Insights Archive - Page 24 of 30

Innovative solutions for engaging nonprofit supporters have emerged as the COVID-19 pandemic has caused organizations to reevaluate and revise their fundraising strategies, particularly those halted by social distancing practices. For nonprofits across sectors, it will take some trial and error to determine which solutions are most effective, and perhaps, worth integrating into long-term toolkits for raising funds in a post-pandemic world.

One area that is currently being tested is virtual fundraising events. A recent CCS blog post offered advice for transitioning in-person events to online, assisting those organizations unable to cancel and forgo a significant source of annual revenue. With many nonprofits embarking on this uncharted path during this health crisis, several recipes for success have since come to light.

In this post, Tracy Conte, Vice President of Development and Community Engagement at Ability Beyond, a nonprofit that serves over 3,000 people with disabilities in Connecticut and New York, offers insights on their first No Go Gala held on April 25. We spoke to Tracy about how this event was created and implemented.

Why did you decide to plan a virtual fundraising event rather than cancel the event?

Our team knew it was important to move forward and raise awareness and critical funds for the people we serve. In ordinary times, Ability Beyond serves some of the most vulnerable members of our community, and our annual gala raises essential support for programs and services including housing, employment opportunities, and social connection. During the COVID-19 state of emergency, our people – from consumers to frontline caregivers – have been deeply affected, and we face mounting costs and lost revenue due to the pandemic. We needed to proceed with the gala to ensure the well-being of our people and the stability of the organization.

What was the format for the virtual fundraising event?

Our No Go Gala consisted of a special print and email appeal, dedicated event webpage accepting donations from April 1 through May 1, and a live one-hour giving hour on April 25 – the date of our original gala.

The live giving hour was heavily promoted in advance, streamed on our website and open to all. Comedian Christine O’Leary, who is a favorite past-host at our in-person gala, led the program from the Amber Room Colonnade in Danbury, CT, our long-time venue partner. The program included video messages from Ability Beyond team members and sponsors, special stories from clients and staff, communication on the impact of COVID-19 to the organization, and a live lend-a-hand pledge. We received surprise call-in donations and shared these exciting moments with our online guests.

How did you measure success?

We are extremely proud of the way our community came together to support the No Go Gala. The virtual event raised over $465,000, surpassing our goal of $400,000. Beyond funds raised, more than 1,200 members of our community joined us for the live webcast to show their support for our clients and staff.

What key strategies led to your success?

There are a few factors that stand out:

We were able to secure early leadership commitments. Many of these commitments came through early solicitations before we transitioned to a virtual event, as part of ongoing major gift work. When we chose to move our event online, we communicated our plans to current and prospective donors, explained how the virtual event will help address existing and new needs related to COVID-19, and asked donors to consider sustaining or increasing their support. We were largely met with generosity and praise for quickly pivoting.

We galvanized our community. From the start of the pandemic, we increased our communications and focused on what is happening at Ability Beyond and how people can help support us – financially, with in kind donations, and through volunteer efforts. We consistently underscored the importance of our mission and the role of philanthropy. As we made plans for the virtual event, we included updates in our regular communications. We leaned on our community – board members, committee volunteers, families, and friends – to participate, provide financial support, and invite others in their network to join us. After becoming aware of Ability Beyond’s situation and needs, they rose to the occasion to help.

Timing played an important role. The idea of a virtual event came up in early March as social distancing was beginning to hit Connecticut and New York, and we closed our day programs for the safety of our clients and staff. With some support for an in-person gala already committed and an invitation ready to send, we quickly redirected our efforts to planning this virtual event. Immediately, our development and communications team worked to determine logistics, developed a communication strategy, and reached out to sponsors and donors. Coupled with news of Ablity Beyond’s needs and a rising interest in helping essential human service nonprofits like ours, the novel idea of a virtual event resonated as a method to help our community through these trying times.

