The End Of Financial Year (EOFY) is critical for charitable giving in Australia, when a significant chunk of a charity’s public and private donations for the year can come in. It’s like the Christmas giving period in the UK, where charities - like retailers - seem to start setting out their stall earlier each year, in the hope of standing out from the crowd.
Here are some thoughts on how to ace this important opportunity:
Recognise this is a different type of appeal, and plan accordingly
Tax deductibility is a key driver of giving for many Australians, who want to minimise their taxable income before the year-end on June 30th, and to have a greater say in where their money goes. This means the weeks leading up, when the real state of individual and company finances are known, is the peak giving season for the year. Annual budgets for next year are also being set, so it's a natural point for reflection on priorities, which you should make sure include your cause. Studies show this may be when a different type of donor - who may ignore your requests for donations through the rest of the year - emerges in some numbers from your supporter base. Factor this into how you present your appeal, as well as the thanking and banking - and remember, you must have deductible gift recipient (DGR) status in order to play.
People need to understand exactly what they are supporting
As with any appeal, a clear and concise case for support is critical - even if your charity doesn’t work with short-term, tangible outcomes, such as advocacy. But you must find a way to show the impact of their donation at a scale which makes sense to them. We suggest you present the solution so that a lay-person can understand it, in terms of the language you use and outlining the change that you are making. Keep it plainly written but inspiring, find the human story (if there is one), make it relatable, and don’t forget to highlight why your organisation in particular has the best solution.
It’s not just about the money (although it largely is)
A good, holistic view of your supporters recognises there are many ways they can support you, not all of them by giving a cash gift right away. While the main framing of the appeal should be around giving - and with a degree of urgency - give people the option to support in other ways too. For the cash-poor and time-rich this could be advocacy or volunteering; for the asset rich and cash poor this could be leaving a bequest or starting a modest regular gift. Engendering loyalty in this way also means when their circumstances change, you may be first in line to receive donations.
Make it easy to give through any channel
Clear user journeys, joined up communications, simple payment processes - these are the bedrock of a successful digital appeal. You may be dealing with supporters who don't know your website, and who may expect a user experience akin to a shopping site. If your donation page is too long (esp on a mobile), hidden, isn’t clearly linked (eg with a prominent button) from any outgoing comms, then you’ve fallen at the first hurdle. User testing is easy, and anyone can do it - get your friends and family involved and they may highlight barriers which your more familiar, experienced staff team will never have picked up on.
Understand your audience better, and build up loyalty
The EOFY appeal is a great time to do some experimentation and learning, for example pushing up your usual gift prompts by 20-30% in line with the typically higher average gifts compared to appeals in other parts of the year. It’s also a good idea to welcome your new donors with a special thank you and an opportunity to learn about their motivations, for example through surveying them in a follow-up email.
Can you also try different through-lines on your appeal comms - such as A/B testing a financial case for support versus your core, cause-led case and see which gives the greater return? Are they more responsive on Instagram or Linkedin; what ad formats work best if you are paying for coverage? Can you get them to share to their networks, and build your lists?
Best of luck this financial year with all your fundraising efforts! We’re ready to help your charity with your next fundraising challenge, so drop us a line if we can help.