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As regional communities across the country and most recently the Northern Territory, Queensland, and Victoria battle a relentless cycle of severe flooding, drought, and bushfires, Morgans Financial has announced its most ambitious fundraising target to date for Big Dry Friday 2026.

On Friday, 12 June 2026, Morgans will rally the nation with the goal of raising $2 million in a single day. This marks the highest target in the event’s history, set at a time when the gap between city and country has never felt more critical to bridge.

Since its inception in 2018, Big Dry Friday has raised over $9.8 million to support education, mental health, and disaster relief in the bush. It started during one of the country's most severe droughts and now stands as a day to recognise the importance of rural and regional Australia, to connect city and country and to provide support where it's needed most.

The concept is simple: On a Friday, once a year, city people forgo, or match, what they would typically spend on a lunch or drinks and donate it to those who put the food on our tables.

This year, the stakes are higher. To kickstart the mission, the Morgans Foundation has pledged to match donations up to $500,000, effectively doubling the impact of every dollar contributed by the public. “Big Dry Friday is a day to think about how lucky we are in the city, relative to our friends and families in rural and regional Australia, with respect to physical and mental healthcare, education and of course, assistance when the "lucky country isn't so lucky. In essence, we are trying to help raise awareness and raise funds on a lean cost basis with the concept of sacrificing or matching a Friday lunch," said Brian Sheahan, Executive Chairman of Morgans Financial.

The 2026 campaign comes off the back of a record-breaking 2025, which saw $1.9 million distributed to major beneficiaries including Rural Aid, Outback Futures, the Royal Flying Doctor Service (RFDS), and Schools Plus.

The impact is tangible. For many, it means the difference between survival and shuttering. As one five-generation farming family recently shared: “Receiving a donated water tank not only eliminated the cost for us but allowed us to harness what little rain we get, reducing the need for carting water, a huge financial relief given current fuel prices. It makes a massive difference to those on the receiving end.”

Commenting on the initiative, Rural Aid CEO John Warlters said: “Now is the time for Australians to come together to give our farmers and their families the urgent boost they need. Farmers are dealing with disaster recovery, rising fuel and fertiliser costs and ongoing uncertainty all at once. When farms are impacted, we'll all eventually feel it at the supermarket.”

Morgans invites all Australians to connect city and country this June to help hit the historic $2 million milestone. To learn more about how you can support/be involved visit: bigdryfriday.com.au