AOPCF Chairman’s Report 2024-25

Thanks to the support of the independent office products industry, the Australian Office Products Charitable Fund (AOPCF), has been able to offer much-need financial support to a range of children’s charities, many of which receive little or no support from the government and corporate sector.

 

The Charity Fund ended 2024 on a high by raising more than $130,000 in cash, stock and book packs on behalf of a range of children’s charities.

 

The total includes proceeds of more than $30,000 from last year’s Christmas charity lunch in Sydney, attended by more than 160 guests.

 

The new lunch format, which provided more “networking opportunities” was a great success as was the ‘Win a $5000 Diamond’ promotion, sponsored by Our Town & Country Office National.

 

Major sponsors of the Christmas lunch included ACCO Brands, Complete Office Supplies, Office Brands and Winc Australia.

 

The 27th annual Office Products Charity Golf Day raised more than $20,000 for children’s charities at Sydney’s Brighton Lakes Golf Club in May. 

 

Eighty players hit off in the four-person ambrose event with quite a few non-golfers coming along to the presentation lunch.

 

Major sponsors of this year’s golf day were ACCO Brands, Winc Australia and Office National.

 

Charities that benefited from this year’s fund-raising events include BNI Foundation, Roundabout Canberra, Dandelion Support Network and Bears of Hope.

 

The Charity Fund’s next event will be the Christmas charity lunch, to be held at Club York in Sydney on 28 November.

 

Finally,  I would like to offer a big thank you to our sponsors, who have consistently supported the charity and its events over many years.

 

I urge fellow dealers to support the organisations and suppliers that have assisted the Charity Fund over the past 25 years.

 

John Donaghy

Chairman

Australian Office Products Charitable Fund

 

Roundabout Canberra says ‘Thank You’

 

Sally Minty, operations co-ordinator, at Roundabout Canberra, an organisation that provides safe, high quality, essential baby and children's items to families in need, sent the following thank you note:  

 

As the year wraps up, I wanted to take a moment to personally thank you and the Australian Office Products Charitable Fund for your incredible support in 2024.

 

 I have just received your surprise delivery of lamination pouches and Dymo labels. Thank you so much

 

 Your help with school packs and stationery supplies has made such a difference to our work at Roundabout Canberra. 

 

Dandelion Support Network 

 

Back to school is a stressful time for many families who struggle to purchase all the items needed for their children’s schooling, says Gabrielle Humphreys, general manager of Dandelion Support Network. 

 

Dandelion has been able to assist families with 300 good quality book packs and back packs for the last two years thanks to the generosity of the Australian Office Products Charitable Fund. 

 

Their generosity didn’t end there as they also supported Dandelion with an additional $10,000 to help us continue to meet the needs of disadvantaged families.

 

PHOTO: John Donaghy with Gabby Humphreys.

 

ABOUT THE AOPCF

 

The Australian Office Products Charitable Fund (AOPCF) was founded in 1999 by a leading figure in the office products industry of Australia, Mr Anthony Keyser.   Anthony’s son was suffering from an incurable and debilitating disease. Anthony along with others key figures from the Australian office products community decided to launch a charity golf day to raise funds to benefit the industry’s associates in need

 

The committee of the AOPCF proceeded to host two key charity fundraising events per year. The annual office products industry Charity Golf Day in March and the annual office products industry Christmas lunch in November/December. 

 

Both fundraising events are key highlights in the office products industry annual calendar and highly supported by the industry’s supplier, vendor and customer communities. 

 

Every year, proposed beneficiaries nominations are fielded from within the industry. Our charter is to support charitable works that support Australian disadvantaged children and those with special needs. 

 

Over the past 24 years, the charity has also made funds available to support the industry’s own, including those individuals affected by illness and requiring financial support as well as its chosen charities.

 

We seek to support less high-profile charities that support disadvantaged children. These charities often do not receive significant government or private sector contributions to their funding requirements.

 

Since its inception in 1999, the charitable fund has raised more than $1.5 million to assist children’s charities.

 

Our beneficiary charities include: