Great News For Kiwi Kids

Media release for immediate use, November 27, 2009

Big Night In Telethon Figures Reveal Great News For Kiwi Kids

A report commissioned by the KidsCan Charitable Trust shows 80 cents of every dollar raised from the public during the Big Night In Telethon will be used for the charity’s programmes for New Zealand children.

The report was prepared by Trust Investments, a leading and long established provider of services and advice to charities and not-for-profits.

KidsCan StandTall Executive Director Julie Helson says KidsCan StandTall is the sole beneficiary of the August telethon and its programmes will receive $1,648,075 of the $2,061,439 raised.

“80 cents from every dollar raised from the public will be used solely for KidsCan programmes and so directly benefit tens of thousands of Kiwi children,” she says. “It will not be used for administration.”

Ms Helson says the financial report shows the August event cost $1,573,255, to stage, covering such things as production, administration and promotion, with $1,159,891 of this cost pre-funded through corporate sponsorship, to ensure a high percentage of the funds raised would go directly into KidsCan StandTall programmes.

“Production of a live televised event of this type is a huge logistical exercise and costly, especially across 23 hours, three major cities and in smaller provincial areas.

“Without support from key sponsors – TV3, The Trillian Trust, The Warehouse, Fly Buys, Air New Zealand, George Weston Foods, Sella, ASB, Mazda, 2 Degrees, Carters, Tip Top, McConnell Dowell, More FM and Adshel - we would not have been able to stage the Big Night In.

“High-profile personalities involved generously donated their time over the weekend and beforehand to support Kiwi kids, as did many others. In addition, many people worked intensively on this event for more than a year to make it happen, either at no cost or at discounted rates - something we will always be grateful for.”

Ms Helson says Big Night In Ltd is a wholly owned subsidiary of the KidsCan Charitable Trust and the finances have been kept entirely separate.

“We engaged KPMG to act in an advisory role leading up to the event to provide independent recommendations around internal controls.”

She says the post-event report was non-negotiable “We always intended to commission the report and publicly release its findings. It has taken time to resolve all the costs and income, but we now have realised very close to 100% of the money promised, so are able to finalise the figures.

“These figures correct the inaccuracies circulating just after the Big Night In Telethon that only 18 cents in the dollar would go from funds raised to the KidsCan StandTall programmes. We are pleased to be able to emphatically address that concern and report that 80 cents in every dollar raised will go directly to our programmes.”

Ms Helson says KidsCan StandTall has expanded its programmes since the Big Night In Telethon.

“Since August we have begun to work with 60 new schools that were on our waiting list and more than doubled our food programme, so it now reaches 17,000 children a week.

“We’re also preparing for next year’s distribution of 20,000 reflectorised adidas All Blacks raincoats, 7,000 pairs of shoes and 14,000 pairs of socks to children in low decile schools. These items will ensure those children get to school warm and dry and in a better position to learn.”

ENDS

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