Ability Beyond’s No Go Gala offers a model for other organizations conducting a virtual fundraising event, and we are already seeing more examples of successful pivots to online events. While nonprofits continue to explore and adapt, perhaps the biggest lesson to learn from Ability Beyond is to leverage proven, relationship-based fundraising strategies and to not be afraid to try something new.

Planning a Virtual Fundraising Event: How to Begin

Engage your leadership team and top donors. Deploy your development staff and volunteers to personally call your most supportive leaders and donors. Share your plans, seek advice, and ask for early commitments.

Increase communications to your greater community. Ensure your community is aware of your organization’s needs, the impact COVID-19 is having on your programs and services, and ways to help. These updates may be through increased online and email communications, as well as new tactics like webinars or group calls. As your virtual event takes shape, you can communicate plans and ask for support from an already captive audience.

Consider what makes your in-person gala unique and adapt to an online format. Are there annual performances or entertainers willing to help? Are there mission-focused highlights of students, patients, or other people served? Are there awards and recognition opportunities that inspire and motivate others. Integrate the elements that make your fundraising event special into your online program.

CCS Fundraising is a strategic fundraising consulting firm that partners with nonprofits for transformational change. Members of the CCS team are highly experienced and knowledgeable across sectors, disciplines, and regions. With offices throughout the United States and the world, our unique, customized approach provides each client with an embedded team member for the duration of the engagement. To access our full suite of perspectives, publications, and reports, visit our insights page. To learn more about CCS Fundraising’s suite of services, click here.

A common principle that has emerged in nonprofit fundraising through times of crisis and economic uncertainty is that the organizations who continue major fundraising efforts are much better positioned for success over those that pause activity.

A shining example of this lesson is St. Joseph’s Villa in Richmond, VA, which maintained a successful capital campaign through the Great Recession while several like-minded organizations in its area held back. In this exclusive video, Luke Driscoll, Managing Director at CCS Fundraising, chats with Kathleen Barrett, CEO of St. Joseph’s Villa, to discuss lessons learned from the 2008 campaign and how those takeaways are influencing the organization’s current fundraising strategy during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“We were able to find so many new donors during the 2008 Recession simply by reaching out and communicating immediately, and ultimately delivering on our promises,” says Kathleen.

St. Joseph’s Villa is a nonprofit dedicated to creating brighter futures for children of all socioeconomic backgrounds faced with developmental disabilities, diverse learning styles, mental health issues, and homelessness, among other challenges. Kathleen has been at the helm of St. Joseph’s since 2006, but the organization has survived countless times of crisis since opening its doors in 1834.

“We have applied the same strategies during this crisis that we always have. We simply buckle down and show everyone that we are the strength in the storm,” says Kathleen.

This video is the second installment of a mini webinar series, 5 Leaders | 5 Questions, where leaders at CCS Fundraising sit down with executives of leading nonprofits to discuss and reflect on fundraising in challenging times. In this series, the firm’s experts will explore each executive’s experience navigating fundraising in times of crisis including the aftermath of 9/11, the Great Recession, natural disasters, as well as what they are seeing and doing amid today’s pandemic.

For more up-to-date information, visit ccsfundraising.com

To access our full suite of perspectives, publications, and reports, visit our insights page. To learn more about CCS Fundraising’s suite of services, click here.

As COVID-19 presents challenges to fundraising activity, we are all the while uncovering new opportunities to exercise creativity in continuing to meet our transformational goals.

This post is devoted to one possible solution: a virtual tour of your organization during a video meeting with a donor. While, of course, nothing compares with the live experience of your programs or services, there are simple and elegant ways of conveying your organization’s story, delivering mission moments, and setting the stage for your case for support all on an online platform. The following is intended to help you consider how a virtual tour might be useful to your donors, how to create one that captures your unique mission and vision, and what key considerations to keep in mind.

What is a Virtual Tour?

An in-person tour allows you to show the donor exactly where you are and where you’re headed. By allowing them to feel the mission and experience your organization firsthand, you are able to create a deep connection between the donor and your institution. They are often key components of cultivation, briefing, and request conversations. So how do you replicate these highly effective meetings during this crisis or when a donor isn’t able to meet you in person?

