Fundraise For Us
Find out how you can host or take part in a fundraising event for the Bionics Institute.
Hosting or taking part in a fundraising event or activity is a simple and fun way to raise funds for the Bionics Institute’s life-changing research while connecting with your local community.
Ways you can fundraise
Whether you take part in an existing challenge, create your own activity or mark an occasion, there are many ways to help us raise essential funds.
Here’s how some of our amazing supporters have raised funds for the Bionics Institute.
Cynthia’s 50km fun run
Cynthia McLarty commemorated her 50th birthday by running an incredible 50km to raise funds for the Bionics Institute’s infant hearing research program. Find out more about Cynthia’s run here.
Suzanne’s open garden
As a cochlear implant recipient, Suzanne shared her appreciation for the Bionics Institute by holding an open garden event to raise funds for the hearing program. Find out more about Suzanne’s open garden here.
How to fundraise for the Bionics Institute
1. Decide on your activity – this could be an existing event you’re joining or a new event you’ve decided to organise.
2. Let us know your fundraising plans by contacting our team using the details below.
3. Set up an online fundraising page through sites such as GiveNow and Facebook
4. Spread the word! Share your fundraising page on social media or use posters to promote your fundraiser.
Get in touch
If you would like to fundraise for the Bionics Institute, please contact our fundraising team using this form.
A world leader in the development of medical devices, the Bionics Institute is a non-profit medical research institute solving challenging conditions with technology, with a focus on:
Get Involved
Make a difference to the lives of people around the world for generations to come through supporting medical research at the Bionics Institute.
Your support will help:
Why it’s important to support medical research
News and Events
Cynthia McLarty recently hosted a garden party fundraiser and raised an incredible $10K to help speed us groundbreaking Bionics Institute reaseach.
“What an incredible day it was, made possible by all the people that came and supported the event and the donors that were so generous.
I have been forever grateful to the Bionics institute from that miracle day, 24 years ago, when my son Sam heard sound for the first time. A moment I will never forget.” – Cynthia
Hosting the Garden party was a small way of giving back to an organisation that has changed so many lives around the world, and will continue to do so. Cynthia McLarty
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Corporate Giving
Find out how your company can support medical device research at the Bionics Institute
Corporate giving is a wonderful way to improve workplace culture and attract and retain quality staff whilst supporting innovative medical research.
Corporate Giving
Highlighting a company’s social responsibility and impact has also been linked to better reputation and brand.
Corporate giving can come in many forms, including:
• Philanthropic gifts from a Corporate Foundation
• Corporate Partnerships through cash and in-kind sponsorship and brand alignment
• Donation Matching to double your impact and incentivise others to give to a great cause.
Companies can also support their employees through Workplace Giving.
Alternatively, your employees can also Fundraise For Us by organising workplace fundraising activities, such as a corporate fun run or morning tea.
If your company is interested in supporting the Bionics Institute, please contact our fundraising team using this form.
A world leader in the development of medical devices, the Bionics Institute is a non-profit medical research institute solving challenging conditions with technology, with a focus on:
Support Us
By supporting medical device research at the Bionics Institute, you will make a difference to the lives of people around the world for generations to come.
Donate nowYour support will help:
There are many ways that you can become a Bionics Institute supporter:
Regular gifts help us to budget and plan medical research activities well into the future here.
Become a regular giver.
Remembering the Bionics Institute in your Will is a thoughtful and practical way of making a life-changing difference to people’s lives. You can find out more about leaving a gift in your Will here.
To discuss leaving a gift in your Will, please contact Ann Fazakerley by email: [email protected], call +61 3 9667 7500 or complete this form.
Holding or taking part in a fundraising event or activity is a fun way to raise money for life-changing research whilst connecting with your local community. You can get some inspiration for your event here.
To discuss setting up a community fundraiser, please contact our fundraising team using this form.
Giving in tribute is a meaningful and lasting way to celebrate a loved one’s life and honour their memory.
Asking guests to give in celebration of your birthday, wedding or anniversary is a wonderful way to share your passion for medical device research with friends and family.
You can find out more about giving in tribute and celebration here.
To discuss giving donations in memory of a loved family member or friend, or to request donation forms and envelopes, please contact our fundraising team using this form.
Corporate giving is a wonderful way to improve workplace culture and attract and retain quality staff whilst supporting innovative medical research.
Highlighting a company’s social responsibility and impact has also been linked to better reputation and brand.
