Supporting Your Members During the COVID-19 Pandemic - An Association Management Company

April 2020 – Lauriane Lebrun, Marketing & Communications Coordinator

The current pandemic is an unprecedented situation, so it’s normal to be unsure of how to lead your nonprofit’s members through the chaos. While your board of directors doesn’t necessarily have all the answers right now, one of the most important aspects of any membership organization is community. And in these days of social isolation, community is something a lot of people are craving.

As CCS Fundraising points out, “In the past, those donors who stopped supporting specific nonprofits during or after a crisis did so primarily because they no longer felt connected to them.” Now is the time to keep the connection strong, but doing so doesn’t have to be a major endeavor. Simply reaching out and keeping a conversation going with your members is a great way to show them that your organization cares and wants to help its supporters however it can.

Here are some ideas for how you can support your members through this time of crisis:

Share Resources. No matter what your organization does, you’ve most likely been getting plenty of questions from worried members. Trade associations: How is your industry handling the pandemic? Where can impacted businesses and workers find the assistance they need? Charities: What is the safest way your supporters can continue to serve the community? Social organizations: How can members stay in touch with one another and feel connected, even while social distancing?

Now is the time to take stock of your communication tools and put them to good use. Newsletters and broadcast emails, blog posts, and social media updates are all excellent ways to keep in touch with your members, share helpful resources, and answer questions.

Start a discussion. As most everyone has been saying lately, “We’re all in this together.” While stay-at-home orders keep individuals physically isolated, now is the perfect time to get your virtual community thriving. Your members all support your organization, which means they all have at least two things in common: An interest in your mission, and a need for companionship in these troubling times.

Consider these ideas for getting a conversation started:

Enlist some of your board members to host a conference call or live video chat, and invite members to call in with their questions, concerns, and ideas about the COVID-19 situation.
Host a virtual social event for your members. Try a video-based game night or happy hour to give everyone the opportunity to escape for a while and just enjoy one another’s company.
Post some relevant conversation starters in your Facebook group or get a forum thread going on your website.
- If you don’t have either a web forum or a Facebook group for your members, you can check out my Where to Build Your Online Membership Community article to review the pros and cons of each platform.

Educate. Many of your members are quarantined at home and looking for something to do. If you have educational content to share, consider hosting a webinar. Need help getting started? Lexian now offers webinar services!

Lastly, do your best to be flexible and openminded in your leadership approach. According to Bain & Company, “A learning mindset will serve you better. It involves adapting to what is needed and being willing to adjust a game plan as new facts emerge. Address the challenge with openness and optimism, conveying empathy for how people may feel.”