Act for Kids Christmas Appeal 2023

A December to remember.

Our 2023 Christmas Appeal .

Phone 1300 228 000 Learn more at actforkids.com.au

A message from the CEO Our 2023 Christmas Appeal fundraising campaign is all about…

“This festive season, be the reason a child smiles again.”

This simple statement extends on our mid-year Tax Appeal campaign and speaks to our wonderful donors, reminding them of the vital role they can play in enabling our committed, compassionate, and caring therapy teams to continue helping vulnerable children and their families – as well as thanking the people and organisations who have given once or time and time again.

An underpinning theme of our 2023 Christmas Appeal is nostalgia, taking our donors back to their own fond memories of a childhood Christmas – with presents under the tree, family gatherings, backyard cricket and the food...glorious food. We’re hoping nostalgia resonates with our donors – many of whom were children in the 1970s – as they remember what a truly wonderful time of year it was.

As the holiday season approaches, we often look back on childhood memories.

While Christmas time in the 70s might have been the best, we remind our donors that sadly, too many Aussie kids won’t be making happy memories this festive season – with more than 45,000 children throughout Australia confirmed to experience trauma through abuse, neglect and domestic violence.

Our Christmas Appeal contains a moving case study with Gabbie*, a young girl who has overcome incredible adversity and trauma in her young life, with the help of the Act for Kids therapy team.

Our 2023 Christmas Appeal fundraising campaign features across various media channels – with the central component being a letter to current and past donors.

Our communication will also include targeted emails to our donor base, targeted social media ads to drive traffic to our dedicated 2023 Christmas Appeal web landing page, and our own social media activity plus staff email signature.

I encourage you to take a look at some of the examples of what we have planned for our 2023 Christmas Appeal.

*Gabbie’s name and image has been changed in our campaign to protect their privacy.

Direct Mail to Donors Our direct mail letter is about thanking our donors for their past support and highlighting statistics from the Australian Child Maltreatment Study. ♥ Donor Letter (4 pages) ♥ Donor Response Form ♥ DL Flyer with child abuse statistics ♥ Reply-Paid Envelope For individual donors, we will also personalise the outer envelope with their first name.

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We can’t do what we do with ou No matter how or if you celebrate this festive season, I hope you’ll spare a thought for those children and young people who right now are being denied the most precious of gifts – joy, happiness, safety, security – and the start of some wonderful childhood memories so many of us take for granted.

t you.

This festive season, be the reason a child smiles again.

Sadly, not all Aussie kids will be making happy memories this festive season.

This Christmas, I hope you’ll dona te any amount to a cause that is and always will be so dear to my heart… children!

When a child experiences or is at risk of harm, With gratitude and warm wishes, the holidays don’t look like a Christmas catalogue, and their household can be anything but peaceful.

Be the reason they receive the gift of hope.

Dr Katrina Lines Act for Kids CEO

Dear <Salutation>

As the holiday season approaches, we often look back on childhood memories.

If you were lucky, this time of year meant waiting to open presents under the tree, families gathering, backyard fun and of course delicious food.

When you donate to Act for Kids, you are part of our purpose to

<Salutation, f/F>or many of the children we’ve supported since 1988, the festive season is a stark reminder of the pain and trauma they’ve endured. Instead of joyful celebrations, they have faced fear, uncertainty, and isolation. This Christmas, their longing for love and safety is palpable, and the memories they are forming are far from magical.

help keep kids safe, That’s why I’m writing to you today - to say a sincere thank you for your generous he al fr om trauma past support of Act for Kids and the vulnerable children you have helped.

Thank you for being someone who cares. and lead happy lives. <Salutation, t/T>he numbers of children needing our help are still great.

Please will you send a donation< of $Ask1, $Ask2, or $Ask3> to make sure children get the care and resources they need to recover?

There are a number of ways that you can donate to Act for Kids: 1. Scan the QR code below and donate on our website.

2. Call us 1300 228 000 and make a donation over the phone.

3. Return the included donation form in the pre-paid envelope.

CORP In 2021-2022, more than 45,000 children throughout ORATE OFFICE Australia were 1 000 P: 1300 228 confirmed to experience abuse and neglect.

