Is It Smart to Fundraise During COVID-19?
This one seems to be at the top of everyone’s list.
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Can my organization fundraise right now?
Is it a good idea?
Is it in poor taste?
People have more important things to think about, right? WRONG.
Ready for some tough love? Ask yourself this:
Do you want your nonprofit to weather this storm?
Do you want your org to exist in 2021?
Do you want to continue to pay your staff?
Do you want to continue to serve your community?
So then you must keep going. Keep going.
But, you should re-evaluate every piece of fundraising content (social posts, printed newsletters, e-blasts, paid ads, and so on) before pressing “post.”
We’re all going through this crisis together. You don’t want to come across tone-deaf. Compelling copy that was written in January no longer sounds right.
Be open to editing, changing, and starting over.
But, yes, you should be soliciting donations right now.
Here’s why:
Your organization needs donations to thrive (and survive), right?
People won’t stop giving. Giving feels good. Think about it - if you donate a dollar or a pair of never-been-worn shoes, YOU feel good. Just the thought of helping another human feels great. And we all want to feel a little bit better right about now, right?
Charitable giving doesn’t stop during recessions or economic downturns (more on this in the next blog). Foundations, grants, major donors, corporate, and individual donations… well, they all still exist even in an economic downturn.
Do the people you serve still need you? Going through a health crisis doesn’t negate homelessness, foster care, animal shelters, food insecurity, and so on. Those communities need you - some now more than ever.
You’ve got work to do. Don’t tell yourself the biggest lie, “now’s not the time to fundraise.”
It’s simply not true.
So, work towards authenticity. Tell the truth. How and why does your community need you now more than ever? How can people support you?
Share positivity. Be real. Be a beacon of light and hope. And, get to marketing.
In my free, on-demand workshop, the 3 Keys to a Buzzworthy & Profitable Online Fundraiser, I take a deeper dive into this concept and how to apply it to your nonprofit. Watch it instantly, here.