In this online landscape, consider a highly visual 20-minute slide deck summary on your organization that brings the mission to life, articulates key program areas, and sets the stage for upcoming funding opportunities to unlock the greatest impact. The tour should be engaging, informative, and should inspire the donor to visit in person when it is safe to do so. As you invite donors to participate in virtual meetings, set expectations and share what will be included during your time together.

When putting together a virtual tour, consider the following:

Process

With the key objectives established, begin preparing your virtual tour with your team. This could be a strategic set of photographs, quotes, organizational stats, or some combination that are visually compelling and contain concise but powerful pieces of information. Keep the following in mind as you get to work:

Consider the “user journey.” Replicating your in-person tour begins with thinking about how the tour typically begins and ends. Where do you take them throughout the tour? Do you have visuals each step of the way? Consider piecing together a storyboard for how this journey can be translated to the online audience. Build the slide deck around your story, keeping key transitions in mind. For example, are there key points you always hope to cover in the opening minutes of your tour? Include them in your opening slide.
Show don’t tell. Work with your team to gather all the best pieces you have on hand from your stockpile of images, infographics, testimonials, and renderings. Consider how you can show your story with the greatest impact for your donor. When possible, use high-resolution images for maximum effect. If you don’t have images for a certain moment, look into using stock imagery.
Design for the format. Consider how long you’d like to spend on each slide and prepare the visuals and information to be easily digestible in that time. Remember that your deck will be seen through a computer screen so craft your slides in widescreen format.
- Consider the prospective donor. What does your donor already know about the organization? How will your presentation build on that knowledge? Which aspects of the mission have they responded to previously? Are there updates or programs that should be prominently highlighted?
Plot your narrative. What must be established about the organization yesterday and today before launching into your vision for tomorrow? How do you plan to navigate those transitions? Prepare speaking notes to accompany your presentation that add to—rather than reiterate—what is shown on screen.
Maintain participant energy. Develop guiding questions to pose throughout the visit that will engage your donors in conversation, gain their insights, and better understand their interests.
Test and adjust. Share with the donor that this is a new format. Invite their feedback and suggestions to strengthen the experience. Throughout the meeting, make note of instances where adjustments can be made in advance of the next meeting.

Challenges to Overcome

Technical difficulties. Always have a backup plan and additional platforms to use should you experience any issues. Be sure to run through the slides and practice sharing your screen with internal participants well in advance and adjust as necessary. Avoid sharing video files unless you know they will present well to your external audience on your platform of choice. See our recent post on video conferencing for donor meetings for more tips and tricks to keep things running smoothly.
Reading people through the screen. Make sure to allow time for feedback. Call on participants by name to keep the conversation going and do your best to prevent people from speaking over one another.
Going over on time. Add less to the agenda than you typically would so that any unforeseen technical difficulties do not detract from the critical content. For time purposes, get the donors up to speed before the meeting begins by preparing a clear agenda and notes in advance, and encourage speakers to keep them handy and open on their screens.

Follow-up

In addition to your case for support or other key materials, send the virtual tour to the donor following your meeting for their reference or as a stand-alone piece to share with any decision makers who were unable to join you online. When it is safe to do so, invite the donor to visit in person to build on the virtual tour and to complete their experience of your organization.

Beyond this specific moment, a virtual tour deck could be used to engage far-flung alumni, prospective donors with limited mobility, and snowbirds whose availability to meet is so often seasonal. A thoughtful and well-designed virtual tour is a wonderful tool to have in your fundraiser toolbox during these days of global pandemic and certainly beyond.

As nonprofits continue to find innovative ways to navigate the COVID-19 pandemic—especially when it comes to donor engagement—many organizations are drawing from lessons learned from past crises.

