SINCE 1986 advertising revenue from the My Whitsunday phone book has been benefiting the local community.

A total of $20,000 has been raised this year by the Rotary Club of Airlie Beach for community groups who fall through the cracks of State and Federal Government funding.

When advertising in the directory, businesses elect a community cause and that group then becomes the beneficiary of their advertising dollars.

President of Airlie Beach Rotary, David Paddon, said this idea allowed a connection between the advertiser and the group in need of funding.

Local not-for-profits such as Eco Barge, the Proserpine Show Society, Proserpine Meals on Wheels, the Proserpine Nursing Home, Whitsunday Volunteer Marine Rescue and St Catherine Catholic's College all received funding this year.

On Monday night, at Mantra Club Croc, advertisers officially handed over cheques to the community groups.

Member for Whitsunday Jason Costigan handed over $560 to Helen Maynard-Tuner to be used by Proserpine Meals on Wheels. Fiona Broadbent, on behalf of Eco Barge Green Seas, received $560 from Federal member for Dawson, George Christensen.

Mr Paddon said moving forward in an increasingly digital world, Rotary had plans to invest in the digital sphere.

"This year we have pledged a lot more money for the software,” he said. "This year people can buy paper ads or digital as or a combination of both.

"A lot of small businesses don't have websites so we now have packaged up websites for them and we can brand them with their name and host it all.

"Now we can work out ratios for the amount of hits you had on that site and how much you make,” Mr Paddon said.

"We can provide a return on the advertising investment.”