For families with a ‘miracle baby’, the journey of becoming a parent can be filled with fear, feelings of isolation and stress. It can also sometimes mean being separated from the rest of the family for weeks or months on end as their baby spends time in a neonatal unit fighting for life.
Miracle Babies Foundation is a lifeline of support for parents facing the birth of a baby born premature or critically ill. The foundation connects them with others who have had a shared experience and guides them through the journey for a lifetime, not just during the hospital stay.
“Our program provides support during the hospital journey – peer support inside the hospital unit, a 24-hour family support line and resources to help parents navigate their NICU stay with information and tools to help them cope and feel more confident to be part of their vulnerable baby’s care,” said Chief Operating Officer Danielle Hodgson.
After discharge, this support doesn’t end, as the ongoing impact can be uncertain, according to Ms Hodgson. Having a baby born premature or sick impacts the parents emotionally and mentally, far more than many truly understand, with increased risk of PTSD, anxiety and depression. These babies can go on to face lifelong challenges and disabilities and may reach developmental milestones far later than their peers. This can all have a huge impact on the entire family unit, and navigating this can be overwhelming and lonely without the right support around them.
At the 2024 Third Sector Awards, the Miracle Babies Foundation won the Fundraising Excellence Award for its exceptional fundraising outcomes and innovation. What’s the secret behind the foundation’s success in this area? Learn more through our Q&A session with Ms Hodgson.
First of all, what inspired you to pursue a career in the social sector?
I was previously in a corporate role, after studying a Bachelor of Business and Commerce major in Marketing. Before joining the Miracle Babies Foundation, I worked in retail, administrative roles, and then in marketing and brand management for major Australian brands. I enjoyed it; however, after 9 years, I decided to make the move to not-for-profit following the birth of my first son for personal reasons. I have a lot to give and a huge amount of compassion, and I felt that NFP would be a sector that would allow me to share my strengths and also learn a lot about myself.
In moving to NFP from corporate, I quickly realised that I needed to step outside my comfort zone, think outside the box and be 100% committed to our work. (When you’re doing such meaningful work, it’s a different feeling.) I get up each day knowing that every day will be different and that my actions each week are impacting people’s lives, and that’s a huge responsibility – one I take very seriously. I feel incredibly fortunate to have the opportunity to be part of this wonderful work that we do.
What is the most fulfilling part of your work?
We have families that stay with us for years, and we watch their children grow together. We celebrate milestones, and sometimes they come back to join our team to support others going through the experience now. We’re small enough to have strong community roots; however, we’re large enough to be making a difference on a national and even international level. I love the moment that we get to share a positive story and the emotion that comes with seeing how much of a positive difference we have had on the lives of an entire family.
What is the most impactful project you’ve worked on so far?
There are so many projects that stand out. Our work has seen us influence changes in the hospital system, empower parents with children going to school and beyond, and I could mention too many!
Before 2020, though, Miracle Babies Foundation had multiple platforms for data management, including manual systems for family registrations into our programs and reporting, CRM, fundraising, along with its website. In 2020, we made the move to a single, integrated platform that allows us to do all of this in one, in-house. We can now better track the reach of our programs, spot stand-out supporters within our network, and manage relationships and crucial family data. This allows us to provide a better experience through our programs and helps our team be more efficient in the way we work, so that we can grow and support more families each year.
What are the biggest developments you’ve seen in the social sector so far?
Access to no-cost or discounted training – whether in program management and growth, finance, strategic planning, leadership or fundraising for all levels within the sector – is excellent. I would love to see more support available for smaller charities with smaller budgets in the future so that they also have the opportunity to attend valuable conferences like Third Sector conferences, FIA and F&P.
Groups like the Impact Collective have been wonderful at initiating ongoing, within-sector collaboration and learning. This is at no cost and connects fundraisers from all over the sector on a number of focus areas. It’s a valuable way for us to enhance the capabilities within the sector. I love this initiative!
What do you think is the biggest challenge facing our sector nowadays?
Managing overheads and the push for continuously reducing admin costs to simply deliver your purpose can be tough. I believe the ‘Pay What it Takes’ movement is a fantastic step in the right direction. I hope that greater understanding and support behind the challenges and factors hindering the growth of the good work of Australian charities will lead to positive changes for the sector.
What emerging technology or trends do you believe will shape the sector’s future?
We have seen that the number of individuals donating sector-wide has continued to decline over the past decade. At Miracle Babies Foundation, whilst we have held stable, we have seen the average donation amount slowly decline. As a cause that still has relatively low community awareness, the power of advocates within our network is extraordinary. Their extended village can bring new supporters to the organisation, including within philanthropy and major gifts and can spread the word for our programs in local communities where others may be in need (and previously unaware) of our available support.
These advocates need to be nurtured. I believe that partnering with your advocates (whether they are donors, volunteers or simply those supported by the cause) will always be important to help you stand out. With so many charities competing for a pool of funds, these advocates have the power to help you cut through. This is the beauty of peer-to-peer fundraising – reaching entirely new audiences, but from an authentic place, from somebody who has benefited personally from the work that you do. Don’t forget that your role is to give them the tools and support to help them do this, so you need dedicated fundraising resources to be able to manage these community relationships.
I also believe more organisations within the sector will invest in technology that allows for streamlined processes and sophisticated data management. Access to rich data that allows you to better understand and truly nurture your donors, but also those that you are supporting through your programs, in the best possible way, whilst relieving small, under-resourced teams, can unlock success in this sector.
What advice would you give aspiring leaders in this sector?
Emotional intelligence is important for any leader, but even more so within the NFP sector. Stress can be high, resources can be low, and our work and purpose can be confronting. Understanding the people in your team and the volunteers around you, as well as their motivations and personal reasons for joining the organisation, will be critical, as this can impact the way that different people in your team might respond to others and approach their role within the organisation.
I recommend investing in the personal development of your team and their skills in leading themselves. Also, invest in ongoing training and development of your leadership team as the NFP world needs strong, resilient and capable teams and leaders to make the difference that we do!
What is the impact of Miracle Babies Foundation’s win at the 2024 Third Sector Awards?
Receiving recognition for the hard work of a team and the combined efforts of so many that work endlessly, often with big targets, is incredibly important. Having been awarded the Fundraising Excellence Award in 2024, the Miracle Babies Foundation team felt validation, confidence, pride and support. It’s hard to know if you’re on the right track, but it’s easy to compare your work with others in the sector that might have greater funds and resources than you. It’s nice to know that the work we’re doing has been recognised as against a high benchmark; it feels like we’ve earned our place. We’re grateful to have been a finalist, and we’re overwhelmed with excitement about this win. Thank you, Third Sector.
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Geraldine is currently the Content Producer for Third Sector, an Akolade channel. Throughout her career, she has written for various industries and international audiences. Her love for writing extends beyond the corporate world, as she also works as a volunteer writer at her local church. Aside from writing, she is also fond of joining fun runs and watching musicals.
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