EDU Frontline Fundraising: YOU are in control of your new normal
Life has changed in some shape or form for all of us over the past few weeks. I’m sure there were some of you who saw this escalation coming, while for others, the tremendous impact of COVID-19 was unimaginable. No matter which camp you were in, we are now in this together (though not too close together — remember your social distancing!).
While I’m an optimist by nature, as I’m sure many of you are, we must ground ourselves in reality; the status quo will not be returning in the near future, and adaptation will be paramount during these unprecedented times. Institutions that can weather the storm are those that will think outside the box, be early to adopt and embrace new strategies, and ultimately use this time as an opportunity to strengthen current relationships and build new ones.
The impact that COVID-19 will have on our greater economy and the fundraising space remains remains uncertain. Our CEO, Arup Banerjee, put together a great post on the impact of the stock market on consumer wealth. While this doesn’t answer the question of what will happen, what is certain is that there will be change. This shift is not necessarily a negative. With change comes opportunity, if you are nimble and willing to adapt.
I’ve Been There
Having spent the majority of my career in the fundraising world, I can certainly relate to the challenges that lay ahead. I have tangible experiences as a Major Gift Officer at St. Paul’s School and Managing Director of the Dartmouth College Annual Fund. My current role at Windfall has afforded me the opportunity to speak with hundreds of university, college, and independent school advancement professionals and thought leaders and learn many unique strategies.
With time, the current landscape will improve and we will slowly return to a more normalized environment. However, this pandemic will see us return to a “new normal,” where we no longer only associate corona with limes and beach vacations.
It’s the Time for (the Right) Action
I trust we all have our WFH space adequately set up by this point, so what now?
Now is the time to foster and expand relationships, laying the groundwork for the gifts to come down the line. I am heeding this same advice as it pertains to building data partnerships within the EDU sector. With uncertainty in the air, now is not the time for me to put new contracts in front of prospects — nor is it the time for you to put new asks on the table. It is always difficult to play the long(er) game, but in this environment, it will yield dividends.
Show your constituents your human side.
We all have the impact of this crisis in common right now, and it gives us the chance to reach out and check in without a prerogative. Provide updates on the implications for your institution: seniors not getting to walk at graduation, canceled spring sports or reunions, etc. At the same time, learn more about how your constituents’ lives are being impacted and take the time to truly learn more about them. Now more than ever, be empathetic and sincere, as it allows you to build that personal connection and rapport. You likely have some more time on your hands, given that social distancing and field visits don’t go hand in hand. Use this time to personalize your outreach more and challenge yourself to go that little bit deeper beyond the surface.
I believe you’ll be surprised at the number of responses and follow-up calls. Take off your fundraising hat. Don’t bring up an ask, that will come with time. Take a page out of the alumni relations book and make this time about friend-raising over fundraising. Your constituents will remember your humanity and decency, and with time, it will ultimately lead to that (major) gift.
Time for Physical Distancing — Not Social Distancing
“But wait a second, no one will get back to me now or talk with me.”
I hear you, and it’s true that your constituents are busy right now — keeping their families safe, stocking up on groceries, dealing with tumultuous markets, and figuring out their own business woes. However, like yourself, your constituents are also working from home; thus, they also, most likely, have more spare time and flexibility than usual. This unusual predicament equals opportunity for you to tee up that phone call or get that reply that has eluded you during more normal times.
You also have another major force working for you — we as human beings are social creatures. Introvert or extrovert, it doesn’t matter: we still crave human interaction and connection. For all of you working from home these past few days, I think you’d agree it’s isolating, and you can capitalize on that opportunity!
Your delivery is paramount. You must communicate that you don’t have any intention of asking them for anything, aside from their time. Remember, social distancing is only an in-person concept; it doesn’t apply to a call, or if you’re lucky, a video call (via Zoom, WebEx, Google, etc), which only helps build that rapport even further.
Touch base with those individuals with whom you already have relationships, but do not ignore fostering new relationships. Instead of feeling like you’re always playing catch-up when out on the road, you now have newfound time to set yourself, your department, and your institution up for success once the current environment inevitably returns to the “new normal.”
At Windfall, we help advancement departments understand who to reach out to meet fundraising goals through our Propensity-to-Give product, leveraging the best-in-class machine learning algorithms. If this is something that can help supercharge your efforts and help your prioritization, Windfall would love to help you.
Stay healthy and best of luck with your fundraising endeavors!
This article was authored by Blake Wheale, Director of Sales at Windfall. Contact Blake at blake@windfalldata.com.
About Windfall:
Windfall helps you identify, understand, and engage the affluent. We provide you with precise net worth data on affluent US households, allowing you to make informed data-driven decisions.
For more information about Windfall please visit: https://www.windfalldata.com.