If your company is interested in supporting the Bionics Institute, please contact our fundraising team using this form.
News and Events
Bionics Institute’s Mica Haneman will be taking part in a triathlon later this year to raise money towards our cochlear implant research.
Mica, an audiology graduate and research assistant with the Bionics Institute’s hearing team was inspired by taking part in our recent Bionics takes on Bogong event and seeing first-hand the difference community funding can make.
“I have the privilege of working with cochlear implant recipients to investigate ways of improving how cochlear implants are programmed.”
“Some people with a cochlear implant still experience many challenges with how sounds and speech are heard.”
“The work the Bionics Institute teams are doing to try and resolve this is so important.”
I’m always looking for a new challenge, so I’m really excited to be working towards a new goal, whilst also raising money towards such a worthwhile cause. Mica Haneman
We’d love to hear your fundraising ideas!
If you’re thinking about setting up a fundraiser for Bionics Institute research, or have any questions about how you can do this, click here to see how you can fundraise for us!
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Corporate giving isn’t just about writing a cheque, it’s about creating meaningful engagement with customers, staff, and the broader community.
The Bionics Institute’s corporate partners are finding creative new ways to connect purpose with action, and RMS Australia recently delivered a standout example.
Fundraising with a twist
At the 2025 NoVacancy Hotel + Accommodation Industry Expo, RMS Australia turned their booth into more than a networking space and made it a hub for charitable giving.
Visitors to the RMS stand were invited to “check in for charity” by placing a button into one of several charity boxes, each representing a different cause. For every button dropped, RMS pledged a donation. It was a simple but powerful idea: empower attendees to direct corporate giving and make it interactive.
“Together, we raised $5,000 to support Bionics Institute, Foodbank Australia, Victorian Animal Aid Trust, and Orange Sky Australia, helping change lives (and wagging tails).” – RMS Australia via LinkedIn
This approach gave attendees a voice in the donation process, generated buzz around their booth, and showcased RMS’s commitment to making a real-world difference. From pioneering medical research to food relief, animal welfare, and mobile hygiene services.
How your business can get involved
Your organisation can make a difference too. Whether it’s:
- Hosting an interactive fundraiser like RMS
- Launching a staff giving program
- Sponsoring a specific research campaign
- Setting up workplace giving
The Bionics Institute makes it easy to align your company’s values with cutting-edge medical innovation.
Learn more or explore partnership options here:
bionicsinstitute.org/get-involved/corporate-giving-2025
You might be interested in…
Support Us
Invest in groundbreaking research to relieve chronic pain.
Donate nowWilliam’s Story
William hangs on to a vision of a future life…
One where he is free of pain from a ski accident two years ago… which left him with a paralysed arm and a constant agonising burning sensation.
One where he can throw himself into his work instead of often leaving when the pain gets too much for him to bear.
William hurt his arm in a skiing accident that led to a traumatic brachial plexus injury. Despite surgeries, medication, and attempts at alternative therapies, nothing has worked to relieve it.
“It’s a cruel thing, I’m grieving the arm… the pain is number one because it’s day in, day out… it’s hard to look down the track and stay positive”
William shouldn’t have to live with this pain forever. Especially when a pain-free life may be possible with groundbreaking new research.
New hybrid nerve stimulation to relieve chronic pain
Specific cells are genetically modified to respond to light. This means we can target these cells (and only them!) with light. Our researchers are combining light and electrical current for highly targeted control of nerve activity that can be turned up to a higher level. This could mean more pain relief… and the potential of no negative side effects!
Help fund pioneering research
Chronic pain affects a staggering 1 in 4 people worldwide. Opioids, commonly prescribed for pain conditions, give inconsistent and often inadequate relief of symptoms, and can lead to serious side-effects, addiction, and overdose.
Caring researchers like Professor Rachael Richardson are pioneering a life-changing therapy. It’s called hybrid nerve stimulation – a world-first combination of light therapy and electrical stimulation.
This technique uses genetic modification to target pain signals without disrupting the surrounding nerves. It’s unlike current devices, which can activate the wrong nerves and cause spasms, shocks, or fail to work at all.
Your kind and thoughtful matched gift today will help move this research forward, bringing hope to millions suffering in chronic pain.
Watch our 2-min pitch about this research
Want to support research like this?
Want to support the future of research like this?
The progress of life-changing treatments are only made possible by donations from our supporters. Your support today could give those with chronic pain hope of a pain-free future.
Find out how you can support research innovation here.
