Navigating Development & Nonprofit Work Through COVID-19
Nonprofit friends, we know you're hurting and that you're worried. We're here for you and want to equip you with tools that can make your work feel meaningful and optimistic right now. Below are the questions we have been fielding the most with our replies and suggestions:
What should we be doing right now?
Many organizations are scared to do anything right now, but being proactive is more important now than ever before. We need to continue to focus on outreach that gives us touch points with our stakeholders. As we always say, at the root of everything that is successful in our world are relationships. Real relationships. We also all know how imperative the time is spent cultivating — and that only five percent of our time is actually spent asking. This is still the time to cultivate. Let's do it appropriately:
Prioritize individual outreach to your top 10 to 25 donors with personal messages of gratitude for past support. Ask them "how are you, and is there anything you need from us right now?" The notion of being there for people now, knowing they will be there for you in the future, rings ever so true.
Offer whatever YOU can "give" to your constituents right now. We are all sitting home in front of screens for the foreseeable future. Can you do a tour of an exhibit with your iPhone and put the video in an email? Can you schedule a time for people to see something behind-the-scenes they may never otherwise see? If you're offering something helpful to the community, like meals for children or free performances, take pictures and share them with individuals. We know that mass communication is easy and great, but taking the extra time to send pictures and videos in personal messages is second to none.
Don't ask for money in ways that echo fear. Major gifts, which make up a significant portion of philanthropic funding, are viewed as investments. If individual donors ask what they can do for you right now, have a direct and personal conversation about your needs using real figures. Do not assume that you know everything about their current personal situation. There are people who may stand to gain from this (see more on that below), and we need to be open to receiving support from philanthropists right now and guiding the conversations as such. Always remember, no one gives to a "dying" entity; we all must remain optimistic in our dialogues, sharing projected impact and outcomes. We must also remain true to our missions -- do not stray from your tried and true offerings and initiatives.
Speaking of asking for money...try to avoid asking for any money in a broad-base way at all right now. All nonprofits are in a similar boat with loss of experience and income. Thanking people for what they've always done for you is your number one priority during this time. You WILL get the chance to solicit them again. It's okay to let people know that you're accepting support and eternally appreciative for it, making it easy for them to do so by providing a quick link or keeping giving buttons easily within reach — but we just can't expect it. Do the quality work now that shows your friends and the community that you are here for them. They will be here for you.
Should we stop planning for our projects and campaigns on which we began working early in the year?
No. We will still have goals. We need to readjust how we meet them, and the timelines that we are on. We are thinking longterm! This work (as it's always been) will be a marathon, not a sprint.
Your strategic plans, and thus projects and campaign initiatives/goals have been created out of the needs that your leadership team and the people that you serve have identified. Ultimately, we may have more needs, but we will still have those, too, and we need to be mindful of our continued work once we begin to rally from this shut-down.
Nugget of optimism: Individuals with high-capacity have continued to put money into the market. They will have gains. Some of the biggest philanthropic moments have come after times of recession. There are people who will make out from this situation and be even stronger financially — nonprofits stand to benefit from that. We'll go on record saying that should the U.S. come out on the other side of this crisis before year-end, there will be some noteworthy, significant philanthropic investments. Do the work now to prepare for that.
