GEM SPOTLIGHT WITH LUKE TOEBELMANN FROM BROTHERHOOD OF ST LAURENCE
Luke Toebelmann, Victorian Young Fundraiser
FIA Awards of Excellence
Luke shares his fundraising journey from the education sector into fundraising, plus career highlights, advice and passion for sport. At the recent FIA Awards of Excellence, Luke was announced as The Victorian Fundraiser of the Year.
Gembridge placed Luke in his current role as Corporate Partnerships Manager 18 months ago, and we are so excited to see his achievements and accolades!
What was your previous career/s and why did you move into the NFP sector?
The first five years of my working life was in the tertiary and higher education sector, delivering student engagement programs. Essentially, my role was to create an inclusive, engaging and fun environment for students whenever they were on campus. ie: events, events, events!
How did you get into the NFP sector / fundraising?
After travelling around Australia and seeing the level of inequity and disadvantage that exists across our country, I was determined to make a career change to the community sector. I felt that I could be ‘doing more’ with the skillset that I had. I subsequently joined the Cathy Freeman Foundation, working in various fundraising roles over five years before coming to the Brotherhood of St. Laurence in 2019.
What is the most interesting, bizarre or funny question you have been asked by a corporate partner?
The questions that corporate partners asked in briefings prior to visiting remote Indigenous communities was always interesting! There is a lot of naivety and misunderstanding in this space. Thankfully, every guest was very respectful and a pleasure to work with on each trip.
Fundraising is hard. How do you stay focussed, motivated and driven?
I am extremely lucky to be surrounded by an incredibly intelligent, supportive and fun team. BSL has some of the best fundraisers in Australia who are open to sharing their knowledge and most importantly, are wonderful people. Every day, I know that I will learn something new and am guaranteed to smile. It’s a great recipe for team success! Also, I try to actively acknowledge the little wins… wins can be hard to find at times so it’s important to acknowledge them!
Luke pictured with his wife Ashleigh and son Ollie.
What is your proudest accomplishment or career highlight?
I am proudest to be a Dad to two cheeky little boys, Ollie (2.5 years old) and Noah (9 months) and a Husband to my beautiful wife, Ashleigh.
Life is always busy but I absolutely wouldn’t change a thing! Professionally, the recent FIA Awards for Excellence announcements were super exciting. Reading the endorsements from my colleagues and corporate partners within the award nomination makes me most proud!
What is the best career advice you've received?
The best life advice I’ve received is from my parents and is really simple, ‘treat others how you want to be treated’. I’ve always lived by this and feel like it has allowed me to form strong relationships that are built on trust and mutual respect. This obviously translates very well to working with philanthropic partners.
What is the key career advice you give?
Never commit to something that you cannot deliver. Again, very simple but a prerequisite to building trust and earning respect.
What did you dream of being when you were a child?
I loved Australian Rules football however unfortunately I didn’t have the talent to make it into a career! Now, I’m an avid (and often disappointed) spectator.
What is your favourite movie / book?
I love to run so if I ever get time to myself, I’m not one to read or watch movies. However I do get to mix both worlds by listening to e-books whilst I run… my favourites are ‘Born to Run’ by Christopher McDougall and ‘Shoe Dog’ by Phil Knight. Not surprisingly, they both link to running and sport!
What does it mean to be awarded VIC Young Fundraiser of the Year? How do you think this will change your fundraising career?
I’m really proud of the award, although am a bit uncomfortable at the same time! I certainly don’t feel very ‘young’ after the last few years since the little fellas came along… Most of all, I’m grateful to work with such an amazing team at BSL, led by Karen McComiskey. In terms of change, perhaps I will have more confidence in what I do and how I do it and it’ll lead to building more amazing partnerships.