Make the most of your End of Financial Year Appeal
EOFY Appeals are different from anything else you’ll do this year.
Combine a competitive market, unique donors who look and function more like middle and major donors, and an urgent deadline and you get something very different from your regular run of the mill appeal.
We are sharing 4 actionable recommendations to make the most of this campaign season on your digital channels.
1. Upgrade your ask
Donors this time of year are a more affluent segment - think middle and major donors. There are less of them, but their gift size is larger than donation value for your other appeals.
It’s important to upgrade your ask on your campaign landing page to match these higher value gifts. This means creating higher dollar handles than other campaigns. Also make sure you clearly communicate where the funds are being used and the difference they are making. Align this to the conversations you would have with a middle or major donor and consider what “impact” means to them.
2. Steward your donors so you’re the one the choose at EOFY
While many Australians give to multiple charities over the course of a year, at tax time they’re likely to choose just one.
That’s why it’s mighty important to start stewarding your donors early, so you’re top of mind when it’s time to give.
Example stewardship journey:
March: Run an event for your middle and major donors. Send out an impact update on how last year’s tax donations made a difference and drip feed content across social media reminding them of their impact.
April: Begin conversations with your middle and major donors.
May: Soft launch your digital campaign, making light requests.
June: Drive urgency and increase budget in your digital campaign in the final two or three weeks.
3. Be prepared for last minute giving
For EOFY, the majority of your donations come through in the last 5-7 days of your campaign. This won’t change, so make sure your campaign, your team and your digital platforms are prepared for it.
This means planning your media budget to scale up for the final “battleground” days before June 30 so you can compete for advertising space against your competitors. Also make sure your customer support centre is well-prepared and present for June 30. Consider having someone available on the phone until midnight on 30 June. Finally, secure IT & website support in advance in case your website is overloaded and experiences a crash. This can happen!
4. Tailor your creative to the audience
Because donations are made last minute - you’re mostly talking to people who already know you (i.e. those who have given in the last one or two years). Unlike other appeals, your EOFY appeal is not usually about acquiring new donors (although last year we saw many Tax Appeals transform into Emergency Appeals during COVID-19). Instead your EOFY Appeal should be focused on convincing your donors why they should give to you.
So make sure your creative communicates why they should give to you and the impact it will make, rather than educating them on who you are and what you do.
In summary
EOFY Appeals are unlike anything else you’ll do all year, so it’s important to adapt your digital strategy and creative to match your donors and the usual EOFY timings.