3 things you need to make sure you take from the pandemic
If you are a fan of the show the West Wing, then you are familiar with the term “What’s next?”. It is a signal from President Bartlett that he is done with the subject matter and it is time to move on. In the case of 2020, I think many of us are ready to say “What’s next?”.
I certainly am ready to be done with 2020 and move on. I am ready to throw a huge New Year’s party, but right now it would have to be virtual. It is frustrating not knowing when the chance to gather will be available again. As fundraising professionals, we are anxiously attempting to arrive at an answer. Throughout the past several years our calendars have been filled with events to raise money and awareness for our organizations. Less than a quarter of the way through 2020, our organizations had to adjust and adapt our events and campaigns. Some got canceled. Some got rescheduled and then canceled. Some got converted to virtual. Regardless, we discovered resources and abilities to achieve and exceed our goals. We took risks and succeeded (like you knew you would). We learned just how generous our donors were without an event or gimmick to solicit their funds.
Now our toolboxes are overflowing with tools to accomplish our goals. As we look to “what’s next” and attempt to plan 2021 we will again need to tap into our toolboxes and learn how to adapt. Our events in 2021 will be different then 2020 and 2019. We know how to put on in-person events. We know how to put on virtual events. This year we will discover if we can do a hybrid. We will need to continue to protect those at the greatest risk. We have also learned that virtual events provide the opportunity to engage people outside our immediate footprint (like a couple hundred miles outside our footprint). We want to continue to welcome our new friends and supporters. Hybrid events open up new revenue streams and access to a unique set of supporters.
This year we have engaged donors at a whole new level. This is the donor engagement we got into fundraising for. The ability to speak with our donors, the opportunity to learn their interests and philanthropic goals. It may be the donor conversations we have read about in articles and blogs or heard about in numerous conferences. Whatever the reason or the feeling, the bar has been raised and we need to include spending time with donors in our next plan. If you have a stewardship plan, it is time to update it. If you do not have a stewardship plan, it is time to create one so nothing is missed. I believe it is due to this new level of donor engagement that so many organizations are celebrating that they met or exceeded their fundraising goals.
The ability to empower our donors and volunteers to engage their friends and communities has been an identified resource that has been taken advantage of by many. Regardless of the reason, going virtual or a need to engage volunteers, many organizations have discovered the power of peer-to-peer fundraising. Unlike crowdfunding, peer-to-peer invites supporters to own a part of the goal and invite their community to support them as well as the organization. A close cousin is the power of social fundraising, where individuals declare their support of your organization and invite others to support your organization in place of holiday or birthday gifts on social media. There are many software platforms to take advantage of peer-to-peer to empower your supporters. Take time to research and find the one that you and your team feel comfortable with.
These are just three things (virtual footprints, in-depth donor conversations, and peer-to-peer) to be sure to include in your future development plans. Non-profits have grown and thrived as a result of the pandemic. They have responded to increased demand and served more of the community. It is important that when we get past this pandemic, we do not forget to include these amazing fundraising activities when we discuss “What’s next”.
