5 Proven Methods For Non-Profit Fundraising During COVID
Historically, nonprofit organizations have relied upon proceeds from dinners, celebrations, tributes, galas, and special events to provide much of its annual revenue. Attendees (donors) are expected to pay a couverte to absorb the cost of his/her multi-course meal plus the fee of the speaker/entertainer, but in many cases it does not. This places enormous pressure upon the nonprofit to maximize turnout, hoping that income from the event will exceed event costs. Experts in the field have said for years that one’s reliance upon special events as a primary source of revenue is a mistake, that the return on investment is too small.
Imagine the anxiety experienced by nonprofit professionals engaged in fundraising by social events when COVID shut down public gatherings! Fortunately, many revamped their fundraising methodology, pivoted away from traditional dinners, and offered a more personal approach to their donors, and were rewarded for their resilience.
Financial Resource Development experts were not surprised. One such expert, Rachel Ramjattan wrote in No More “Duct Tape Fundraising”:
“Fundraising is a deliberate, coordinated and continuous process of identifying, cultivating and stewarding donors so they continue to give and upgrade the size of their contributions. “
As a general proposition, donors seek to have their contributions make a positive impact. They want to change the world. They’re not looking to purchase yet another meal.
There are many examples of changes in fundraising methods during COVID which have produced better than expected results:
In-person interaction with donors, by phone or Zoom
Devoting programmatic resources to high profile speakers which could be enjoyed from home, instead of paying for catering and a less charismatic presenter
Holding online/virtual fundraising events, where gift baskets, books, or other items of value were delivered in advance to donors registered for the program
Producing outdoor events, where social gathering was welcomed, and social distancing was easily accomplished
Increasing the use of “donor matches”, where dollars contributed by a supporter were matched by a benefactor or foundation, making the donor’s gift more impactful
In most if not all these examples, the person-to-person approach was shown to be far more rewarding than the impersonal exchange of a pledge card during dinner or dessert.
Kudos to nonprofits for their success in the face of adversity.