Barbara Deutsch, CEO of Landscape Architecture Foundation (LAF) helped the organization continue fundraising initiatives through the 2008 recession which included a successful capital campaign bolstered by a robust donor communication strategy. In this new video, Luke Driscoll, Managing Director at CCS Fundraising chats with Barbara on how she is applying similar principles during the COVID-19 pandemic and how LAF is preparing for the uncertain months ahead.

This video is the first installment of a mini webinar series, 5 Leaders | 5 Questions, where leaders at CCS Fundraising sit down with executives of leading nonprofits to discuss and reflect on fundraising in challenging times. In this series, the firm’s experts will explore each executive’s experience navigating fundraising in times of crisis including the aftermath of 9/11, the Great Recession, natural disasters, as well as what they are seeing and doing amid today’s pandemic.

For more up-to-date information, visit ccsfundraising.com

To access our full suite of perspectives, publications, and reports, visit our insights page. To learn more about CCS Fundraising’s suite of services, click here.

As CCS Fundraising has previously noted, in the recovery that follows periods of crisis and economic uncertainty, organizations that pause fundraising activity lag significantly behind those that do not.

A pause in programmatic activity may therefore represent a risk to an organization’s donor engagement, cultivation, and stewardship efforts. During the current pandemic crisis, nonprofits must identify ways to move forward in serving their communities, driving impact, and engaging individuals – new and known – in their mission. This mandate presents a significant challenge for performing arts organizations, whose programs rely upon community gatherings and shared experience.

With the option of congregating in groups an impossibility for the immediate future, performing arts organizations are both uniquely burdened but also uniquely capable of reimagining their programmatic activities. The current public health emergency has led some performing arts organizations to take on the challenge of engaging and potentially expanding their audiences in noteworthy and exciting ways.

The Fisher Center at Bard moved quickly to launch a virtual stage, UPSTREAMING, in early April, offering a weekly series of streaming digital content, including archival performances as well as live broadcasts of new work. As part of the series, the creative team behind Caryl Churchill’s Mad Forest re-envisioned the previously scheduled live theatre production as a digital experience. In a matter of weeks, they pivoted the production to be performed live by actors from 14 separate locations using a specially modified version of Zoom. The digital broadcast performance had over 4,400 viewers, significantly more audience members than the live theatre space would have been able to accommodate.

New Jersey Symphony Orchestra launched NJSO At Home, complete with an entirely new logo to represent the organization’s current programmatic focus. NJSO At Home offers content including concert recordings, “couch concerts” by NJSO musicians, and an invitation to join a virtual orchestra to celebrate Beethoven’s 250^th birthday.

Williamstown Theatre Festival pivoted to a digital strategy swiftly, announcing a collaboration with Audible at the same time they shared that they would be unable to proceed with the theatre season in Williamstown as planned. Individuals will be able to listen to the season’s works via podcast, the first time a season of theatre has been offered in this format. Notably, this new initiative enables potential audience expansion as global listeners, much of whom would typically be unable to make the trip to Massachusetts, now have access to the Festival’s summer lineup on their home devices.

These examples are but a selection of the many arts organizations creatively envisioning seasons, galas, and events large and small. If your organization has not yet adapted or is contemplating additional approaches, an assessment of internal resources and capabilities along with a quick survey of peer organizations can help you move forward quickly and effectively.

Creating smart, engaging digital programming empowers an organization’s development team. Online events can be leveraged for donor outreach and special invitations; successful events can yield new prospective donors and avenues of support. Consider the following key questions in guiding digital engagement follow up strategies:

How can we collect data from our remote audience members? The ability to collect demographic and/or contact information from your digital audience will determine your follow-up strategies. Your ability to quantify the number of individuals who engaged with you and the depth and breadth of that engagement will also leave you well-positioned in making your case to donors and institutional funders moving forward.
How will we cultivate and steward those who engage with us digitally? Once data collection is implemented, determine how your organization wants to steward participants. Consider the size of the event, the number of unknown participants, and the resources you want to allocate to screening and outreach for a human touch following a digital performance. If possible, build this plan before the program’s launch to ensure that your organization is maximizing the opportunity to make connections and build relationships in this remote setting.
Which components of our new digital strategies will we carry over when operations have resumed as normal? While not complete replacements for concerts and theatrical productions to which audiences are eager to return (when safe to do so), innovative methods of outreach and engagement are still extremely valuable. Consider how your organization will carry over what it has learned during this forced remote period to continue to engage those who are unable to come to your space even during the best of times. Think about why individual and institutional partners might find digital strategy and expanded audience reach compelling, and ask for their insights and support as you move forward.