E: mail@actforkids.com.au A: PO Box 1844 MILTON

QLD 4064 Sometimes statistics like this can be hard to fathom. This is the challenge we face at Act for Kids, Act for Kids ABN 98 142 986 767 working with children to overcome trauma from abuse,Limited neglect and domestic violence. If the numbers have begun to blur, then let me introduce you to Gabbie*.

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Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW) 2023. Child Protection Australia 2021–22. Cat. no: CWS 92. www.aihw.gov.au

*Name has been changed to protect the individual’s and family’s privacy. Photos are for illustrative purposes only.

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actforkids.com.au/christmas

Donations over $2 are tax-deductible. actforkids.com.au/christmas

Direct Mail Our direct mail donor response form features a montage of nostalgic Christmas images, while the insert piece highlights the alarming statistics of child abuse and neglect.

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Haslam D, Mathews B, Pacella R, Scott JG, Finkelhor D, Higgins DJ, HE, Thomas HJ, Lawrence Meinck F, Erskine D, Malacova E. (2023).

The prevalence and impact maltreatment in Australia : Findings from the Australia of child Report. Australian Child n Child Maltreatment Study: Brief Maltreatment Study, Queensland University of Technology.

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Be the reason every Aussie kid makes hap py memories this holiday season.

Website Landing Page We’ve created a custom 2023 Christmas Appeal landing page with an online donation form, as well as updated the hero banner graphic at the top of our home page.

Our Christmas Appeal URL is actforkids.com.au/christmas

Home Page

Christmas Appeal landing page

Social Media We’ll have paid Facebook and Instagram social media advertisements to drive new audiences to our website landing page and hopefully become part of our donor community. We’ll also be running a series of organic posts through our social media channels throughout December, as well as encouraging key stakeholders to post through their own social media profiles on behalf of Act for Kids.

Below are some examples of the social media tiles (images) and post copy - staff are also welcome to post in support of our Christmas Appeal.

IMAGE: This festive season, be the reason a child smiles again.

IMAGE: This festive season, be the reason a child can heal from trauma.

IMAGE: This festive season, be the reason a child smiles again.

As an Act for Kids [INSERT ROLE], I always find the

Act for Kids needs your support this festive season!

Sadly, the work Act for Kids does is needed now

support we receive through our fundraising appeals so encouraging.

But I’m also reminded that our therapy teams can’t do what they do – help vulnerable kids heal from the trauma of abuse, neglect and domestic violence – without that financial support from everyday people like you.

Every dollar donated to Act for Kids through our 2023 Christmas Appeal goes directly to our Integrated Therapy Service.

Through this vital and coordinated treatment program, our Act for Kids psychologists, speech therapists and occupational therapists work with

more than ever – with more than 45,000 children throughout Australia confirmed to experience abuse and neglect in just one year.

When you donate to Act for Kids through their Christmas Appeal, you can know that you can be the reason a child smiles again this festive season.

the most vulnerable children and families, often

As an Act for Kids [INSERT ROLE], I hope you’ll

As Act for Kids launches their 2023 Christmas

providing renewed hope for a happy and safe

donate this December at actforkids.com.au/

Appeal, you too could be the reason another child

childhood.

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smiles again this festive season.

As an Act for Kids [INSERT ROLE], I encourage you

I hope you’ll donate this December at actforkids.

to donate this December at actforkids.com.au/

com.au/christmas

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Staff Email Signature

Email Marketing

We’ve created a simple email signature banner for our 2023 Christmas Appeal campaign, which will link to our landing page and online donation form.

We’ll have a series of EDMs (electronic direct mail) to our donor audience.

There’s four emails in the campaign, with the following messages:

As we normally do, we’ll email out the email signature template with all the instructions to create your own signature.

♥ A special letter is coming to your mailbox ♥ We hope you received our letter and a reminder about Gabbie’s story (case study) ♥ It’s getting close to Christmas - it’s not too late to donate ♥ Thank you for your donation Below is a sample of what our EDMs look like.

Our staff email signature in action.

For more information about our 2023 Christmas Appeal, please call the Fundraising, Advocacy & Marketing team on 07 3850 3200 or email marketing@actforkids.com.au Act for Kids Limited ABN 98 142 986 767