Welcome to Zeffy’s blog

A complete guide for Australian not-for-profits planning a fundraising gala or charity ball. Covers goal-setting (with DGR and GST considerations), building a committee, choosing a venue, securing sponsors, the 12-month EOFY-anchored planning timeline, AU ticketing platform comparisons, day-of logistics, and post-event analysis.

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Workplace giving lets Australian employees donate a portion of each pay to a DGR-endorsed charity and receive the tax benefit up front through reduced PAYG withholding, with no receipt required from the charity. This guide explains how the pre-tax mechanic works, what your charity needs to set up to receive payments, how to reconcile the lump-sum deposits that arrive, and how to approach an employer conversation with realistic expectations.

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A step-by-step guide for Australian charities, clubs and P&Cs planning a trivia night fundraiser. Covers venue, ticketing, on-the-night payments, DGR receipts, GST obligations, and what to do the day after.

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A practical guide for Australian not-for-profits on issuing tax-deductible receipts. Covers DGR endorsement, the $2 minimum gift threshold, the seven required receipt fields, what is not tax-deductible, the gift-or-purchase test, EOFY preparation, and record-keeping obligations under ATO and Privacy Act rules.

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Shout for Good, the ANZ-Group-operated free fundraising platform used by Australian charities for donations, ticketing, auctions, QR codes, and in-person card payments, is closing at 5pm AEST on Tuesday 4 August 2026. No receipts, reports, or donor data will be accessible after that date. This article is a two-part guide: a seven-step checklist for charities still able to act before the deadline, and a recovery guide for those reading after the platform has closed. It also covers what to look for in a free replacement and how Zeffy serves Australian charities losing Shout.

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Volunteered for the treasurer role and not sure where to start? This guide walks you through not-for-profit accounting in Australia from the ground up: which regulators you answer to (ACNC, ATO, and your state body), how to set up your chart of accounts, when to reconcile, what the Annual Information Statement requires, how DGR receipts work, and what EOFY actually means for your books. Written for the volunteer, not the accountant.

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Whether a GoFundMe donation is tax-deductible in Australia depends entirely on who is legally receiving the gift and whether that recipient holds DGR endorsement from the ATO. Personal fundraisers are never deductible. Certified-charity fundraisers may be, but only if the receipt paperwork lines up. This article explains how Australian tax-deductible giving actually works, what you need to check before claiming a deduction, and what is never deductible regardless of the platform you use.

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Australian community groups, clubs, and emerging charities face the same early decision: incorporate under state association law, or register a company limited by guarantee with ASIC? This guide explains both structures, compares them side by side, and maps the separate steps to ACNC charity registration and ATO DGR endorsement, so you choose the right foundation before you open a bank account or accept your first donation.

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Starting a charity in Australia means navigating two separate regulators: the ACNC registers your charity, and the ATO separately endorses you as a Deductible Gift Recipient if you want donations to be tax-deductible. This guide walks you through every step, from choosing a legal structure to sorting out state fundraising authorities, so you can build something that lasts.

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Grants can change what a small Australian not-for-profit is able to do. But they are also one of the most competitive and time-consuming funding channels available. This guide walks through the Australian grant landscape from the ground up: what different types of grants exist, what eligibility most funders actually require, where to find open opportunities in 2026, how to write an application worth reading, and what to do once the money lands. It also gives an honest account of when grants are not the right answer, and how a working fundraising base makes you a stronger applicant for the ones that are.

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A practical guide for small-to-mid Australian charities on building a gifts-in-wills program: the four bequest types, what each state Wills Act requires, why bequests are not tax-deductible (and what that means for your appeals), whether you need DGR status to receive one, and how to talk to supporters about wills without being awkward.

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Deductible Gift Recipient (DGR) status is an ATO endorsement that lets your donors claim a tax deduction on gifts of $2 or more. Being registered with the ACNC is not enough on its own. This guide explains the difference between ACNC registration and DGR endorsement, how to apply, what your receipts need to include, and what is never tax-deductible, no matter your status.

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The Australian financial year closes on 30 June, and for most small-to-mid charities and not-for-profits, the weeks leading up to that date carry more fundraising weight than any other time of year. Donors want to maximise their tax-deductible gifts before they lodge their returns, and a well-timed EOFY appeal can make the difference between hitting your annual target and falling short. This guide covers everything a small AU charity needs: DGR endorsement, receipt requirements, campaign timelines, what is and isn't tax-deductible, and the free tools that make it manageable without a full-time fundraising team.

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Ten ready-to-send sponsorship letter templates for Australian not-for-profits, P&Cs, sports clubs, and community groups, with AU-specific notes on DGR tax treatment, EOFY timing, state fundraising authority thresholds, and a nine-step guide to writing a sponsorship letter that gets a yes.

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75+ community fundraising ideas for Australian charities, P&Cs, sports clubs and community groups, from sausage sizzles and school fetes to EOFY appeals and silent auctions. Every idea is sized for volunteer-led organisations and paired with the Zeffy tool that runs it for $0. No platform fee, no transaction fee, ever.

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Regular giving is the highest-leverage fundraising program a small Australian not-for-profit can build. This guide covers every operational decision: branding, giving levels, platform choice with DGR-compliant receipting, EOFY timing, promotion, and retention. Built for small-to-mid AU charities without a dedicated development team.

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Statistics inform, but stories transform. A foodbank could share that it serves 10,000 meals a month, yet one family's journey from hunger to hope creates a lasting impact. This guide covers proven storytelling techniques for Australian charities and not-for-profits, from crafting character-driven narratives to timing your story push around EOFY, with real AU exemplars from Fred Hollows, Beyond Blue, and The Smith Family.

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Running a silent or live auction at your charity gala, school fete, or trivia night? This guide compares the best online auction software for Australian not-for-profits, covering AU-native platforms, real pricing, DGR receipt rules, and how to time your auction around EOFY and spring gala season.

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A practical guide to not-for-profit marketing for Australian charities, community groups, clubs, and associations. Covers marketing plan components, step-by-step planning, best practices, and budget-friendly ideas, all grounded in AU sector realities: the EOFY giving peak, DGR and tax-deductible receipt trust signals, AU-native channels, and the data-sovereignty questions your donors are starting to ask.

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QR codes give Australian charities and not-for-profits a fast, low-cost bridge between printed materials and online donation forms. This guide covers how they work, how to generate one free with Zeffy, and practical placement strategies across every channel your organisation uses, from EOFY direct-mail appeals to gala table tents to trivia-night signage.

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A free printable silent auction bid sheet template for Australian charities and not-for-profits. Covers what to include (item info, GST and DGR notes, bid grid), how to build one in five steps, and when paper works vs mobile bidding. Includes AU-specific advice on auction tax-deductibility, EOFY timing, and the local auction-platform landscape including GalaBid.

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More than 50 club fundraising ideas for Australian sports clubs, school P&Cs and P&Fs, university clubs, community service organisations, and hobby clubs. Each idea includes a revenue estimate and setup steps. Run every dollar through a free platform with no platform fee, no transaction fee, no credit card fee.

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