Creating impact: How Australian charities can secure more donations

For every Australian charity or nonprofit organisation, donations directly support essential programs and resources. Yet, with many causes competing for attention, building a strategy to secure and sustain generous donations is more important than ever. 

By understanding your audience and establishing a personalised approach, your organisation can foster lasting relationships with supporters, turn each volunteer into an advocate for your mission and create a system of engagement serving the interests of donors and volunteers alike. 

Finding and engaging donors as a charity

One of the first steps in finding charity donors is identifying who these individuals might be. Creating donor personas — based on age, interests, location and financial ability — can help you tailor messages that resonate with specific groups, whether you’re reaching out to younger donors via social media or connecting with older generations through traditional mail.

Consider exploring your existing networks as well, from personal and professional contacts to community partnerships. Maybe you inspire colleagues to set up regular employee donations or gift programs. Additionally, leveraging digital tools like social media platforms, crowdfunding websites and your own website can help expand nonprofits’ reach. 

Community engagement in the physical world, like hosting events, participating in local festivals and organising workshops, can introduce charitable organisations to new supporters and deepen relationships with current ones, especially if their cause is a local one.

Engaging donors

Once you’ve identified potential donors, it’s all about keeping them engaged. Storytelling can be a powerful way to build emotional connections, helping potential donors see the impact of their contributions through the eyes of real people. Rather than being forced to trust an abstract mission statement, which carries more value for your internal organisation, they can rely on tangible results in a community they care about.

Naturally, transparent reporting is another way of earning trust. Not everyone is wired the same way. Some donors may prefer hard numbers. In that case, you’ll want to make it as easy as possible for them to see the impact of their contributions through clear information on how donations are used. This not only helps with regulatory compliance but also demonstrates your organisation’s commitment to making a genuine difference, which, in turn, turns existing donors into advocates.

Personalising your interactions, from thank-you notes to recognising milestones, can go a long way in showing donors they’re valued. Offering small incentives or exclusive updates through newsletters or social media channels can help them feel connected and invested in your shared journey.

Rosterfy’s CRM integrations with platforms like Blackbaud, Hubspot, Salesforce and Microsoft Dynamics help bridge the gap between volunteer management and fundraising efforts, providing a single source of truth for donor and volunteer data. These integrations can streamline tasks like:

• Crafting and sending targeted donation request letters.
• Planning and managing fundraising events.
• Organising volunteer-driven charity activities.
• Providing personalised recognition and updates based on donor and volunteer history.
  
  

Donation channels to offer for different target audiences

The personas you developed earlier won’t just inform you about your audience’s demographics, but also about their payment preferences. To appeal to various demographics and maximise donations, it’s advisable to offer multiple channels:

• Traditional methods: Offer options like cash, cheques and bank transfers that remain popular among older generations who may prefer familiar, offline donation methods.

• Digital methods: Embrace online donations, mobile apps and digital wallets to cater to younger, tech-savvy donors who expect fast and convenient payment options.

• Recurring vs. one-time donations: Allow donors to choose between recurring contributions and one-time gifts. Also, consider offering other ways to help, like volunteering.

• Customisation for age groups: Tailor donation channels according to different age groups and their comfort with technology, creating an inclusive experience for all donors.

How to set yourself apart from other charities

With countless charities vying for support, distinguishing your organisation often means the difference between being able to support your community and shutting down. By crafting a clear value proposition, showcasing success stories and building a memorable brand, you can engage donors on a deeper level and establish lasting relationships. Here are some ways to set your charity apart.

Highlight your unique value proposition

Every charity has something special to offer, whether it’s a unique mission, specific community impact or specialised services. By clearly defining what makes your organisation unique, you help donors and volunteers understand why they should support your cause over others. 

This is particularly important as charities work to navigate rising expenses, especially in a climate where expenses and liabilities outpace increases in revenue. In 2022 alone, the sector saw total revenue rise by $11 billion to just over $200 billion, while expenses increased by $22 billion in the same period — underscoring the need for a distinctive approach to sustain financial health and communicate impact.

