How did you handle fundraising in your last global pandemic?
Author Jon Acuff recently reminded me that “this is my first global pandemic.” If you’ve been wondering how to handle fundraising for the rest of 2020 – you are not alone. No one is exactly sure how year-end fundraising will be impacted because no one has ever been here before.
But that doesn’t mean you should throw your hands up in defeat. We can figure this out.
The first question seems to be: will donors still give? The research results so far indicate yes.*
My biggest takeaway from the research: Don’t hold back on cultivating and soliciting your donors.
Here are 7 things to make your year-end fundraising successful in a global pandemic:
- Don’t just ask.
Make sure that fundraising ins’t the only message your donors hear from you. Be sure that you are telling them how their previous gifts have made an impact on your constituents. - Listen to your donors.
Be sure that some of your communication is two-way and that you are listening to your donors. Consider personal calls to key donors. Integrate a survey into your donor communications plan. - Be transparent.
Communicate honestly (and often) with your constituents about how the pandemic is impacting your nonprofit. If you had to close, tell them why and what is needed to reopen. If you adjusted services, share with them how. If you made mistakes, share what you learned and how you are improving. - Refocus on your mission.
While you may have changed the way you are doing things, your mission is still the same. Communicate how you are still changing the world. Donors want to help. Your job is to show them how their financial support will help people. Tell stories that demonstrate how they will make a difference. - Look at your past success.
Evaluate how you raised money last year. If you had in-person events, seek new ways to ask those donors. Find the other fundraising methods that worked and adjust as needed. You don’t have to start from scratch but you will probably have to try some new things. - Enhance your digital fundraising strategies.
Start with your website. Make sure that a visitor can find the donation page easily. For best year-end giving results, create a multi-channel solicitation using direct mail, e-mail and social media. Giving is not one size fits all. If you’re looking for best practices, check out Heather Mansfield’s 101 Digital Marketing Best Practices for Nonprofits. - Make a plan for stewardship.
If you are asking, you’ve got to be thanking. Take it a step farther and provide donors with meaningful information about how their gift saved lives or changed lives.
Hank Rosso defines fundraising as “the gentle art of teaching the joy of giving.” You might feel nervous asking in these uncertain times, but who are we to deny someone the joy of giving?
*If you’re looking for the details, here are two respected sources for research:
Association of Fundraising Professionals
IU Lilly Family School of Philanthropy
Thank you for mentioning how you should remain transparent with your constituents so that they clearly understand the setbacks that your nonprofit must overcome. My brother has been interested in setting up a fundraiser so that his neighbor can afford to go to college next summer, but he is worried that hosting fundraising events may be difficult since most of the people in his neighborhood have been staying home recently. Maybe he should find a management service that can help with his fundraiser.