Support Us
Help us find answers to even the most complex conditions, like cerebellar ataxias.
We’re researching new ways that can help improve the lives of people like Dianne.
Dianne’s Story
Dianne used to be a hairdresser. She used to drive. She used to care for her grandchildren.
But as the years have passed, simple everyday tasks have become impossible.
“I don’t like the person I’ve had to become.”
Cerebellar ataxias are a set of cruel degenerative neurological conditions, one of which has slowly stolen Dianne’s independence, her confidence, and the life she once knew.
Associate Professor David Szmulewicz and his team at the Bionics Institute are developing revolutionary wearable sensor technology to measure and track the progression of cerebellar ataxia.
These devices could change everything because there is no clinical way to do this.
Cerebellar ataxia symptoms often resemble those of being drunk, because both affect the cerebellum
Help fund pioneering research
What is cerebellar ataxia?
Cerebellar ataxias are degenerative diseases that affect the same part of the brain as alcohol.
You become increasingly out of control of your speech, balance, vision and ability to swallow.
There’s no way to accurately measure it, slow its progression, or treat it – without research.
Our solution
Associate Professor David Szmulewicz and his team are developing wearable sensors powered by artificial intelligence. These sensors will provide real-time data on movement and coordination, allowing doctors to track cerebellar ataxia progression accurately.
Will you please help to discover new ways to measure and treat currently untreatable conditions like cerebellar ataxia?
What can you do?
– You can break down barriers to diagnosis and care
– You can help develop respectful and equal medical care
– You can enable more tailored and timely interventions to slow progression and improve her quality of life
“If Dianne were to gain access to this technology and know how her cerebellar ataxia is progressing, it could make a huge difference in her daily life.
For starters, it would provide her with objective, measurable data about her condition, helping her and her healthcare providers better understand how her ataxia is evolving, and remove confounding factors that can contribute to misleading impressions of true disease progress and manifestations.”
– Associate Professor David Szmulewicz
Cerebellar ataxia does discriminate
In East Arnhem Land communities, it is estimated that the most common form of this condition can occur up to 180 times more frequently than worldwide.
Cerebellar ataxias disproportionately affect Indigenous Australians living in remote communities.
“My father walked strangely before he died 100 years ago. Now, people are getting sick younger and younger”
– Gayangwa, Angurugu on Groote Eylandt Elder
Want to support the future of research like this?
Research for life-changing devices & treatments like this is made possible by donations from our supporters.
Your support today could help progress new treatments for the future.
Find out how you can support research innovation here.
On March 4, you will have the opportunity to play an even bigger role in the fight against Alzheimer’s disease, with donations you make MATCHED by a caring group of Bionics Institute supporters.
By giving generously on Alzheimer’s Research Giving Day, you will be doubling your impact towards life-changing research that gives hope to so many people who are living with the devastating effects of the disease around the world.
Our new Ambassador: Vance Joy!
While you may know him from his hit song Riptide — which has been streamed more than 2 billion times on Spotify — you may not know that Vance is passionate about finding a way to combat memory loss and the worst effects of Alzheimer’s disease. With your help, he is hoping we raise enough money this Giving Day to progress our pioneering research into the disease.
I’m proud to support the Bionics Institute in their research into brain stimulation treatments for Alzheimer’s disease, aiming to combat memory loss. If you’re able to support, please donate to their Giving Day on March 4. Vance Joy
Your support can make a huge difference to people like Daryl
Daryl was diagnosed with early-onset Alzheimer’s in 2021 at just 58 years old.
Following his diagnosis and progression of the disease, Daryl has had to give up his life-long career teaching primary school children, and like many people with Alzheimer’s, he and his family have had to rapidly adjust to a new way of life to ensure he has the support he needs.
For his wife Cathy, and their family, the impact has been profound. Cathy, who manages the local bookstore, has shouldered the primary caregiving role, while their daughter and her husband have moved back home to help.
“You have to have a lot of patience dealing with Alzheimer’s and it can be like putting your regular life on hold to make everything work around the disease,” Cathy says.
“We have a pretty good system of visuals in the house, and every day we try and make a bit of a plan of what’s going to happen. We just have to make sure that we’re super organised.”
Cathy and Daryl are both grateful to have taken part in the Bionics Institute’s Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) trial, which has brought a glimmer of hope.
The whole experience was really positive for us. We felt valued and always comfortable and supported and well looked after. I’m really hoping it progresses and as many people as possible can get it. Cathy, Daryl’s wife and carer