Showcase success stories

Sharing real-life stories that reflect your nonprofit’s impact is one of the best ways to engage potential supporters. Not only do these stories provide tangible proof of your organisation’s work, but they also fulfil reporting obligations for registered charities, as set out by the Australian Charities and Not-for-Profits Commission Act. With tools like Rosterfy, you can simplify these processes, making it easy to track and share meaningful outcomes with your community.

As Kylie Elliott, Volunteer Lead at Sydney Children’s Hospitals Foundation, shared, “We are thrilled to announce our collaboration with Rosterfy. Rosterfy’s platform will enable us to better manage our diverse volunteering opportunities and ensure that our volunteers are being provided with an engaging and personalised experience that delivers on their expectations.”

Build a strong brand

Your brand is more than just a logo — it’s the reputation and trust you build over time. Charities with a recognisable, trustworthy brand are more likely to attract long-term donors and volunteers.

Rosterfy allows you to adjust even web portals to your branding, ensuring your communications reflect your organisation’s identity at every touch point. Developing a consistent and professional brand helps supporters feel confident about their contributions, as it lets them know they’re partnering with an established and credible organisation.

Introducing the Rosterfy Volunteer App

Available to Rosterfy customers, the Rosterfy Volunteer App connects people to communities, causes and events they care passionately about.

Volunteers who are affiliated with a Rosterfy account can apply for roles, complete training and monitor their application process all through the Rosterfy Volunteer App. A better volunteer experience is at your fingertips.

Enhance the donor experience

A positive donor experience helps reinforce that first decision to contribute time or money, fostering ongoing engagement. By centralising data through Rosterfy’s CRM integrations, your organisation can create a “single source of truth.” This integration streamlines processes, making it easier for already busy volunteer managers to access accurate information without needing to pull data from multiple sources.

Combined with a unified branding strategy, centralising your data allows you to personalise donor communications, send timely updates and provide a seamless, impactful experience with supporters.

Collaborate with other organisations

Working alongside other charities, businesses and community groups can amplify your impact and introduce your organisation to new audiences. Partnerships can also strengthen your brand by associating it with other trusted entities, which can enhance credibility and bring additional value.

The Fundraising Institute Australia (FIA) is an excellent resource for building best practices and enhancing collaborations, providing consulting, training and support services that help organisations operate at a high standard.

Consider establishing a corporate volunteer program

Corporate volunteer programs are a great way to expose your organisation to a broader range of volunteers. With 85% of their volunteers choosing to donate to organisations that they volunteer for, it's important to consider how investing in corporates could increase not only volunteer numbers but also help you fit your donation targets.  

Follow compliance and best practices

Meeting compliance standards and adhering to legal best practices are essential for building trust. To reassure your supporters, ensure you’re up to date on criteria your organisation has to meet for donors to benefit from tax deductions. Additionally, the ACNC emphasises the importance of filing annual financial reports, which indicate good governance.

Especially for organisations handling sensitive data, complying with the 1988 Privacy Act and Australian Privacy Principles is just as important. Even for charities not legally required to comply, choosing to adhere to these guidelines can demonstrate a commitment to data protection, helping build stronger relationships while reducing risks associated with potential data breaches. For more on best practices around data protection, read our guide on protecting volunteer data.

Take away donors’s doubt so they feel confident about giving to your cause

By combining strategies — such as crafting a unique value proposition, building strong partnerships and using personalised outreach — you show donors your organisation’s commitment. Leveraging a comprehensive platform like Rosterfy makes it easier to consistently deliver on these promises while focusing on the work that matters most while building trust and loyalty.

For charities looking to deepen donor engagement, Rosterfy provides both guidance and a suite of tools that support continuous improvement across all areas of volunteer and donor management. Learn more about how Rosterfy can elevate your charity’s approach by booking a demo.