Annual Report 2022

Executive Summary

Missing Persons is a growing issue in this country. Last year, 53,000 Australians were reported missing – up 30% in just the past three years.

This increase in incidents, as well as the awareness for the cause, is being felt by MPAN. The volume of
requests for support has long been difficult to manage, so our very first member of staff, Mel, couldn’t have
been a more welcome addition to the organisation this year. We’ve also very gladly seen two new members join the board; communications expert Jill Calder and management consultant Charles Ngu.

The year encompassed a broad range of opportunities and audiences, and there were small but impactful
indicators that MPAN may be shaping the Missing Persons conversation; the inclusion of the term ambiguous loss in a popular fictional Australian drama series as well as by a Coroner in her Findings of a high profile case, both the Counsel assisting the Coroner and the family’s legal representative acknowledging the support provided by MPAN during an inquest, a senior editor of the #1 ranked news podcast 7am suggesting that we’ve improved the manner in which Australian media discusses Missing Persons, and last but not least,
markedly higher brand-awareness than expected from our omnibus survey results.

On the cusp of hitting the 10-year milestone and preparing for a rebrand to coincide with it, combined with a nomination for 2023 Australian of the Year, I’ve been led to reflect and appreciate how far we’ve come in the past decade.

The foundation project was the Missing Persons Guide – an online resource that aims to optimise efficiency by providing step-bystep guidance on the practicalities of search; graphic design, strategic communications, publicity and more. Creating the Guide (now used by over 120,000 people from every
corner of the globe) was initially the sole goal of MPAN; giving practical direction to families and loved ones
of missing persons.

MPAN has since expanded to offer both practical and emotional support, and this year, for the very first time, brought together a group of families with the goal of creating a tangible, therapeutic tool – The Hope Narratives. The experience was transformative for everyone involved, and the project was quite possibly
the most important thing we’ve ever done. The idea that MPAN has gone full circle from an online resource for practical support, to a tangible tool for emotional support is something I am immensely proud of.

Rightly, we’re seeing a social shift towards the recognition and value of lived experience. It’s this, and the
inherent confidence and trust that it establishes, that sets MPAN apart from general support agencies. Lived
experience will always guide our work.

A driven young woman whose mother is long-term missing suggesting I’m a role model and saying she one day wants to work for MPAN was a highlight both personally and professionally. Another young family member also expressed the same desire, so my ultimate goal of handing over the reins suddenly seems a lot more possible.

While we haven’t yet reached financial sustainability, after many years of uncertainty, I’m pleased we’re currently financially stable enough to plan for the future (until at least 2024). And it looks bright

Loren O’Keeffe
Founder and CEO