What has your performing arts organization done to expand and engage your audience during the COVID19 crisis? Comment below to share your strategies and success stories!

Nonprofit organisations of all sizes and across sectors share the same question: how do we engage our donors, and what sort of outreach is appreciated and appropriate? With the COVID-19 crisis impacting the philanthropic landscape on a daily basis, the answer to that question has taken on new levels of depth and importance. The situation can appear paralysing to even the most experienced fundraiser. However, the most important thing we have learned in our 70+ years of work in the philanthropic sector is the power of communication. Right now, your focus as fundraising professionals should be on consistent and highly personalised donor engagement strategies.

Guidance for Communication

While it is important to remain sensitive to the current environment, it is not an effective strategy to cease communications with donors altogether during a crisis. In fact, it is essential for you to increase communications to keep key stakeholders informed and engaged during this fast-changing time. Focus on sending regular, concise and thoughtful communications. As you prepare your communication plan, consider how different constituents may be affected and able to respond during this time. For example, your messaging should be customised for individuals vs. corporate vs. foundation funders, as well as for generation, gender, and ethnicity. But regardless of the constituency, keep the following four points in mind to form the foundation of your messaging:

Stay the Course: Your organisation’s mission remains the same, even during challenging times. Remain focused on your goals.
Make Adjustments: When needed, tweak your strategy based on feedback and new information.
Be Flexible: Given the present challenges, be willing to diverge slightly from your original plan.
Think Long-Term: Donor engagement has always been about building and maintaining lasting relationships.

Prioritising Your Communication

As you plan your communication strategy, chart the stages of your prospect pipeline and accompany each stage with its own recommendations. You can begin by separating constituents into categories defined by their stage in the solicitation cycle: identification, cultivation, brief, ask, and steward. In the case of a crisis, stewardship is your highest priority. Reverse that order and begin with donors who are in your stewardship category. For each of these stages, you will want to consider detailed answers for the following criteria:

Priority: Determine a timeline for communicating with each group. Who should you be engaging with first? How can you ensure ongoing communication – are there updates you can plan in the weeks ahead?
Considerations: what are your goals for each person? Are there specific items you need to share at this time? What do they need to hear from you to move the conversation on in the long term?
Personalisation: How personal should the communication be? Do you need to thank them, ask for their support, share how the crisis is affecting your organisations, show the development of a case for support?
Communication channel: What is the most appropriate method of communication? A personal call, a handwritten note, an email, or a video conference?
Lead: Who is the best person on your team to lead this communication?

Special Considerations

Among the many challenges we are all facing, there are two issues you will want to pay particular attention to in your communication.

Personal concerns: Health and the economy are likely front of mind for all donors. Always begin conversations by checking in and inviting donors to share their experiences or concerns.
Technology: Be sure to run through virtual visits and test media ahead of schedule. Use the donor’s preferred platform for check-in meetings with volunteers and organisational leadership to get everyone comfortable with the functionality and features.

Recommended Strategies

1. Lead with well wishes and care for the safety of the individual. Acknowledge that this is an unprecedented time and many are experiencing disruption to their routines and plans.

Sample Messaging: It is our sincere hope that you and your family are well, safe, and able to continue as much of your normal routine as possible in this uncertain time.

2. Provide a high-level summary of the organisation’s response plan. Focus on relevant expertise provided by your organisation and/or the way in which you are supporting your community through the crisis.

