she wants with her life and that the world is able to adapt this for her needs. As a mum, Jessica’s greatest fear for Kaitlyn is that her confidence gets taken away from her, but she knows that with the help of GDV – and especially the supportive (if sometimes goofy) Danielle – that Kaitlyn has a solid foundation from which to achieve her dreams.
I originally began volunteering at GDV because the family wanted a dog! I wasn’t sure that a pet dog was such a good idea (because I knew it would all fall to me to take care of it!) and so we decided to raise a puppy to help someone in need and at the same time determine if we liked having a dog in our home.
Not only did we love having a dog in our home, but we also fell in love with everything GDV stood for – and so began my longstanding “career” as a volunteer Puppy Raiser! But it didn’t stop there. As our children were gradually moving on from school and becoming more independent, and the demands on my time reduced, I decided to find other ways to help at GDV and that’s when I started meeting more of the GDV family.
And it truly is one big family! A huge component of why I was drawn to continue volunteering with GDV was the wonderful people I was constantly interacting with. I’d go out to the campus and it just felt like such a happy, welcoming place to be. So many gorgeous employees working so hard and so many wonderful volunteers to laugh and share the journey with. Add to that the most adorable puppies ever….well I was totally hooked and remain so to this day!
My family is wonderful and has continued to support the time and energy I put into this role. I can’t wait for COVID-19 restrictions to reduce to the point where I can once again go out to the GDV campus and resume more of my volunteering roles – and of course catch up with my GDV family!
Being a volunteer with GDV has led me to discover a passion and love for something that was totally unexpected but which I find incredibly fulfilling. It makes me so proud, happy and joyful to be a part of this organisation and to be able to help in whatever way I can.
There are many reasons people decide to support GDV. For the late Bill Patchett and his wife Isabel, it was all about giving back. A Guide Dog Handler for almost 60 years, and GDV supporter for over 40 years, Bill was so grateful for the support he and Isabel had received from GDV over the years that he wanted to find a tangible and meaningful way to say thank you. So the pair decided to get together with a group of likeminded people and talk about how they could support GDV through leaving a gift in their Will.
From that chat came the Otus Fellowship; a group for people who have left a gift for GDV in their Will. The group is named in honour of one of our champion stud dogs, Otus, a much loved and celebrated figure of GDV. The Otus Fellowship does exactly what Bill and Isabel did that day – brings together a community of likeminded donors creating profound impact for Victorians with low vision or blindness, regularly holding lunches and functions to ensure members see the difference a gift can make firsthand.
Today, the Otus Fellowship boasts 1,278 dedicated members and as co-founders of the Otus Fellowship, Bill and Isabel remained passionate supporters of the group from its inception. Bill’s support didn’t stop there, though, will Bill going on to mentor many up and coming Guide Dog Mobility Instructors, serving as a GDV Board Member, and being an integral part of the GDV Client Advisory Committee.
Sadly as time went on and Bill’s health deteriorated, he was no longer able to be partnered with a Guide Dog but still longed for the same companionship his splendid dogs had provided over the years. In July 2019, Bill was matched with Galen, a Pets as Therapy Dog for him and Companion Dog for Isabel. (Isabel often comments on how smart Galen is having graduated with two degrees!)
Bill sadly passed last September, and Galen is now a Companion Dog for Isabel. Bill will remain an honoured member of the Otus Fellowship and the GDV family, and we thank Bill and Isabel for their care and commitment to Victorians living with low vision or blindness.
“Our lives would not have been the same without Bill’s Guide Dogs. They gave him mobility and independence, and for me, peace of mind and the joy of being mum. Bill and I have chosen to leave a gift in our Will to Guide Dogs Victoria to thank Guide Dogs for everything they have done for Bill.”
| Income | $ |
|---|---|
| Fundraising and Gifts in Wills | 12,004,666 |
| National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) | 3,088,136 |
| Other income | 1,491,395 |
| Funding for capital purposes* | 1,225,089 |
| Government grants for services | 1,052,231 |
| Revenue from merchandise sales | 1,008,125 |
| Revenue from the provision of dogs and Orientation and Mobility Services | 383,146 |
| Finance and investment revenue | 141,015 |
| Total Revenue | 20,393,803 |
Gifts in Wills and Major Supporters.
