What is Do It in the Dark?
Do it in the Dark (DITD) is a unique Retina Australia fundraising event which aims to create awareness about inherited retinal diseases, and raise funds to support life-changing medical research and provide information and support.
Registrants can host a fundraising event anytime, and participate either alone or by gathering family, friends or co-workers, to complete a fun activity while wearing our custom-made glasses. These glasses simulate tunnel vision which can be a common symptom of people living with an inherited retinal disease.
The money that you raise from your DITD fundraising event will go directly to Retina Australia, a national, charitable organisation dedicated to supporting people affected by inherited retinal diseases.
What does DITD involve?
An experience with limited vision
Once you register to host a DITD event, we will send you custom glasses for you and your participants to wear during your fundraising activity. These custom glasses will simulate tunnel vision, giving the wearer around only 5 to 10% of their normal vision. The aim of wearing the glasses is to better understand the challenges of day to day life for someone living with an inherited retinal disease as tunnel vision is a common symptom.
It is important to note that people living with an inherited retinal disease develop strategies to cope with the range of daily work and life tasks. So we ask that you and your participants be very careful while wearing these glasses.
Choose a safe fundraising activity
For your choice of fundraising event, it is important to select an activity which is safe for people to do with the very limited vision that you will have while wearing the glasses. Your activity may also be supported by a sighted guide where appropriate.
Please do not attempt to operate machinery or power tools, handle hazardous materials, or move about in unfamiliar areas.
Fundraising activities
Your DITD fundraising activity is completely up to you. It could include hosting a movie night, a dinner party, a morning tea, a games night, an arts and craft session, or playing cards.
These are just some suggestions but we’d love to hear about other ideas you come up with!
If you are stuck for an activity, consider taking the DITD Puzzle Challenge!
Group challenges
For groups you could set a challenge to complete an activity such as a puzzle or crossword and may even award a prize for the fastest participant. Another fun activity could be scavenger hunt.
You may like to explore your artistic skills and host a painting party, or a play dough, lego sculpture or photography challenge. Artworks may even be auctioned at a school fundraiser to raise additional funds.
Solo fundraiser
Your event may be a solo fundraiser, where you ask friends, family and co-workers to sponsor you for completing an activity while wearing the custom made glasses, such as washing cars or undertaking a walk or a jog with an experienced sighted guide.
Event focus ideas
You can host a DITD event at any time.
- Instead of gifts for your birthday or anniversary, you can ask your friends and family to donate to join your DITD event celebration.
- Instead of paying to go out with your friends for dinner, you can host a dinner party and ask them to donate the cost of the restaurant meal to attend your unique DITD dinner.
Take the DITD Puzzle Challenge!
Your Do It in The Dark (DITD) fundraiser could be to take the Retina Australia DITD Puzzle Challenge.
We have created this Puzzle Challenge to undertake while wearing our custom glasses which simulate tunnel vision, a common symptom of some people living with an inherited retinal disease.
How to get started
1. Sign up
Sign up to host your own DITD event by completing the Registration Form.
2. Create a Fundraising Page
Set up a Fundraising Page on the JustGiving site here. This is free to create and donations are automatically collated under your name and event, with tax deductible receipts provided automatically for donations of $2 and over.
If you prefer, you can collect cash on the day of your event and transfer it to Retina Australia soon after. Please refer to FAQs for details.
3. Choose your fundraising activity
Confirm the details of your fundraising activity and make sure whatever you choose can be completed safely with restricted vision.
4. Decide how you will raise money
Decide how you will encourage donations – eg. ask for a set donation amount for attending your dinner party or movie night, a donation of choice to attend your morning tea, or to sponsor you to complete a walk or train for a short run with a trained sighted guide while wearing the custom glasses.
5. Set a date
Commit to when you will hold your fundraising event and make sure you ask people to save the date in their diaries.
6. Promote, promote, promote!
Tell everyone about your fundraising event to encourage participation to maximise your donations. Sending an email is a great way to let everyone know, as is promoting your fundraiser on your social media platforms.
7. Get organised for your event and have fun!
Useful fundraising strategies
- Set a minimum amount to participate, eg. $10 or a gold coin donation
- Explain to your followers WHY you are fundraising. You could upload a 30-second video to Facebook or on your Instagram story or reel. Don’t forget to use tag @retinaaustralia and use the hashtags #DoItintheDark and #RetinaAustraliaDITD
- Remind everyone that as Retina Australia is a registered charitable organisation, donations over $2 are tax-deductible.
Frequently asked questions
Once you complete and submit your DITD Registration Form, we will process your details and send you the custom glasses for you and your participants within 3-5 business days.
Fundraising goals will be different for each person, but it is important to set yourself a goal and make your supporters aware of how much you intend to raise.
- If you aim to have ten people attending your event and each person donates $20, you will have already raised $200.
- If you were to hold a larger event with fifty people and each person gave just $10, you will have raised $500.
- You can encourage donations once the event is completed by either collecting cash on the day or directing your supporters to the Retina Australia website – Donate page.
Remember, set a goal that you feel comfortable with and one that you believe your supporters will support.
Transferring funds raised from your event is easy. You can select from one of the options below:
Just Giving Platform
If you create a Just Giving supporter page, your family and friends will be able to donate directly through the platform to Retina Australia. Your donors will see your target fundraising goals and be able to leave messages of support. Donors can be anonymous if they choose.
To learn more head to: justgiving.com/retinaaustralia
Bank Transfer
Make sure to include DITD and your name as a reference when making a bank transfer:
Bank: Commonwealth Bank
BSB: 065115
Account name: Retina Australia Gift Account
Account number: 10233087
Donate over the phone
You can call us on 1800 999 870 or (03) 9650 5088 if you wish to make your donation over the phone via credit card (MasterCard or VISA), during the office hours of 9.00am – 3.30pm on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Please leave a voicemail at any other time and we will get back to you when we return.
Retina Australia Website
You can direct your family, friends, or co-workers to visit www.retinaaustralia.com.au/donate and they can donate directly through PayPal, MasterCard, or VISA. If you would like to pay in your money in any other way (cheque, mail, etc.) please do not hesitate to get in touch.