Sample Messaging: As a close friend of our organisation, we want to share with you…

Consider sharing your organisation’s crisis response fund, useful resources, or opportunities to get involved.
Do not provide medical advice. Aim to share resources that are nonpartisan.

3. Circle back to the organisation’s mission and sharing current needs.

Sample Messaging: Amidst the uncertainty of this moment, one thing remains clear, the need for our services within the community has never been greater.

4. Close with a sincere thank you.

Sample Messaging: As a supporter of our organisation, you empower our ability to respond to this crisis, continue services to our constituents, and advance our mission. Thank you.

5. Additional Engagement Ideas
Given work-from-home and social distancing regulations and an increased need to connect and engage with one another, now is a good time to think about creative ways to communicate with your donors.

Create “in-person” online opportunities for engagement. Host virtual meetings with structure and speaking notes. Make the discussion tangible by presenting the host’s screen to share photos, charts, and digital booklets/case statements to bring the mission to life.
Close the social distance. Consider hosting a cultivation “social hour” led by organisation leadership, campaign chair, and any subject matter experts (physician, teacher, curator) at the organisation.

Conclusion

Remember that throughout this crisis, your highest priority should be communicating with your donors. Nurture your relationships. Through past crises, donors continued to give to organisations they felt connected to, so it is imperative that you maintain those connections. Charitable organisations can persevere through challenging times with flexibility, creativity, and resolve. This time of challenge will pass and important conversations with key stakeholders and prospects will resume. Use this time to optimally position your organisation and build your reputation in order to facilitate successful future engagements.

During this challenging time, we are continuing to offer our perspectives and lessons learned from over seven decades of nonprofit advisory leadership. Click here to access our Resources for COVID-19 page. Here you will find resources that provide best practices and optimal strategies to help your organisation build a path through this crisis and beyond.

PRESENTED BY

Peter Hoskow

Principal & Managing Director

Miriam Droller

Managing Director

This is undoubtedly an extraordinary period and, over the past few months, an increasingly challenging time for dioceses and parishes. Among the common challenges facing the Church include: reductions in weekly offertory, difficulty in administering gift collections, and uncertainty about how best to communicate with parishioners.

These five steps can be put into action now to address your immediate funding concerns:

1. Communication

Increase communication with parishioners using:

The parish website and newsletter (hardcopy or e-newsletter)
At-Mass announcements (if Mass is being live-streamed)
A short on-line video from the parish priest or bishop
A letter/email to each parishioner, checking on their safety, sharing news on special measures in place to support parishioners, requesting their prayers, and asking for consideration (if they can) of continued weekly giving. Include a link to donate on-line
Telephone calls to parishioners (a parish may do this in batches or request volunteers to help) with the above message

2. Calls to Action

Across all channels, include ‘calls to action,’ on the parish website and perhaps in the newsletter, include a letter from the parish priest seeking participation in a few different ways:

Completing a prayer card
Submitting a note of appreciation for someone
Volunteering to ‘phone a fellow parishioner
If appropriate now, continuing to donate

3. Rationale for Giving

Communicate the strong rationale for giving.

Share the impact of continuing one’s regular offertory
Where relevant, emphasise the importance of Easter collections to priests and their congregations

4. Giving Options

Ensure that parishioners are aware of their giving options which may include:

Envelope collection (reference box locations)
Online – make the online button easy to find and use, and include a link in all communications

5. Special Updates

Consider a fortnightly update delivered by the parish priest or bishop – this could be done via social media, video conferencing etc to share:

Positive news about parish support groups
Ways in which others can help
Stories of hope and courage

CCS recently hosted a webinar discussing these tactics, as well as additional practical strategies for navigating the current situation. You may be interested in listening to this complimentary webinar recording titled, Responding to COVID-19: Supporting Parishes & Dioceses. The recording and slides from the presentation are now available here.

CCS will continue to offer our perspectives and lessons learned from over seven decades of nonprofit advisory leadership. To access more tools that provide best practices and optimal strategies to help your organisation build a path forward through this crisis: visit our Resources for COVID-19 page.

