Charities have been hard hit by the global pandemic, but this year the iconic Jeans for Genes Day has been saved, in a very practical way, by one business with a philanthropic focus.

Jeans for Genes is one of Australia’s oldest and most beloved charity days. It supports vital research to find treatments and cures for children’s genetic diseases like cancer, cystic fibrosis, and life-threatening metabolic disorders. Because Jeans for Genes is run by us - Children’s Medical Research Institute (CMRI) (which is based in Westmead, Sydney), all funds go directly to the Institute and help fund our research programs.

With no guaranteed government funding, CMRI depends on the money raised by Jeans for Genes and other community fundraising to keep its labs open. That’s why, for nearly 27 years, Australians have seen the streets awash with denim on Jeans for Genes Day, with volunteers out in force to sell merchandise and collect donations.

With the COVID-19 pandemic, these volunteer locations have had to be scaled back or shut entirely. Those that do operate need to remain COVID-safe, and so contactless payments are essential.

Trying to find an affordable mobile payment provider for Jeans for Genes volunteer locations seemed impossible, however. Until CMRI discovered Tyro.

‘’I spent months trying to find a mobile payment device provider that could supply us with devices for a reasonable price, but I was constantly knocked back with unaffordable quotes,” said Jeans for Genes Campaign Manager, Greg Noel-Butterworth. “I then came across Tyro, who have helped save the day by providing 50 terminals at no upfront cost in time for our fundraising efforts across Victoria, South Australia, Tasmania and Queensland.”

Tyro CEO Robbie Cooke commented: “We are delighted to be working with CMRI and supporting Jeans for Genes Day, which so many Australians love to get involved with every year. The accelerated move toward contactless payments has fundamentally disrupted the way that charities fundraise with fewer options for cash-based collections. We are very pleased that they have chosen Tyro as their payments partner so they can focus on their important day jobs.”

CMRI and Jeans for Genes rely on corporate in-kind support, donations and other philanthropy. If you or your business can help in any way, please contact: [email protected]

Learn more about Tyro here.