The Coronavirus has brought about something new that no one was quite prepared for.
Between the cancellation of events, the downturn in the economy, and social distancing, nonprofits have been hit hard in their fundraising efforts. Plus, with so much chaos, it can be tough to realize where to turn next.
Try not to panic. Take a few deep breaths, analyze your data, and consider what your nonprofit can do at times like this.
The changes you need to make to your strategic plan will help your organization stay afloat and show your supporters that you care.
Many nonprofit services are more necessary now than ever, but the impact of the Coronavirus threatens the funding to back them. Fortunately, with some strategic planning, your organization can make the most of these uncertain times.
The Coronavirus is affecting everyone. Record numbers of people are applying for unemployment benefits, many are stressed about the virus itself, and everyone is trying to adjust to working from home and additional time spent in the house.
Your supporters are not exempt from this stress. Simply checking in with supporters and acknowledging that they may be struggling can go a long way in showing that you care.
Making a personal outreach phone call or message can seem time consuming. In times like these, you need to make sure your organization has its priorities straight so that you can time your outreach accordingly. The last thing you want is to forget or fail to reach out to an especially valuable supporter.
Analyze your donor segments in your CRM to determine which supporters are your top priority for outreach. Then, pick up the phone, start drafting a letter, or otherwise get in touch with your supporters.
As a cause-based organization, you have an opportunity to lead by example and reiterate the importance of following guidelines from the Center for Disease Control (CDC).
Communicate measures that your nonprofit is taking to remain safe during this time of crisis. For instance, you might talk about how:
Reiterate all of these ideas in your regular communications such as your nonprofit newsletter, on your website, on social media, and in other messages to supporters.
For example, you might post a picture of your team practicing social distancing by meeting over a web conferencing platform like Zoom. Or, you may dedicate an entire page of your nonprofit newsletter to Coronavirus updates and your nonprofit’s response.
We recommend your organization postpone or cancel the event you had planned for next month or so.
How long have you been planning that event? Probably for quite some time.
In some cases, like when events are right around the corner, your nonprofit is likely better off cancelling the event altogether. However, other times, you may consider other options like moving the event online or postponing it. Remember that if you do cancel or postpone the event, you can reinvest that time into planning new campaigns moving forward.
Reach out to those supporters who had registered for the event and be sure to apologize for the inconvenience.
Explain your reasons for this change. You want to keep your supporters and your staff members safe. Make sure supporters know that this is for their sake and that you’re cancelling or postponing because you care about them.
When you cancel or postpone events, be sure to:
Your nonprofit’s event isn’t worth risking the health of your supporters and staff members. Postponing is a better option for the overall health and safety of the entire community.
Also, check out these webinars by nonprofit event expert A.J. Steinburg
Your supporters recognize that this is a tough time for your nonprofit as well. Ask them for their help to get you through this period of uncertainty.
Segmenting your nonprofit CRM will help you better define these asks and make the most of them. For instance, you might reach out to your monthly donors and ask them to upgrade their commitment. Or you may reach out to your frequent donors and ask them to become monthly contributors.
When you reach out for donations, be sure to immediately demonstrate the impact of a potential contribution.
You can do this by asking for donations for certain amounts in order to pay for a particular aspect of your mission. For example, you may ask for $100 to make homemade face masks for those that you serve.
You may also decide to ask for non-monetary donations from those who may not be able to give. For instance, consider the following engagement techniques:
Make sure to profusely thank your supporters for anything they can give.
Recognize that this is a difficult time for all supporters. Anything they can give is a huge sacrifice for them. Your thank-you message should reflect this genuine gratitude and acknowledge how much they’re helping you through a difficult time.
This is also a necessary time to amp up your online strategy. With limited in-person engagement, it’s important that you expand your online presence so that supporters can engage in these new creative ways. Use resources like your website and social media to spread the word of these opportunities to everyone who is interested in learning about them.
One of the most important things you can do as a nonprofit right now is maintain the same level of stewardship and communication with your supporters as you have done in the past.
Don’t abandon relationships with them despite these difficult circumstances.
While right now they may not have the ability to give as much (or at all), your supporters will still recognize your support for them during their troubled times and appreciate your nonprofit that much more. This will build relationships and help you retain donors in the long run.
Bloomerang’s donor retention guide explains that attrition is almost completely avoidable if your organization communicates effectively, during both easy and difficult times.
When you reach out to supporters, keep in mind the types of communications they’re looking for in times of crisis. Supporters want factual information and advice on how to handle themselves and their children during the pandemic.
Therefore, you might send an email with information such as:
Make sure that when you send updates like this, you’re providing value for the supporters. Everything should be factual and useful for their day-to-day life.
You can still open up the option for supporters to contribute to your organization, but make sure that’s not the primary purpose for every communication you have with them.
Record the engagement and response rate for these messages in your donor database to see how well your supporters are engaging with this data (learn more about donor databases here).
The Coronavirus has impacted everyone. Nonprofits need to react to these changes by adjusting their strategies accordingly.
We hope these resources are helpful as your nonprofit navigates this tricky time. Don’t panic, but be sure to stay up to date on the latest news and work hard to show your supporters that you care with effective communication and opportunities.
These 5 strategies should get you started.
Steven Shattuck is Chief Engagement Officer at Bloomerang and Executive Director of Launch Cause. A prolific writer and speaker, Steven is a contributor to “Fundraising Principles and Practice: Second Edition” and volunteers his time on the Project Work Group of the Fundraising Effectiveness Project and is an AFP Center for Fundraising Innovation (CFI) committee member.