Telstra has marked its 80th year of supporting the Good Friday Appeal by providing technological infrastructure that helped drive donations surpassing AUD $1 million during this year's telethon.
This contribution formed part of the total AUD $23,822,792 raised for The Royal Children's Hospital in Melbourne through the annual fundraising event.
Over the past eight decades, Telstra has partnered with the Good Friday Appeal (GFA), offering its expertise in running the operations of the pop-up phone room that underpins the annual telethon. During this extensive collaboration, Telstra has facilitated donations totalling more than AUD $469 million through phone contributions.
Each year, the phone room manages an average of 7,000 calls over the course of the eight-hour telethon, resulting in over AUD $1 million raised via telephone and an additional AUD $4 million received through online donations.
John Ieraci, Head of Telstra Enterprise Technology Services, said, "Supporting the Good Friday Appeal is a true highlight for our team each year. It's incredibly rewarding to see our technology in action, helping volunteers connect with thousands of generous Victorians to raise vital funds. Every year, spanning eight decades now, we look for ways to make the donation process faster, simpler and more reliable - because behind every call or click is a story, and a family we're proud to support."
Following the onset of the pandemic, the Good Friday Appeal transitioned to Telstra's Contact Centre Genesys Cloud system, a cloud-based platform designed to support the behind-the-scenes operations of the telethon. This system offers volunteers a user-friendly interface, facilitating expedited onsite training and supporting multiple forms of communication including telephone, email, and webchat. This approach provides donors with flexibility in choosing how they wish to contribute.
The platform enables the Good Friday Appeal team to monitor call activity in real time, including the number of calls answered, queued, or on hold. This capability assists with accurate donation tracking and maintaining an up-to-date live tally throughout the day. Automated features, such as call routing and the distribution of confirmation emails to donors, are in place to help streamline operations during the event.
Ensuring the technology functions reliably is regarded as essential, as any system downtime could result in missed donations. Telstra dedicates significant planning and preparation to guarantee the platform operates seamlessly and without interruption during the event.
Rebecca Cowan, Executive Director of the Good Friday Appeal, said, "The Good Friday Appeal is more than just a fundraising event; it's an iconic tradition that unites the community and connects people across generations. What's remarkable is how many people still choose to pick up the phone to donate. It's a powerful reminder that the phone room remains a vital and inclusive way for people from all walks of life."
She added, "Telstra's ongoing support ensures that this tradition not only lives on but continues to make a real difference to the lives of sick kids and their families. Thank you to Telstra, this would not be possible without their support."
