Many organizations have delayed finishing or even starting their strategic fundraising plans and the necessary tactical action steps for the rest of 2020 to early 2022. Others have also shed fundraisers like yesterday’s news. Both behaviors may be disastrous to revenue.
Especially important is the maintenance and development of relationships with staff, current and former volunteers, current and former donors, and with current and former board and committee members in tailored ways.
I trained as a science writer, so I’ve followed the authoritative information on COVID-19 closely. Here are my conclusions for the path forward for your successful fundraising plan:
- Do your plan now and make the assumptions needed to have a detailed set of action steps and goals.
- Expect that the pandemic will continue about as it is now for 12 to 14 months.
- Prioritize personalized donor relationship conversations and deepening them at every giving level in the most sincere and compelling ways possible.
- Expect your constituents to at least maintain their level of giving and respectfully seek larger gifts from all.
- Continue to press your case for major gifts for capital, infrastructure, staff, and programmatic needs. You believe in your organization. It serves the public. That’s why you’re tax exempt. Why would you not ask me for help? I’ll decide what I can do.
- Your constituencies are expecting you to ask for help – for prayers, food gifts, checks, digital payments, appreciated stock, volunteer service, whatever. Ask them with sensitivity to do what they can.
- Donor acquisition is a low priority right now. Retention rules.
- Qualify big gift prospects carefully. Humbly ask for a stretch gift.
- Be flexible about pledge payment periods. Don’t forget simple planned giving techniques – those that involve anything other than writing a check right now.
- Replace routine special events with more effective and frequent periodic appeals via all pertinent methods—voice, video, mail, email.
- I want to hear from you at least quarterly, getting alternating opportunities to receive your personalized stewardship and to learn giving opportunities that might be right for me.
- Routine outreach and fundraising events may continue on a COVID-19 safe basis if you have appropriate venues.
- Zoos and botanic gardens have an edge. Having a ballroom isn’t much help.
- Dine-out / Carry-out at restaurants giving a percentage to your organization are still useful if well promoted to gain both recognition and funds.
- Plan successful, signature events to be one-hour video conferences through the end of 2021 at least.
- Involve a regional or local celebrity who embraces your cause. Give the event sizzle.
- Invest in the production values your staff, beneficiaries, volunteers, and donors deserve.
- Raise money with virtual tickets and a virtual online auction.
- Have a live component for those that wish in a COVID-19 safe manner. View this as a nice add-on, not the main focus, to the extent appropriate at the future time.
- Remember your public image. For example, healthcare organizations that plan large in-person events anytime before 2022 make me question their sense of reality and ethics. You’re free to disagree. But remember the dissonance of seeming to promote unhealthy behaviors in light of your mission, whether the chancy activity is protected by state immunity from liability laws or not.
- A simple telephone call is a gift. Call me to see how I’m doing and tell me your great mission success stories.
- Use staff and volunteers to the maximum for this.
- It can be done from home. It costs almost nothing and will overwhelm you as well as them with love of your mission.
- Respect your elders.
- While the younger constituencies may be relaxed to roll the COVID dice at events, the War Babies and Boomers are not. They have the real money.
- Some organizations are talking dropping video as a nasty substitute ASAP. Whoa! Out of sight; out of mind. Stop including me; I might not include you. There’s this other organization that seems to need me more right now, buddy.
You can do it! Don’t lose a minute. A well-crafted plan with action steps and deadlines will keep you sane, avoiding obsessing about what special events and face-to-face contact you’ve lost. Focus on all you still can do well.