Frequently Asked Questions

Donations

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• How do I donate if I don't have a credit card and wish to support somebody – or a group – doing the 40 Hour Famine?

  If you don't have a credit card you can simply use a friend or family member's credit card and give them the cash in return. Ask the owner of the credit card to enter your contact details in the fields provided on the donation form.

  Make sure you include your email address so that the receipt will be made out to you, not the owner of the credit card. You will receive a tax-deductible receipt via the email address you provided in the online donation form.

  Although you can’t make a cash or cheques donation to an Individual participant, you can do this for a group or group member.

• I made an online donation but I didn't receive the email with my receipt. Does this mean my donation didn't work?

  If you entered the correct email address when you were filling in your details, you should have received your receipt. Please use the Contact Us form or call us on 13 32 40 and we can check whether your donation was processed. We can also organise a duplicate receipt for your records.

40 Hour Famine Participants

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• What is involved in becoming a 40 Hour Famine Group Leader, Group Member or Individual Participant?

  We’ve put together three separate step-by-step guides for Group Leaders, Group Members and Individuals pages so you can find out exactly what is involved with each different kind of participation.
  The key differences are:

  • Group Leaders co-ordinate and help a group of people do the 40 Hour Famine
  • Group Members take part under the guidance of a Group Leader and get a receipt book, and
  • Individual participants aren’t part of a group, don’t need a receipt book and fundraise entirely online.

• Must I do the 40 Hour Famine on 20-22 August?

  No. Although the official 40 Hour Famine weekend starts at 8pm on Friday 20 August and finishes at noon on Sunday 22 August 2010, you can choose any other 40 hour period, as long as this is before 30 September 2010.

• If I’m in a group, do we all have to give up the same thing?

  No. All participants can choose for themselves what they want to give up – it might be food, or furniture, or your mobile phone. For more ideas, have a look at What R U giving up?

• How do we send in the money raised?

  In 2010, all donations can be received online, and for Individuals, online is the ONLY way to receive donations.

  In addition, if you’re a Group Member, you can accept donations via cash or cheque and issue receipts, though these donations MUST be given to your Group Leader for banking. If you receive cash or cheques, remember to add this info to your online fundraising page, where it will show against your tally. Please note however that until your Group Leader takes this money to the bank, it will not appear on your Group’s fundraising page.

  If you’re a Group Leader, please make sure your pay all cash and cheque donations at an ANZ Bank using a deposit slip from your banking book. Remember, the more often you do this, the higher your Group’s total amount will be presented on your online fundraising page.

  If you are unable to get to the bank, you can keep the cash and use your own credit card to pay in donations online.

• Why is the 40 Hour Famine internet-based for individual participants?

  In 2009, the 40 Hour Famine changed to an online format for individual participants to make it easier. You no longer have to carry a book and return it to us. Everything is online – from collecting donations, issuing receipts, and applying for an award.

  Also, the online format for Individual participants simply allows World Vision to ensure that as much money as possible goes to where it’s needed most.

• Why can't I have a receipt book if I'm an individual participant?

  40 Hour Famine receipt books contain tax-deductible receipts and as such, the Australian Tax Office requires that all receipt books be sent back to World Vision, whether used or unused by 40 Hour Famine participants. In the past, World Vision used resources to chase up books from individual participants that had not been returned and money that had not been banked – and we’d rather use these resources more efficiently.

• I registered to be a group leader and received my pack, but I can't find anyone else who wants to do it. What do I do?

  Send the receipt books and pay-in books back to World Vision using the reply paid sticker provided in your kit. You are then able to participate as an Individual.

• I want to take over as my Group's new group leader. Can I do that?

  Yes, but due to privacy we need to speak to the previous group leader so that we can change your Group details. If your Group belongs to a school or church, you should use our Contact Us form (link) or contact your World Vision State Office for assistance, these contact numbers are on the Group Leader Kit. Otherwise, please ask your Group Leader to Contact Us or call us on 13 32 40 and we will make the change.

• What about the dangers of anorexia?

  The World Vision 40 Hour Famine is about raising money to help children who are denied their basic child rights and for participants to get a taste of what life's like for families in poverty. It’s not about losing weight.

  We are very concerned that participants do the 40 Hour Famine for the right reasons. Primary school children are asked to ask their parent or guardians before going without food for more than 8 hours. For more info, please see our Tips for Staying Safe.

  And remember, food is not the only thing participants can choose to give up. Go without something else that really matters to you: for ideas and tips, see What R U giving up?