When Deborah Thomas took the reins as CEO of Camp Quality in January 2020, she could never have anticipated the storm that was about to hit. Within weeks, the COVID-19 pandemic wiped out more than half of the charity’s revenue as fundraising events were canceled nationwide.
But instead of faltering, Thomas led the purpose-driven organization through a remarkable transformation, not only ensuring its survival but also setting it up on a path to thrive.
“We saw nearly 65 percent of our revenue disappear overnight because we couldn’t hold any of our events,” Thomas tells The CEO Magazine. “Fortunately, as someone whose background was in identifying revenue streams in a challenged industry, I was able to find ways we could survive, regardless of the pandemic.”
“In becoming more self-sufficient about our fundraising, we’ve been able to double the amount of money we spend on our services and programs.”
From virtual services like Digital Puppet Playdates to online fundraisers, such as Camp In and Big Walk for Little Kids, Camp Quality embraced digital transformation to continue bringing positivity and support to children facing cancer. At the same time, Thomas helped to expand revenue streams, ensuring the not-for-profit could sustain its mission during – and beyond – the crisis.
“In becoming more self-sufficient about our fundraising, we’ve been able to double the amount of money we spend on our services and programs to expand what we can offer to our kids and their families. Even more, we’ve been able to service a lot more families,” she says with a smile.
The gloss boss
Thomas’ keen ability to navigate these challenges stems from a career immersed in publishing.
Starting her career at Cleo magazine as Lifestyle Editor in 1987, she climbed the ranks to lead some of Australia’s most iconic titles, including Editor of Cleo, Mode and ELLE Australia, before reaching the pinnacle of her publishing career as Editor in Chief and Editorial Director of The Australian Women’s Weekly for 10 years.
Through this experience, Thomas learned how to connect deeply with audiences and navigate an industry facing significant disruption from the digital age.
“In the new digital age, print media was challenged in terms of raising revenue, so I needed to look for new commercial opportunities, which is what I largely focused on in my role,” she says.
“And that is very similar to what I’m doing now with fundraising at Camp Quality, looking for ways to increase revenue and expand our services. We’re trying to do this in ways that don’t draw too much on the community, who are already dealing with a higher cost of living.”
“The organization has always been bigger than me.”
At the heart of both industries, she continues, is a focus on people and connection.
“As an editor, your readers are your community. At Camp Quality, our community is similar in that they’re emotionally invested and connected to what we do,” she says.
“And in both scenarios, the organization has always been bigger than me. Australian Women’s Weekly had been going for 66 years when I started, and Camp Quality has been going for 41 years. So there’s a lot of history that you need to respect.”
A new chapter
Thomas’ journey to Camp Quality began rather serendipitously after stepping back from the corporate world, where she was one of only a handful of women to lead an ASX 200 company. It was during this break that Thomas was approached by the Chairman of Camp Quality. He happened to be searching for a new CEO and asked if she knew of anyone suitable for the role.
“I was in the sunset of my career and wanted to do something to help other people that utilized all the skills I’d learned over the years,” she recalls. “So I put my name into the hat, and here I am today.”
The transition has been deeply rewarding for Thomas, who now thrives in the purpose-driven environment.
“In an organization like Camp Quality, everybody is passionate,” she says. “Just like in magazines, they’re not in it for the money – it’s more, ‘I really want to be doing this job in this business.’”
It’s a job she insists pays back in dividends. “Knowing that what we do helps families facing some of the toughest challenges imaginable is incredibly meaningful,” Thomas says before sharing a particularly moving story. “There was a family who had a six-month-old baby who had cancer and needed 24-hour monitoring,” she begins.
“The parents hadn’t slept since the baby was born and were at their breaking point. We sent them to our Salamander Bay retreat along with a team of health professionals so they could reconnect as a family and create positive memories. Being able to do things like this is really important to us.”
The secret is out
Camp Quality now offers 15 retreats for families post-hospital treatment, and with a culture rooted in helping kids impacted by cancer, the organization continues to thrive through creative ideas and strategic initiatives to make experiences like this a reality.
“We set up our own raffle business. And now we do four a year, which helps to sustain our revenue,” Thomas explains, adding that corporate partnerships, alliances, community fundraising and generous donors have also been invaluable.
“One of the things I’m really proud of is our alliance with Canteen and Redkite,” she says with pride. “In the middle of the pandemic, we realized we can’t do this on our own. So I reached out to form an alliance, helping us expand our reach without expanding our costs.
“In an organization like Camp Quality, everybody is passionate.”
“Together, we went to the government and got funding to set up Cancer Hub, a one-stop navigation service where families impacted by cancer can easily access practical and emotional support services. It’s helping us capture more people who need our help.”
Already, Camp Quality has seen registrations for its programs increase by 15 percent this year. “We’re able to capture more people that didn’t know about us before,” she shares. “In a way, we’ve been a best-kept secret. But now it’s time to let that secret out so we can look after more families.”
A new meaning
It’s a mission that’s taken on a new meaning for Thomas. While her passion for Camp Quality has always been strong, in May 2023, it took on an entirely new dimension. She was diagnosed with cancer.
“It was scary. But it gave me a real understanding of what it meant to be a person going through cancer, learning everything from treatment options to telling friends – a whole range of things,” she reveals.
“While I would rather have not had this learning curve, it really hit home and gave me a greater perspective on what many of our families are going through.”
While Camp Quality supports children from birth to 15 years of age diagnosed with cancer and their families, Thomas explains, “We also support families where a parent is undergoing cancer treatment and has a child up to 15 years. We call this cohort KICC – Kids Impacted by a Carer’s Cancer.”
Fortunately, Thomas says, her son is a young adult. But her diagnosis was a real eye-opener for those with little ones.
“I kept thinking, ‘Oh my God, how could I get through this if I had young children and needed to attend their school events … play with them.’ It would be so difficult.”
“In a way, we’ve been a best-kept secret. But now it’s time to let that secret out so we can look after more people.”
Fueled with even more determination to help these families and some solid advice from her sister, Thomas continued to work.
“My sister, who’s also had cancer, told me to work as much as I could. She said it would be the best thing to keep me going. So I did,” Thomas says.
“Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to attend events like our car or motorcycle rallies because I’d be too far away from the hospital. But I really tried to do as much as I could.”
And while she’s recently been given a clean bill of health, she’s quick to point out her gratitude for those around her.
“I’m in the privileged position of being part of a team that is aligned on our mission to support families doing it tough,” she admits. “And at the end of the day, one thing is clear – everything in life is about people. You absolutely can’t do it alone.”
