As a result of the COVID-19 crisis, mission-driven organizations across the country are required to adapt to a very challenging and new reality. As professionals in the philanthropic sector, this moment of hardship has presented its own unique set of challenges, as nonprofits nationwide are being forced to adjust programs, to cancel special events and fundraising galas, and to plan for a future with unprecedented uncertainty.
To all of our friends and past and former clients who work and volunteer for nonprofits, we thank you for all you have done and continue to do; we hope and pray that you and your families are safe and healthy; and we want you to know that we are here for you and will do anything we can to help you with your immediate and long-term plans.
Based on our nearly forty years’ experience working with hundreds of organizations in all nonprofit sectors through other financial and world crises, we offer a few ideas and tactics to consider as you develop your crisis plan.
Crises Provide an Opportunity to Demonstrate Leadership Character
As American novelist James Lane Allen wrote, “Adversity does not build character, it reveals it.” During this time, it is imperative that board and executive leadership communicate as often as possible with strong and decisive messages. Leadership should not sugar coat organizational challenges. Leaders should communicate and confront the brutal truths of the current reality and seek to align their teams around strategies and tactics to deal with these brutal truths.
When Making Tough Decisions, “Do The Right Thing”
Try to do your best to stay up to speed with all COVID-19-related guidance from local, state, and federal officials. The health and safety of everyone is paramount and takes precedence over everything. It’s important to error on the side of an “abundance of caution.”
Develop a “Stay-At-Home Friendly” Fundraising and Constituent Engagement Plan
Here are some advancement and fundraising strategies to consider implementing as part of your plan:
Constituent Connection and Engagement
Crises provide an opportunity to demonstrate the true ministry of advancement: to focus on relationships with philanthropic investors. Now may not be the best time to be soliciting gifts, but it is a good time to be checking in with your major benefactors to let them know you are thinking about them, to see how they are doing, and to tell them your organization is there to help them in any way possible. Time and time again, major donors say they remember and appreciate the organizations that reached out to them in times of crisis and, as a result, are more likely to give to those organizations once the crisis is over.
Developing Digital Content as Part of Virtual Events
Many nonprofits are faced with huge holes in their 2019 - 2020 operating budgets as a result of the cancellation of all Spring fundraising special events and gala dinners. We recommend taking advantage of this crisis to pivot to virtual events and days of giving.
The key is to create dynamic and exciting content to draw your constituents to your giving platforms. There are many talented and professional digital marketing firms which can help to develop the content and deliver it via all forms of social media and electronic messaging.
Consider How You Can Leverage the Crisis to Make Your Case More Compelling
While Latz & Company generally advises using this time to focus on donor communications and engagement rather than on solicitation and asking, we also know that many organizations may need crisis-related funding immediately. If your organization has urgent needs, especially related to immediate help for children or other at-risk populations, we recommend taking a moment to think about how your “ask” will fit into your current case for support. Be sure to position your “crisis ask” in the larger context of your organization’s vision for the future.
Engage Foundation Funders
There are many foundations who have prepared for this moment and are willing to go above their 5% disbursement minimums to help organizations in need. Take time to connect with your current foundation funders regarding their COVID-19 strategies and conduct research to identify new foundation prospects that may be meeting this moment with new areas of activity and streamlined application processes.
This article from The Chronicle of Philanthropy highlights some of the ways funders are responding to the COVID-19 crisis: https://www.philanthropy.com/article/Foundations-Adopt-Policies-to/248396
Consistent, Concise and Customized Communications are More Critical Than Ever
It’s critical during this time to leverage tools that are aptly designed to reach your organization’s audience and constituents. Many communication platforms are free and cost-effective and provide an opportunity to reach a large number of people who are increasingly at home and online. Now is the moment to think of creative social media campaigns that are fun, interesting and customized to each constituency.
A Moment for Transformation
Crises, while immensely challenging, also provide organizations the opportunity to think creatively about where they are and who they want to be in the future. It is in this moment, organizations should consider substituting time that would have been spent on fundraising activity with time dedicated to re-assessing strategic visions, plans and organizational development initiatives that may have been sitting on the shelf. When this crisis is over, there will be more need than ever and pent up philanthropic support. It’s critical that organizations prepare now to optimize future fundraising by building a strong foundation now.
Until we see you on the other side of COVID-19, please stay safe and healthy!
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