My parents taught me that there is a lesson in everything. Take the time to learn from every challenge, obstacle, and bad experience. In my work with non-profit organizations, it is exciting and rewarding to hear that the fundraising results they were experiencing during this pandemic were some of their best. Talk about making lemonade from lemons. For some, it was in the way they were able to pivot and raise money through virtual events. For others, it was their ability to connect with donors. Finally, it was the way the organization got back to their mission and focused their communication with donors.
With all the challenges that 2020 gave us, there are many great lessons. As I have strategized and spoken to groups I work with, these are some of the lessons that resonated.
Crisis = Opportunity
When I worked for the Red Cross, this was silently the mantra. We went in to fundraising overdrive every time there was hurricane, tornado, or local event like a fire. Last year for many individuals and organizations was a crisis. As businesses shutdown, people lost income and worried about losing more. Many non-profits stepped up and provided services like never before. These community organizations were quick to respond and for many provided the stopgap before families discovered hunger, or homelessness.
As these organizations responded, the stories of the people they served changed. The faces of their clients looked very different. As a result, these organizations providing services found new and unique ways to reach out. They were discovering new donors and asking in new ways. They were making the most of the crisis we were in. Families found extra money in their bank account from staying home and not going to the movies. These organizations provided a way for parents and children to make an impact for their neighbors. Non-profit organizations found new ways to tell their stories and invite donors into their community. Throughout this crisis, nonprofits provided opportunity.
You have to ask
As I shared, many nonprofit organizations had some of their best seasons. This was in spite of their signature events being cancelled. Many organizations had major campaigns planned and needed to adapt them.
As a result of the pandemic, many non-profits were concerned about asking for donations. At the same time, these organizations were responding to an unprecedented need. The solutions that these organizations offer were still needed. The donations were still necessary in order to provide solutions.
Since people were staying at home more, they had more jingle in their pockets. People wanted to make a difference and make the most of their resources and time. I have often shared that no donor is going to choose to make a donation over feeding his or her own child. People give from their discretionary funds. As a result of the stay at home order, people had discretionary funds to share.
The people in the community wanted to be asked to help. The organizations that asked found that the community was generous. They asked their donors to give. For those that couldn’t give, they asked them to share the story. Still they asked for hands on help (within CDC protocols) as they responded to the increased need.
Organizations invited personal initiative and communities responded. Kids held canned food drives for the local food pantry. Facebook fundraisers hit a new high in results.
Funders had a new perspective
Foundations and major funding organizations saw that non-profits were more than solutions to significant problems, but as businesses with operational costs and employees. I witnessed funders having different conversations and offering funds to organizations to meet operational needs. These funders wanted to help organizations through this pandemic and to meet this unprecedented need, not just for the community but for the organization and its employees.
Non-profit are the 3rd largest sector of the workforce after healthcare and retail. A lot of people depend on feeding their families from the income they earn from the non-profit they serve.
It is never just one lever
I will never forget my award winning economics professor explaining that there is never one fix to economic problems. Often it takes innovation. In order to address the problems in any economy, it takes addressing multiple aspects of the economy, including a few new solutions. Non-profit organizations learned the same thing when it came to getting their message out and requesting support.
Their digital presence was important. Many ramped up their efforts on social media and improved their website. Others event started blogs and podcast to provide resources for the community.
It also took traditional methods like direct mail and print media like newsletters. Some organization embraced ideas that they had only been put on paper or whispered in meeting rooms. Concepts like peer-to-peer campaigns or text-to-give programs.
One important lever that got leaned on in an increased way was the person-to-person contact (not necessarily in-person). Professional fundraisers connected with donors in ways they had wanted to for a long time. Donors learn about the impact they were making and fundraisers learned about the impact philanthropist wanted to make. It was a great time for donors and fundraisers. Amazing conversations were happening via text or Zoom.
Take time to do YOUR job
“Other duties as assigned” is truly a part of non-profit professionals job description. Too often fundraisers manage several aspects of operations. A result of working from home and not being in the office regularly, fundraisers got to focus on understanding their donors. They learned more about the donor management systems and how to better use them as tool. A tool that would help them better understand and connect with their donors.
Like never before, fundraisers connected with their donors. The time was taken to send personal notes and email. Time was taken to get on the phone and check –in with donors. Authentic conversations were had to share the organization mission and learn about the donor’s philanthropic goals.
As a result of this focus, fundraisers connected with their donors. This lead to many organizations exceeding their fundraising goals even without special campaigns or major events.
Stories Matter
As the face of people organizations served changed, so did the use of the story. Organization continued to emphasize the number of people, simply because there was such a drastic change, but organizations made the use of stories. Many of these stories were taken on the spot with cell phones. They were presented raw and unedited and told donors in new ways what their support meant. In two minutes or less, donors understood the difference they were making. More than ever, the adage that people act emotionally, and justify logically was demonstrated regularly as donors responded to images shared through emails and social media.
These stories allowed the community to understand the value organizations offered and the big problems they were managing. They did not worry about percentages of overhead. What did matter was the face of the problem they were addressing.
Thank you for this opportunity to reflect on my lessons learned from 2020. I only had the opportunity to learn them thanks to the amazing organizations I get to work with. There are many negative things beyond the numbers directly impacted by COVID-19, the illnesses and deaths. In Virginia, Opioid deaths rose after years of decline. Teen suicide attempts increased. Food pantries were overwhelmed by request.
There was a lot of positive as a result and I think the groups I work with for helping me keep perspective.
