The COVID Crisis is an opportunity to make your case for support even more compelling!
Adapting Your Case for Support During the COVID-19 Pandemic
As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to impact all businesses, including the mission-driven sector, many nonprofit organizations are asking how to best approach fundraising during a time when so many have lost jobs or closed their businesses.
Based on recent experiences of our past and present clients, and other nonprofits regarding their crisis-oriented fundraising appeals, there is cause for optimism.
These organizations are initiating crisis/urgent giving campaigns which have met and surpassed original goals. At the heart of these success stories is a fundamental principle for success: a case for support which is compelling, urgent, and adapted to address the needs of the current moment.
Below, we have outlined a few of the principles we believe are behind this success:
Engage your constituency by asking for their feedback regarding your COVID Crisis Case
Whether it be a time of prosperity or moment of adversity, this long-held axiom prevails, “People support what they help to create.”
Giving after prior crises show us that donor retention is most successful when organizations maintain candid and consistent communication with their constituency during the crisis. Now is the time to reach out to your major donors, most consistent annual donors, and other key constituents to ask for advice and feedback on your organization’s COVID-19 crisis plan and modified case for support. Be sure to listen actively and report back regarding how you've addressed and implemented their collective feedback.
Identify and confront the brutal truths confronting your organization: adapt your case to reflect these brutal realities
In James Collins 2001 classic business book, “From Good to Great,” he named the Stockdale Paradox. Stockdale was an American pilot in the Vietnam war. He was captured and made into a POW. He spent 8 gruesome years in solitary confinement in Vietnam’s infamous Hanoi Hilton while being tortured almost daily. After the war, he explained how he survived and why optimists were the first ones to die in the camp. Those who confronted the brutal reality that they would be imprisoned for years by developing survival tactics, lived. Those who did not, died.
The Stockdale Paradox applies to Covid’s effect on your organization. When crafting your message for your crisis/urgent giving campaign, articulate the challenges facing your organization, no matter how dire. Be direct in stating your need, timeframe, and why support is critical to your mission and impact on those you serve. At the same time, lead with empathy and understanding for those who may not be able to help at this time.
Leverage Technology
There are always blessings which result from every crisis or challenge. One of the silver linings of this moment is the availability of technological tools to support online giving. If you have the capacity, leverage your organization’s e-mail marketing and social media platforms to expand the reach of your crisis/urgent giving campaign, set up zoom or WebEx meetings to engage your major donors, and be consistent in driving investors to your online giving portal by using your volunteers and stakeholders to spread the message to their respective networks. If you don’t have these tools, now is the time to invest in technology, despite diminished financial resources.
Share Your Success and Thank Your Benefactors
In any time of turmoil, people gravitate towards stories of hope and inspiration. After your successful crisis/urgent giving campaign, report back and share your success with your entire constituency. And always, thank those who stood by your organization during this time of need.
---
To all of our friends, clients and partners, we wish you the best of health and safety. If you have any questions, if you’d like to discuss any of our thoughts and recommendations, or if you’d just like to talk or Zoom, please don’t hesitate to reach out to us at: 888.949.5289