Not-for-profit marketing
EOFY
appeals.
Gifts to a DGR are claimed in the income year they're made, which ends on 30 June, so June is a natural appeal. Start early: one Australian platform found its EOFY campaigns raised 75% of their revenue by week four. Lead with what a gift does, not the tax deduction: Equity Trustees research found only 20% name the tax benefit as a key motivator.
Written by Dan Picken, a marketer who checks the sources. Last checked 2 November 2026.Start
early.
EOFY campaigns on Raisely raised 75% of their revenue by week four, and more than A$38.3 million was raised on it in June 2024. That's one platform's data, but it fits the shape of most appeals: a strong launch, a dip, then a short final push.
No public Australian figure for the share of yearly giving made in June was found, so plan from your own data: last year's June as a share of the year.
EOFY planner
Plan June
from 30 June back.
Pick when the appeal starts. It lays out each week to 30 June, with the heavy lifting early, when most of the money comes in.
Your plan
Tax is the
deadline, not the reason.
Donors say the tax benefit isn't the main reason they give. Use 30 June as the deadline that makes 'now' make sense, and keep the appeal about the person or the work.
Only DGRs can mention deductibility. Since tax law removed the $2 minimum, include small gifts in end-of-year statements too.
What to
run.
A typical mix, scaled to what you have.
- Email to past donors first, then the wider list.
- Ad Grants campaigns on appeal searches, pointing to the appeal page.
- Paid social retargeting to people who visited the appeal page.
- One update mid-appeal on progress or a second story.
- A short last email on 29 or 30 June.
After
30 June.
Thank every donor within days, with a short note on what the appeal achieved. If you're a DGR, send receipts or a yearly statement promptly, including small gifts now that the $2 minimum has gone.
Then plan the next contact without an ask: a story, an update or a thank-you in spring. Donors who hear from you between appeals usually give again more readily.
Different asks for
different donors.
Monthly donors already give. Thank them, tell them what their gifts did this year, and offer a one-off top-up only if it fits. Past one-off donors get the main appeal first. People who've never given get the story, and a smaller first ask.
Lapsed donors are worth one message of their own: what's changed since they last gave, and an easy way back. Keep the lists separate so nobody gets three versions of the same email.
What I see most often
What I see
most often.
- 1
Starting in the last fortnight
The appeal launches mid-June and misses the weeks that usually raise the most.
- 2
Tax deduction as the headline
'Claim it this tax year' as the main message, with the cause underneath.
- 3
No thank you after 30 June
The appeal ends and donors hear nothing until the next ask.
- 4
Same appeal to everyone
Monthly donors asked for a one-off gift with no mention of what they already give.
The honest bit. A June appeal can't fix a year of silence. Donors who heard from you in March, with no ask, are the ones who give in June.
Questions
people ask.
Why do June appeals work?
Gifts made by 30 June are claimed in that year's tax return, which gives donors a reason to act now. This isn't tax advice.
What should an EOFY appeal say about tax?
If you're a DGR, say gifts made by 30 June can be claimed in that year's return, and point donors to the ATO. Keep the cause as the main message.
How early should a charity start an EOFY appeal?
Early in June or before. One platform's campaigns raised 75% of their revenue by week four.
Do donations under $2 count for tax?
Yes, for gifts to DGRs. Tax law removed the $2 minimum, backdated to 1 July 2024.
Related
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