The group has recommended implementing a coordinated, accountable national approach based on leading practices overseas. In this, a national organisation would be the central point for all donor and transplant processes. At each major metropolitan hospital, a specialist donor-coordinating doctor would be appointed who can advise and educate medical staff and donor families of the process. They would also ensure that medical training and donor awareness programs in hospitals. These hospitals would be reimbursed for the costs of donor management. Across Australia, a clear and consistent education program would be run, and ongoing care programs for donor families and transplant recipients provided.

Two major initiatives are currently underway: to implement a global best-practice organ donation system and a national communications program to inform and educate the populace. Weinman asserts that ShareLife’s identification of the ‘conversion’ problem was due to its use of “bullet-proof” data. From this reasoning, it focused on ‘outputs’ –generating a higher conversion rate – rather than looking at ways to gain further ‘inputs’ – such as money and donors. The group’s ability to formulate and roll out programs to combat the problem is founded on the eclectic professional backgrounds and skills of the people involved, and their networks – the initiative has been publicised through Channel 7’s Sunrise program and in Fairfax and News Limited newspapers.

This focused, business-like approach and the use of influential contacts differentiated ShareLife from the 70-odd other organ transplant charities in Australia. Although Weinman found that people working in the other non-profits are well-intentioned, the initiatives are fragmented and not highly focused, and much funding was misdirected.

The ShareLife story was profiled last month at a Perpetual Foundation forum themed on the governance of non-profits. Managing director of Perpetual Investments and chair of the foundation, David Deverall, urged non-profits to formulate disciplined strategies to achieve their goals, and to put greater emphasis on outcomes, rather than fundraising, since the results that a non-profit achieves in the community is the measure of their impact.

Satisfying outcomes are earned by non-profits that “know where they are going, how they will get there and who they need to influence to get there,” Deverall said.

He said that boards should remind themselves often of their focus. “What are we trying to achieve and how do we measure it? And what do we do if we fail?