In these uncertain times, your governing board must be the guiding light for your entire organization and its mission. By now your committed leaders, with their diverse set of skills, have assessed the current financial position, taken stock of the morale of your staff, and helped reach out to critical supporters.

Now is the time to spend energy and resources on the long-term vision. It’s imperative to complete this process with accountability, transparency, and excellence. The goal here is to meet certain benchmarks and evaluate four important factors: Finance, Programs, Personnel, and Board Recruitment. In this post, we detail questions your board should be asking as well as the action steps needed to follow through on strategies.

Finance

The financial health of your organization is paramount right now and in the immediate future. If you are in the middle of a capital campaign, you are steps ahead of other charitable organizations who are not being active during this time. You have confidence that the current campaign will have transformational impact to the mission you serve, and you are showing that confidence by staying the course. This is the right approach as it has been proven during times of crisis that the organizations that continue pressing forward find success while those who pause fall way behind.

There will be surprises of course as the financial situations of individuals and corporations are in flux. For this reason, development leadership and your board should remain flexible when it comes to planning. You built this campaign for specific needs – pandemic or not. Your plan is to fulfill each of the parts that build your case for support. However, flexibility means asking (and having your board members ask) difficult questions. This will prepare you to navigate potentially different outcomes in the months and years ahead. Regardless of the status of your campaign or other major fundraising efforts, you will have new challenges and those will cost both money and resources. Taking stock of your current plans now will help you greatly down the road.

Questions for your board members to ask: Has our redemption rate remained steady? What have we learned from our closest supporters?

Action steps for the board: Board members should be calling people who have committed pledges or are usual annual donors during this time. They should be checking in with them, asking them how they are doing during this challenging time, and as always, thanking them for their support. It is also important for board members to update donors on what is going on in the organization. Afterall, board members and donors are peers, and as the most important ambassadors of the mission, board members should speak to donors openly about any concerns or new opportunities. The financial health of the organization needs to be checked on regularly as it is the foundation of any strategic planning process. Let your board members drive this process.

Programs

The world has changed. Not just in the past month, but the new normal will mean new information and experiences. It’s important that your organization take an immediate look at the effectiveness of your different programs as well as the potential long-term view of their impact.

Questions for your board members to ask: Do our current programs meet all of the needs of those we serve? If not, why not? Is it a lack of resources? Are we seeing an increase of services, and do we anticipate that this level cannot sustain itself by say, the end of the year?

Action steps for the board: During this time, board members should be talking to staff members on the front lines and should focus on areas of need and opportunity. They should also talk to other organizations in your space to find out where they are, and how their activity relates to your organization. For example, where can your organization potentially pool resources with others? Are there possible merger opportunities to explore? What could be learned from a deep dive audit of your programs?

Personnel

This is a time to take stock of your human resources and how well they serve your most important assets. There will be a new set of expectations and standards in keeping everyone safe, motivated, and focused once we return to our offices.

Questions for board members to ask: What needs to be done when the “all clear” is given? What protections are we covering for workers? Do we need to look at health insurance changes? What does the pay structure look like?

Action steps for the board: Board members should be allocating more resources to ensure that staff know they are supported and valued. They should explain that any changes in programs are helpful for long-term positive impacts. Your organization may be looking at a leaner structure going forward, so it is imperative that your board members remain positive about what the development team—regardless of size—can still accomplish together.

Board Recruitment

Every board has members who aren’t actively engaged. During this time, leaders rise. Take notice of people within your organization who are leading and tap into that energy. Do not allow your board to become a weak link to achieving your mission.

Questions for your board members to ask: Knowing your gaps, where can we recruit to have those gaps filled? How can we balance the need of funding vs the need of having expertise in certain areas?

Action steps for the board: Have your board secure the three areas mentioned before first – as best they can at this time. Then make sure each board member has a prepared plan to speak to and bring on board the people who will make you a stronger, more impactful organization. The board needs to be diligent and intentional over the course of the next three to six months to ensure the viability of your organization for years to come.

