April 2020 – Lauriane Lebrun, Marketing & Communications Coordinator

According to Network for Good, “Whether [you] should fundraise right now is somewhat a personal decision based on how COVID-19 impacts your beneficiaries and donor base.  In most cases, we encourage you to stay the fundraising course – your mission is more important than ever, and you need funds to make it happen.”

While this certainly isn’t the time to bury your head in the sand and refuse to acknowledge current events, the decision to donate always comes down to, well, donors.  And if people felt your mission was worth supporting in the past, it’s unlikely their feelings have changed.  Many budgets have been tightened, but giving – even a small amount – makes people feel good, so it doesn’t hurt to ask. 

Just remember to be relevant and honest in your approach.  As Fraser Green of Good Works Co. explains, “This pandemic has made this need for authenticity even stronger.  When we’re fighting for survival, we don’t have time for exaggeration and boastfulness.  We tune out self-serving words that sound like they’ve been written as ad copy.”

If you do plan to continue fundraising, in-person events are obviously off the table at the moment.  So, how can you keep bringing in revenue?

  • Sell tickets to your virtual events.  If your supporters know their money is going toward helping your organization during a rough time, they’ll probably be just as interested in purchasing tickets to your virtual events as they would for your in-person events.  If you normally host conferences/workshops/classes for continuing education credit (or even just for their own sake), consider moving them to webinar format and only sharing access information with paid registrants.  You could also host an exclusive social event to give members an opportunity to chat with one another and/or your board of directors.

Additionally, if you’ve had to postpone or cancel events, rather than just issuing refunds, consider asking ticketholders to donate their registration fee.  You could also offer to hold the fee as a credit on their account for future use.

  • Get creative.  The NH SPCA recently offered supporters a drawing of their pets in exchange for a $20 donation.  According to the shelter’s announcement on Facebook, “staff and volunteers are standing by, eager to turn your animal into a timeless work of art (or at least make you laugh).  You *might* get one of our extremely talented artists, but we’ll be honest… you’ll probably get someone who can’t draw their way out of a paper bag.”  Silly?  Yes.  A fun way to raise money and make donors smile?  Yes, again.

If you have an artsy team, you might also consider a Facebook Live or

webinar event such as a concert, dance class, or paint night.

  • Emphasize the importance of membership dues.  While some organizations have chosen to pause membership dues in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, this is not the only option.  If your nonprofit needs dues revenue now more than ever, consider explaining the situation to your members like the YMCA of Western North Carolina has done.

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The Lexian Management newsletter is for informational purposes only.

Always consult your attorney, accountant, and/or insurance provider to obtain advice with respect to any particular issue or concern.