Three ways to boost your tax-time appeal

Tax time is one of those periods where all the charities tend to come out of the woodwork… so, how do you cut through the noise and help your supporter focus on what you have to offer? At Bigfoot Fundraising we have created a tried and tested approach to creating the most impactful end-of-financial-year campaigns. We have fine-tuned our methodologies and reaped huge results for our clients so much so that we’re thrilled to share three TOP ways you can boost your next tax-time appeal.

Video is KING! Use it

We are all moved by stories. It’s what grabs our attention and causes us to listen. And what better way to tell and share stories than by using a medium that visually depicts the character, scene and setting? There’s a reason that videos go viral online – they stop the scroll, evoke emotion, create a connection and deliver a message with clarity and compassion. 

When creating your next social media assets for Meta advertising, explore the idea of utilising more video content and even pairing it with user-generated content. Gone are the days that curated pictures and highly edited videos make donors stop and take in what you have to say. Donors crave authenticity and what better way to deliver this than using real donors, with real stories, and showing how they are creating real impact.

Time your communications strategically

When integrating an email and SMS campaign within your appeal, ensure that you have strategically timed your communications to maximise response and urgency. 

Every single touchpoint should evoke something – whether it be a response, another action, or a feeling of urgency around your topic. Use each email as a stepping stone towards the big action that you desire them to take whether that’s donating to your charity or even becoming a long-term recurring donor.

 This is where key messaging, tone, and words extrapolated from past campaign data can really help solidify how you approach your current email campaign.

One definitely not to miss would be a June 30, last chance email, that references time running out, and when added to a larger communications strategy, this can certainly be the email that pushes them over from scroll to conversion.

Add value and incentive to your appeal

Standing out from the crowd and showing your supporter that giving to your organisation will have the best return is especially important during crowded moments like tax time.

The two avenues we recommend you consider to create added value and incentive are as follows:

A matched gift: collaborating with other generous supporters who have offered to match another donor’s gift tells the supporter that there’s power in numbers. It appeals to that sense of community and wanting to belong to something bigger than themselves. It also appeals to value for money, and further underscores their contribution making an even bigger impact than they’d anticipated.

Unique report backs: Donors love to see how far their support goes. By sending them a tax time letter that includes a report back on how far you’ve stretched their dollar in the past and who they personally have impacted through their gift, you help to reinforce that the end goal they’re hoping for is in fact in progress. 

Want to make this really special? Look through the supporter’s past giving efforts and give specific updates on the areas or programs they gave to in the past. By personalising the report back, you can focus even more on helping them see their part in your mission and how you acknowledge their every action.

By using some of the strategies above, we helped a client double their tax time campaign ROI. Results like these don’t come without strategy and we’re offering you some of our best.

Want to explore this approach and discover what your next end-of-financial-year campaign could look like? Why not boost your tax-time appeal and maximise your ROI? Get in touch with us and we’ll put together a proposal tailored to you with no obligation.