The films behind Aurora’s record-breaking $175,000 appeal
Two short social films for an end-of-financial-year campaign that became Aurora’s biggest June ever.
Speck of Dust is a Sydney video production company, and these are the two short appeal films we made with Aurora Education Foundation for their end-of-financial-year campaign. Aurora supports Indigenous students through education and into careers, and the films helped the appeal raise more than $175,000, Aurora’s largest-ever June result.
The challenge
The Aurora Education Foundation supports Indigenous students through education and into careers, and their end-of-financial-year appeal is the biggest fundraising moment of their year. For 2025 they needed short, scroll-stopping films for social that would move people to give before 30 June.
Our approach
We didn’t start from a blank page. We have filmed with Aurora over years, so we already knew their students, their voice and what genuinely moves the people who support them, and we had a deep library of their own story to draw on. That is what let us move fast without cutting corners: we knew exactly which moments would carry the appeal, and shaped two short films with a warm voiceover that felt honest and unmistakably Aurora rather than generic.
This is what a long relationship makes possible. A tight deadline was no trouble, because the understanding was already there. Aurora trusts us to run with a brief, often with very little direction, because we already know what serves their story.
What we made
Two fifteen-second appeal films, delivered across square, portrait and vertical so they worked everywhere the campaign ran.
The outcome
The appeal closed as Aurora’s largest-ever June result, up from about $120,000 the year before.
$175,000+“Our EOFY Appeal closed with a fundraising result of more than $175,000, breaking the record for our largest-ever June effort. Thank you for your work on the appeal videos, they were so beautiful and were a really huge part of the campaign’s success.”
Peita Dixon, Head of Advancement, Aurora Education Foundation
A record result, and the kind of outcome that comes from building something over years rather than starting fresh each time.
“Speck of Dust’s work is excellent in process and results. Under Jose’s leadership, they bring a great mix of insight, empathy, and the ability to listen, and keep the content at the right pitch and tone.”
Leila Smith, CEO, Aurora Education Foundation
Frequently asked questions
Who made the Aurora Education Foundation appeal films?
Speck of Dust, a Sydney video production company, made the two short appeal films for Aurora Education Foundation’s end-of-financial-year campaign. The films were built on years of prior work with Aurora, including existing student relationships and archived footage, which let us move quickly without losing the authentic voice the organisation had already built with its donors.
What result did the Aurora appeal films achieve?
The films helped Aurora’s end-of-financial-year appeal raise more than $175,000. Leila Smith of Aurora Education Foundation says our work is “excellent in process and results,” with “a great mix of insight, empathy, and the ability to listen.” The films were built as short, social-first pieces designed to move people to give before the deadline.
Could this approach work for our organisation’s appeal?
If your organisation runs a fundraising appeal or a campaign with a hard deadline, the same approach applies: short, social-first films built around a real moment rather than a general overview. It works best where there is an existing relationship or footage to draw on, though a first project can be scoped the same way. Get in touch through our contact page and we can talk through your timeline.
What formats were delivered for the Aurora campaign?
Two fifteen-second appeal films, each cut for square, portrait and vertical placements so the same story worked across every platform Aurora needed for the campaign. Short-form, multi-format delivery like this suits any Sydney not-for-profit running a time-pressured appeal across social media and email at once.
Do you only make films for education and philanthropy organisations?
No, Aurora Education Foundation is one part of a broader impact and not-for-profit client list that includes CESPHN and Koori Country Cultural Fire, alongside corporate clients such as Dexus. What connects the work is documentary-style storytelling built around real people, whether the organisation is in education, health, philanthropy or corporate life, and whether the film is based in Sydney or made further afield.
Running an appeal that has to move people?
If you are a not-for-profit or foundation with a moment that matters, let’s talk about how we’d approach it.
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