Royal Flying Doctor Service Victoria

In 2018, Royal Flying Doctor Service (RFDS) celebrated the 90th anniversary of its first flight. RFDS Victoria made this milestone a central element of its 2018 tax appeal, with a historical commemorative booklet, vintage-style bookmarks and photos of the first plane.

Their appeal letter asked donors to raise $851,000 to equip an RFDS aircraft with medical equipment so that it can help people like Jack, a young man from Mount Gambier, who almost died in a serious car accident. Appeal collateral showed equipment used by the RFDS crew to save Jack.

RFDS had never focused on a young man in a major appeal before, selecting Jack’s story to generate emotional connections across various demographics. The pack included a moving letter from Jack’s mum Susan, which resonated with supporters.

RFDS mailed the appeal to 23,367 donors. It utilised an elaborate segmentation plan and letter variables to acknowledge the many types of supporters, especially longer-term ones, creating a personalised experience. The team also developed a Facebook campaign, a donation landing page with Jack’s story, and various EDMs with video greetings from their CEO.

The tax appeal raised $879,922.77, almost $80,000 over the targeted budget of $800,000, the most significant tax-time contribution from warm supporters on record!