Local fundraising example:
Brace bank for children born with clubfoot

Summary

Every year more than 5,000 Indonesian children are born with clubfoot. Without proper treatment, they end up in a wheelchair. Stepping Stones Bali started its first clubfoot centre for facilitating complete treatment and guidance for these children in 2017. In 2023 the first children completed the 3 phases of their treatment following the Ponseti Method. Today, over 400 children with clubfoot have been supported, 7-10 new children per month start their clubfoot treatment and Stepping Stones Bali runs 3 clubfoot clinics, plus 1 online. 2024 saw the start of a clubfoot clinic in Java; at set times a year, they go to Java for the check-ups of the children who are in the clubfoot treatment. Having seen the high demand for support from across Indonesia, Stepping Stones Bali aims to shift its focus each year to new districts, developing collaborations with orthopaedists, doctors and NGOs in areas such as Java, East Nusa Tengarra, Kalimantan and Sumatra.

Tips and lessons learned

1. An important lesson we learned is that successful fundraising is strongly connected to communication. Reaching the right target groups in the right way is essential. Building trust takes time, but long-term relationships create lasting impact. 

2. We have also learned the importance of involving others in the fundraising process. Support from someone with PR and charity experience helped us improve our communication with sponsors and further professionalise our fundraising approach.

3. And finally: It is important to evaluate your fundraising processes regularly.

Review by Wilde Ganzen Foundation

Over the years, Stepping Stones Bali has developed a variety of fundraising methods, which has allowed them to diversify their sources of income and enhance their sustainability. One of their strengths is that they have analysed their environment and worked out what might work well there. That’s how the idea came about to place donation boxes in places that attract lots of tourists: hotels, restaurants and shops. If your organisation is working in a tourist area, or near a popular shopping mall, you may want to copy the idea. Or approach your local theatre or cinema. It always works well to link fundraising and awareness activities to important dates, in this case World Disability Day or World Clubfoot Day. You could also take advantage of Eid al-Fitr, Christmas or other occasions when people are in a festive mood and more willing to give. And finally, we invite you to read the paragraph about the voluntary donation programme for parents of children receiving treatment. Especially if you are offering services it may be a good idea to develop an open donation programme of your own for those who are willing and able to contribute.

Details

Short description of the organisation the funds were raised for

Stepping Stones Bali is a non-profit organisation active in Indonesia since 2014 to lay down and connect the right stepping stones for children with physical disabilities. We provide holistic support for children born with clubfoot, from the very first diagnosis to the final steps of recovery.

Our care plan includes:

• Early Identification – We train caregivers and health workers to recognise clubfoot as early as possible, often right after birth.
• Correcting Phase, the Casting & Surgical Support – We connect with the orthopedic surgeons to support them in materials and network to be able to complete this phase with the child in the best way.
• Bracing Phase – This long-term phase is essential to keep the correction in place. We provide custom-made braces and ongoing guidance for several years in different clinics.
• Follow-Up and Family Support – Regular check-ups, emotional support, and clear guidance help families stay on track throughout the journey.

We also offer online support for families across Indonesia who cannot reach a clinic — ensuring that distance is never a barrier to care.

Short description of the project or programme the funds were raised for

For long-term, life-changing results, completing the bracing phase is essential. This phase ensures that the corrected position of the foot is maintained and prevents relapse. We provide custom-made Foot Abduction Braces (FABs), specifically designed to support the foot after casting, along with ongoing guidance over several years across multiple clinics. Every three months, we conduct follow-up assessments with the children to ensure the brace is still being used correctly, fits properly, and that the feet remain well-corrected to continue effective bracing.

To support this, we ensure a reliable supply chain and logistics system so that FABs and other treatment materials are consistently available where and when needed. This includes maintaining adequate stock levels, establishing local production or sourcing of high-quality braces, and coordinating transportation and storage throughout the programme.

Summary of fundraising action

Stepping Stones Bali has been involved in fundraising activities both inside and outside Indonesia since the beginning of our foundation.

One of our main local fundraising activities is the placement of donation boxes in hotels, restaurants, villas, homestays, and other businesses in Bali’s tourism area. The donation boxes have a simple and approachable design, making them easily accepted by the community. Before placing a box, we meet with the owner or manager to explain the purpose and cooperation system. Depending on the business, we either work based on trust and existing relationships or prepare a formal cooperation agreement.

We also organise fundraising and awareness activities around important dates such as World Disability Day and World Clubfoot Day. During these events, we bring together children, families, donors, healthcare professionals, and supporters. Fundraising activities often include open donations in exchange for meal vouchers, souvenirs, or T-shirts as a token of appreciation.

The Clubfoot Shoe Bank provides the children with several pairs of shoes throughout their treatment process. It is at the same time one of the main fundraising programmes of our foundation. In the beginning, we provided special shoes free of charge to all patients, regardless of their financial background — whether they were underprivileged, financially stable, or well-off. At that time, we never encouraged families to donate to our foundation. However, through our observations, we noticed that some parents voluntarily made donations after receiving the shoes for free. This inspired us to introduce an open donation programme during the shoe distribution process. Some of the families we support are financially capable and willing to contribute, while for families with limited financial resources, the shoes continue to be provided completely free of charge. 

This fundraising programme is also sustainable because the assistive devices and shoes we provide have a long lifespan. Most parents voluntarily return the shoes and devices once their children no longer need them, allowing us to help more children in need. As a result, we are able to reuse and redistribute the equipment continuously, as long as it remains in proper condition. 

After attending the Change the Game Academy training, we explored new fundraising approaches, including food coupon campaigns linked to disability awareness events. This was very successful for us. We are currently expanding this idea by creating special World Clubfoot Day T-shirts for families and healthcare professionals to help raise both funds and awareness (see one of the photos).

Objectives

1. To develop and maintain a well-managed, sustainable brace bank that ensures continuous access to high-quality Foot Abduction Braces (FABs) for all children undergoing treatment. The brace bank will support long-term treatment adherence by ensuring that every child receives the right brace at the right time, regardless of financial capacity.

2. Funding our clubfoot programme, such as distribution, transportation and shipping.

Targeted donors

1. Parents of children born with clubfoot from all over Indonesia.

2. Financially stronger parents from all over Indonesia are encouraged to make an extra donation.

Results

Result comments

A growing and increasingly strong brace bank that operates in a more independent and professional manner, with improved systems, coordination, and quality of service.

Plans to repeat the action

All activities are ongoing.