End Of Financial Year Fundraising Ideas

As the financial year ends, we are focusing on marketing strategies for EOFY fundraising in Australia. Here are some ways to improve your marketing efforts, reach your business goals and make a positive impact in your communities.

We see ourselves as part of the marketing team, working together to connect with potential and current supporters through successful campaigns. 

We would love to connect!

Reporting And Analysing Previous Strategies

Assessing and enhancing your advertising campaign efforts requires evaluating the effectiveness of past strategies.

Ensure your charity fundraising and marketing processes include robust reporting and analytics capabilities. These tools enable you to assess the impact of your campaigns, empowering you to develop data-driven strategies.

The ability to create standardised tailored reports and presentations across multiple channels is essential.

We utilise Google Tag Manager (GTM) and Google Analytics 4 (GA4) to integrate platforms and generate tailor-made 'Events'. While GA4 offers comprehensive reporting capabilities, alternative Data Visualization tools may also be beneficial.

Recently, we have incorporated Agency Analytics into our workflow and have been impressed by its user-friendly interface. Additional options to consider are Microsoft's Power BI and Google Looker Studio. To expand data access, we have leveraged Supermetrics in the past. However, we have recently transitioned away from this tool for two specific reasons.

1. Additional capabilities in GA4
2. We found certain connectors were consistently and without warning needing re-connecting. This in turn was producing and sending reports with broken data.

Other essential tools include Google Search Console and whichever CRM / MarTech System you are working with (further details below). 

Please Note: GA4 takes around 24-72 hours to fully populate data. 

Use The Right Marketing Tools

Customisation is key to crafting a tailored and distinctive EOFY campaign. Look for software that offers extensive customisation features to enable strong campaign management.

Ensure your software includes automated workflows and customer journey funnels. When set up correctly, these functionalities will efficiently deliver personalised messages to the right audience at the right time. Additionally, opt for Martech Software which provides real-time, accurate reporting to inform and optimise your campaign efforts.

We recommend using Salesforce Marketing Cloud for enterprise-level and HubSpot for small and midsize businesses.

We typically recommend working directly in Advertising platforms where possible. Platforms like Google Ads Manager (GAM) and META Ads Manager have sophisticated attribution models that are consistently being refined. The inner workings of these systems are typically kept confidential and are not accessible for use with third-party advertising tools, limiting their potential impact on marketing strategies.

Which platforms to use and when should also be considered in the context of a wider supporter experience and advertising strategy. Key things to note are: your existing audience, how aggressively your organisation wants to grow, budget, and desired customer flow/experience.

Target Demographics And Segmenting Your Audience

Understanding your target demographics thoroughly and considering your audience in every communication endeavour is essential. Use specific campaigns for different groups in your donor base and tailor your messages based on factors like:

• Donation History: Mass emails are affordable. However, when is it appropriate to contact a donor by phone or in person? When should a personal touch be added to the communication process? When was their last donation and for how much? Are you sending a “We Miss You” or a “Thank You” style of message?
• Engagement level: Are they visiting your website frequently? What is their open rate to your emails? Do they engage with you on social media, Google Search etc.
• What type of supporters do you have? Are they volunteers, members, donors, event attendees, recurring donors, or major givers? Do you conduct surveys to gather information from them?
• Personal factors: Income, age, location, employment, interests etc.

It's important to understand your audience and what resonates most with them. Personalised communication can build stronger connections and boost donation prospects.

Explore Multiple Communication Channels

We have talked about this one before. It is important to use various communication methods and content types to expand your donor base. Utilising various communication methods and expanding your reach can lead to higher sales and enhanced engagement with existing supporters.

• Physical/ Direct Mail 
• Email Campaigns
• Informative/ Transactional Emails
• Paid Advertisement (Paid Search, Paid Social Media Campaigns, TV, Radio, Billboards)
• Local media and events
• Ambassadors/ Influencers
• Social Media Channels
• Consider School Fundraising Ideas
• Owned Media Channels like your ‘Blog’ and customised landing pages

Follow Up

Establish an efficient funnel for leads to progress through, ensuring they receive follow-ups after initial communication. Use automated systems to make the process more efficient. Sending personalised follow-up messages to leads encourages them to respond.

• Implement abandoned cart campaigns that utilise automated emails, search and display and social media ads. These campaigns should motivate people who have shown an intent to donate by offering incentives to encourage them to complete the process.
• Show ads to people who visited your website or social media but haven't donated. Use timers, offers, and calls to action to encourage quick action.
• Communicate additional ways your donors can contribute to your organisation, such as making a bequest, volunteering, upcoming fundraising initiatives, and future events. And furthermore, encouraging new and existing donors to subscribe to your mailing list.
• Make sure to consistently express gratitude to your donors and supporters. Again, utilising automated workflows to send personalised messages of appreciation where suitable.

Fundraising Tips & Techniques

• Use goal-setting methods like ‘SMART’ to provide direction, set clear expectations and motivate your team. SMART goals are Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic and Timely.
• Promote peer-to-peer fundraising among your supporters, encouraging them to set up their own campaigns. Provide them with incentives, resources, guidance, and tools to effectively raise funds on behalf of your organisation.
• Use countdown timers, limited-time offers, and strong calls to action to encourage action quickly.

Made it to the end? Well, Thank you for taking the time. 

We understand that working in this sector takes courage, decisiveness and good ol’ fashion grit. We applaud the work you are doing and I’m sure you are doing better than you think. 

At BROAD REFORM, we are dedicated to helping non-profit organizations make a lasting difference in their communities. If you're looking for guidance or support with your end-of-year fundraising, please contact us. Together, let's create meaningful change and drive positive outcomes for your organisation. 

Contact us today to get started!