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Meet an inspirational fundraiser:

Mike Toner from Thick as Thieves
Ollie Nolan & Renee Moussa | 1 FEB 2021

Looking to make your 2022 more meaningful? It’s no secret that performing an act of kindness, such as fundraising for charity, is a mood booster and is scientifically proven to increase the amount of serotonin and dopamine your brain releases. Interested in getting involved in fundraising yourself? Meet an inspirational fundraiser, Mike Toner, and learn why and how he raises money for worthy causes. 
  
PHOTO CREDIT: Michael Amendolia

In a hurry?

Click on the link below to go directly to the section you’re most interested in:

  1. Who are Mike Toner and Thick as Thieves?
  2. Why does Mike Toner take part in fundraising?
  3. What are Mike’s top tips for fundraising?
  4. How can you get started on your fundraising journey?

1. Who are Mike Toner and Thick as Thieves?

Mike Toner is an avid philanthropist and touring agent, from Donegal, Ireland. He moved to Australia as a backpacker at the age of 26 and is now a legend in the Melbourne music scene.  Mike is an accomplished promoter, event manager and DJ, recognised by his peers, friends and fans as a thoughtful, creative and respected member of the Melbourne community. 

Mike moved to Melbourne in his gap year when he discovered Melbourne's most famous club, Revolver.  Around this time, Mike also met Boogs, which inspired him to set up Thick as Thieves. Now 16 years later Mike owns one of the most successful touring agencies in Melbourne - Thick as Thieves. 

Thick as Thieves is a team of like-minded professionals, working together to create impressive events at venues such as the Coburg Velodrome and Burnley Circus. They host some of the World's most famous DJs including: Patrick Topping, Patrice Baumel and Claptone.  

Mike’s most recent event, ‘Quick as Thieves’ hosted in November 2021, raised over $600,000 for The Foundation.  Around 267 members of the electronic music industry ran three different marathon distances (half 21.25km, full 42.5km  and ultra 63km) to raise funds and awareness for preventable blindness. The run took place along the esplanade between St Kilda (Riva Marina) and Sandringham Beach. 

Mike participated in the ultra marathon in 2020, and then ran the 2021 marathon blindfolded, in order to raise awareness of the challenges blind people face, and also individually raised $51,256 for The Fred Hollows Foundation to help end avoidable blindness. 2021 was the second year Quick as Thieves has taken place in Melbourne. In December 2020, the event saw 140 participants raise almost $250,000 to help The Foundation restore sight in 25 countries around the world, including remote communities in Australia.
 

 
2. Why does Mike Toner take part in fundraising?

Back in Ireland, when Mike was studying in college, he witnessed a man with vision impairment walking quickly through a hallway and crash into a floating stairwell in the corridor.  Mike was unable to reach the man in time and he injured his head due to the fall. Mike witnessed a group of college students laughing at him, and called out the students on their behaviour. He also attempted consoling the injured man, who responded: “Mate, this happens to me all the time.” Mike strongly believes that no one should have to accept this kind of treatment or go through life facing the risk of falls and injuries due to preventable vision loss. This thought and the experience of that day were very significant for Mike.

So when Mike started living in Melbourne, he was moved to take action when he came across a poster saying: donate $25 to restore the gift of sight. That’s how Mike learned about The Fred Hollows Foundation and reached out, saying he was passionate about helping restore sight. Mike joined forces with his friend, musician Claptone, to organise an event that raised $20,000 on its first night. 

Mike’s philosophy for Thick as Thieves is all about generosity, positivity and philanthropy.

“I feel that your mind goes where your energy flows, and my energy goes on that stuff,” Mike says.
 


3.  What are Mike's top tips for fundraising?

Thinking of fundraising? Here are three things to keep in mind that help Mike with his fundraising:

  1. How to choose a charity
It is important to choose a cause that you are passionate about, this will help with motivation and drive you to reach your fundraising target. Find out more about how you can choose a charity to support.

  2. How to get family and friends involved 
Mike has an amazing network of people, especially in the Melbourne events industry, which helps his fundraising efforts. He also uses social media to get people involved and to show a huge range of people what he’s doing. It doesn’t matter if your circle of contacts isn’t as big as Mike’s, you can still use the same tactics to raise awareness and funds for your charity of choice. 

  3. How to raise as much money as possible
Mike surrounds himself with like-minded people, and they motivate each other to keep pushing for more, setting fundraising targets and trying to beat them. Asking people for money is not an easy thing to do, but when you’re appealing to someone’s humanity for the sake of helping those in need, it comes more naturally. Fundraising is a great way to step outside your comfort zone but it is also a great way to connect with others for a greater purpose.
 
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Photo credit: Michael Amendolia


4.  How can you get started on your fundraising journey?

There are lots of tried-and-tested as well as unique ways to raise funds. And it doesn’t have to be complicated. Simple ideas can be the most effective such as trivia night or a bake sale. You can get more fundraising ideas here.

If you would like to raise money to restore sight, you can set up your fundraising page here. Don’t forget to share it with your social networks. 

Download your free fundraising guides and resources to maximise your chance of reaching your goal. You will be able to monitor your progress through your fundraising page and adjust your fundraising goal any time. 

If you have any questions please do not hesitate to reach out to the Community Partnerships team at [email protected].
 
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Photo credit: Michael Amendolia
 

 
Interested in supporting The Fred Hollows Foundation?

Many people suffer from preventable blindness and vision impairment because they live  in under-resourced countries, where basic eye care isn’t readily available. Vision loss denies people education, independence and the ability to find employment to support their family. 

Restoring sight to the needlessly blind can break this cycle for millions of individuals. By fundraising for The Fred Hollows Foundation you can help break the cycle of poverty for people in need. 
 
 

 
Learn more about our work

Find out more about The Foundation's sight restoring work:  



 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Ollie Nolan - The Fred Hollows Foundation

Ollie works as a Partnerships Coordinator for The Fred Hollows Foundation.  His highlight in 2021 was working on Fred’s Big Run with the team, getting involved and motivating competitors to set and achieve their activity and fundraising goals. Ollie loves working as part of the partnerships team to see how people can come together and help end avoidable blindness!

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Renee Moussa - The Fred Hollows Foundation

Renee is the Community Partnership Coordinator at The Fred Hollows Foundation. She is incredibly passionate about helping vulnerable communities and making the world a better place. Renee is a proud member of The Foundation’s Government Relations, Philanthropy and Partnerships team, and supports the work of ending avoidable blindness around the world.