First Steps

Helping to define roles for each board member is paramount. Depending on their meeting schedules, ask each board lead for a status update once a week until your next board meeting so you all remain on the same page. The full board meeting should then focus on clarifications and next steps, so you don’t spend too long on brainstorming. Defining clear roles and making sure everyone understands your main objectives should also happen well before the meeting, so it remains as productive as possible.

Finally, it’s important to remember that being strategic is all about being thoughtful. Be empathetic to each board member’s needs as well as understanding of the current and future challenges presented by this crisis. From there, the most important thing to focus on is aligning the individual priorities of each board member with the overall mission of your organization.

Concerns about the impact of Coronavirus (COVID-19) underscore the nonprofit sector’s vital leadership role in the welfare of our communities. At CCS Fundraising, our primary interest lies with the health and safety of our people, our nonprofit partners, and those at greatest risk.

We understand that many nonprofit organisations are seeking guidance on how to proceed during this time of uncertainty. CCS has extensive experience over the past 70 years in periods of crisis, economic stress, and natural disasters.

There are several lessons we have garnered through such events. These focus on the importance of continuous communication and engagement with stakeholders, prudent adjustments to short-term fundraising activities, and a commitment to staying the course of an organisation’s overall fundraising plans. Strong leadership and resilience have helped to persevere through challenging times. Nonprofit groups have achieved success through flexibility, creativity, and resolve.

In light of the current and rapidly evolving circumstances, CCS offers the following general principles and specific guidelines around fundraising efforts:

Increase communication: Keep your stakeholders fully informed and deeply engaged at this time. Donors and stakeholders are interested in how organisations are affected by the current situation, and what actions are being taken.
Avoid wholesale cancellation of fundraising plans: Adhere to your general fundraising plans and strategies, with reasonable adjustments to your day-to-day meetings, events, and activities, depending on your local circumstances.
Reaffirm your mission: Continuously remind donors of the impact of your work. If you have a special role to play in the current public health issue, explain it.
Develop a short-term plan: Create a plan of action, including a communications one over the next several weeks, featuring an outreach initiative of personal calls and emails to key donors and friends.
Leverage technology: Find ways to more effectively incorporate video conferencing, podcasts, or virtual briefings that make meetings more dynamic and create more personal experiences regardless of distance. Consider how social media or other virtual platforms can serve as temporary alternatives to in-person convenings.
Motivate: Redouble efforts to help motivate development staff, administrative leadership, and board members/trustees by reminding them of the resilience of philanthropy in difficult times. Donors who feel engaged and connected will continue to support their beloved institutions, especially in times of crisis.
Share philanthropic information: Circulate the latest philanthropic information to both motivate leadership and temper expectations.
Consider special briefings: Host a series of teleconference briefings with stakeholders on issues pertinent to the current situation. Donors and constituents are interested in knowing how a nonprofit is responding to the current situation: whether classes, events, services, or performances are being altered or cancelled; how employees are being cared-for; how operations are affected; if any new services or programmes are being initiated in response to current circumstances.
Show empathy and concern for your stakeholders: We are all impacted at this time. Giving is a two-way street and donors want to know that you value them and are concerned about their welfare. Offer any resources that might be helpful to your stakeholders at this time.

In challenging times, those nonprofit organisations that stay the course and engage extensively with their stakeholders emerge successfully. These periods offer an opportunity for nonprofits to demonstrate their relevance and cement their relationships with their donors and friends. Donors look to these organisations as vital resources. 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.

The last point is particularly significant, as it may feel like now is a moment to pause or delay your activity. It is very important to note that in previous downturns, those who continued to push forward in their efforts ultimately succeeded, and those who took a step back lost ground.

Thank you for all that you do to strengthen our communities and improve our world. We hope these basic principles, gleaned though many years of experience and periods of uncertainty, are helpful as you carefully navigate your development and fundraising activity in the coming months.