How can I possibly fathom fundraising right now amid the COVID-19 pandemic?
Dear Raimy,
How could I possibly fathom fundraising right now? People are worried about their own finances and the world is in crisis. Won’t I get an underwhelming response and even upset my donors?
Sincerely,
Joe Fundraiser
Dear Joe,
Thanks so much for your question. It’s an important one.
I sincerely hope that you, your personal family, and professional family are staying healthy during this tumultuous time. Please be safe!
The COVID-19 pandemic is profoundly challenging for each and every person on the planet. As fundraisers, we have a unique conundrum that requires us to ask people for money right smack in the middle of uncertainty.
So, if you do not need to fundraise in order to ensure that your important work continues, then don’t. If your programs are not at risk of budgetary cuts… if your organization isn’t facing financial hardships… if the jobs of your staff members are secure… if you service recipients’ needs haven’t changed in the past three weeks…. Then do not fundraiser now.
But you and I both know that few, if any, organizations fall into that category. Most of us are facing serious short and long-term budgetary challenges right now. And that means that it’s time to turn to your donors for help.
Fundraising in the age of Coronavirus requires a certain mindset. You have to believe what I’m about to tell you is true. You have to believe it in your guts. Ready? Here it is:
Your donors are heroes and they want to help you.
If you don’t believe this to be true… if you apologize for asking people to give to your cause… if you decide for your donors that they don’t want to support your organization… then your prophecy will absolutely self-fulfill.
But, if you believe that
a) philanthropy is a beautiful expression of a person’s values,
b) when disaster strikes, people ultimately WANT to help,
and c) you truly need the funds right NOW,
then you will succeed in your efforts.
So let’s start with the principles required to fundraise during the COVID-19 pandemic.
1) Show uncompromising compassion and empathy
Because fundraising is all about relationships, make sure that your relationships with donors are sincere. Lead with compassion, always and especially now.
“How are you doing?”
“How is your family coping?”
“Give me one thing I can do today to make your day easier.”
“Do you need any assistance? I may know someone who can help.”
Start your phone calls, emails, text messages, Facebook posts, and Zoom calls with real questions about the audience’s well-being. (On this note, check in with your donors by phone. It’s amazing what a phone call can do to brighten a person’s day and cement your standing in a person’s mind as “one of the good ones.”)
When you make an ask, it’s ok to acknowledge the elephant in the room that is the economic decline. It’s ok to acknowledge that MANY people have been hit hard by job loss or furlough and by a pessimistic economic forecast.
Be compassionate in your conversations. Always and especially now.
Listen to their answers. I mean really listen. Your emotional intelligence radar should be on full alert.
2) Remember that your donors believe in what you do
Times are hard now. But your donors still want you to succeed. They know how important your organization is. They know how acute the need is. They know how amazing it feels to make an impact.
Right now, it’s EASY to feel helpless amid the global pandemic that is unraveling the basic truths of life we last-month held dear. But you are giving your donors a way to feel GREAT. Don’t take that opportunity away from them!!
Give your donors the chance to take action and to feel proud. Trust me when I say they’re looking to do Good and to feel Good.
3) Don’t ask your donors to donate… Ask them to solve a problem
Before you make an ask, before you even make a phone call, take out a piece of paper.
Write down the answer to the following question: In concrete terms, what will happen if you don’t raise enough money? Will services be cut? Will a facility close down? Will people be turned away from your life-transforming services?
Take your answer and elaborate a bit. Write down the name of a specific service recipient. Someone who will lose access to your services if you’re forced to make the dreaded decision to cut your offerings.
Now, make your phone call. Tell the donor about your budgetary obstacles and the decisions you’re facing. Tell the story of the service recipient you wrote down (but don’t use the person’s real name!!).
This works as well for hospitals as it does for arts organizations. Make the donor feel like a hero for donating to your cause. It should feel as if a donor’s donation will go DIRECTLY to helping your service recipient without any middleman. THAT is where great fundraising lies.
4) Thank your donors. Thank your donors. Thank your donors.
The donors who give to you during this campaign are going to be your true supporters… the ones to whom you can turn even when the chips are down.
Use this as an opportunity to heap gratitude upon them.
You’re at war right now. And you and your donors are soldiers in the same army. Create a bond with them that is unbreakable.
After they donate, give them frequent updates. Call them periodically to check-in. Let them know how much you appreciate their generosity.
Doing so will set the groundwork for future fundraising efforts.
Conclusion
Fundraising is more important now than ever before. If you don’t do it well, you’ll be forced to cut services or even close your organization. So take a deep breath and remember that the act of charity is beautiful. You have to believe it in your guts.
Ready? Now pick up that phone. You don’t have a moment to lose.
Warmly,
Raimy and the CauseMatch Fundraising Team
