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In light of GivingTuesday’s recent announcement of #GivingTuesdayNow—an event they are describing as a “day of giving, generosity, and unity” slated for May 5—we offer immediate steps to raise awareness and funds for your cause.

The purpose of participating in a giving day is to offer new and established donors a special reason to engage with your cause. Getting involved in giving days is essential, as they are increasing in popularity year after year. For example, #GivingTuesday, the best-known giving day that takes place annually on the Tuesday after Thanksgiving, is growing exponentially. According to the NonProfit Times, #GivingTuesday raised a total of $511 million online in the United States. This was an increase of over $100 million from 2018, an increase of nearly 28 percent.

When mapping out your plan for May 5, it is important to consider that the organizations that succeed on giving days have robust strategies that align closely with their wider institutional goals. We typically advise our clients to plan for Giving Days six months in advance, but with May 5 right around the corner, here are three quick tips for success to implement immediately:

1) Create a theme (and stick to it!)

Many organizations stumble on giving days by jumping into the conversation without proper branding which includes themes, colors, and cohesive case for support. Conveying mixed messages or an unclear case for support will confuse your audience. Your main goal should be to inspire them to get behind your cause. To maximize your outreach, you should approach your plan by thinking of #GivingTuesdayNow as a mini campaign. Come up with a title or tagline that works for your organization as well as a list of talking points that should be threaded through all of your communications until May 5.

2) Stand out above the crowd

Given the needs of so many nonprofits during this crisis, the chances are good that your audience will be inundated by pitches from many organizations. Therefore, the way you present your mission can make all the difference. In addition to creating and sticking to a theme, messaging with confidence helps you stand above the pack. It has been shown during previous times of uncertainty that the organizations who communicate a clear and confident plan for the future are the most successful. The simple reason is that donors want to back institutions that will follow through with their goals. Avoid messaging that shows desperation or insecurity about the months to come.

It is also important to remember that you will be attempting to attract new people who may not be familiar with your cause. For this reason, your messaging should aim to clearly underline who you are and why this day is special.

3) Execute an actionable outreach plan

Because time is of the essence, come up with a communications plan to use across channels. Assign roles to your development staff to spread the workload around. Once the plan is created, connect with leadership to align strategies for:

  • Existing Content: What digital content do you already have created? For example: videos from people who benefit from your cause or blogs already published that show the real impact of your mission.
  • Email marketing: With only a few weeks until May 5, consider sending 2-3 emails to your database that outlines your #GivingTuesdayNow theme and details how their participation is essential to your organization at this moment.
  • Social media posts across channels: Double down on your social media efforts by sharing content with your theme in mind. Always hashtag #GivingTuesdayNow to continue to remind your audience of the event. Helpful Tip: Consider tapping your development staff, volunteers, and board members to share content on social media from their personal accounts as well. It’s a great way to expand your network and reach the widest audience possible.
  • Website messaging: Put your #GivingTuesdayNow message at the top of your homepage for the next few weeks to grab attention. You may already have new messaging that addresses the COVID-19 crisis on your website, so you may just need to add an extra sentence about the event to the existing content.

For more tips on mastering your digital strategy during a crisis, click here.

If you’re just getting started, here are two reminders: 

  • Start small: Consider a reasonable goal for #GivingTuesdayNow to create an early win. It’s much better to overperform than underperform to build momentum for your next giving day.
  • Learn from other orgs: Take a look at the organizations who are already ahead of the curve and brainstorm what it will take for your organization to exceed their success.

Following your #GivingTuesdayNow campaign

The first thing to do after #GivingTuesdayNow is to track and publicize your results to celebrate your success. It is also useful to do an immediate internal evaluation to determine which parts of your plan worked and which parts didn’t. This audit will allow you to identify the outreach channels that were the most effective which will help greatly for future giving days. It is valuable to thank all donors who participated in elevating your cause through all channels.

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.

It is no secret that large in-person events and galas are instrumental in raising awareness and funds for nonprofits across geographies and sectors. With these events currently on hold during the COVID-19 crisis, organizations are questioning how they can replicate their impact. The good news is that we are already seeing many organizations successfully pivot to using the digital space to continue these efforts. Just like in-person events, these take planning, innovation, and commitment from staff, volunteers, and all constituents to maximize the return on investment.

In this post, we share how one organization is thinking creatively to continue large event momentum during this uncertain time.

Thinking Outside the Box: East Harlem Tutorial Program

The East Harlem Tutorial Program (EHTP), whose mission is to prepare students with the academic skills, strength of character, and emotional well-being to excel in high school, college, and beyond, had been preparing for a major gala slated for April 20. The gala is a major cornerstone of the institution’s annual fundraising program. For context, last year’s gala attracted 600 guests and raised $3.6 million, which was nearly 60 percent of its annual giving total. With this year’s gala out of reach, EHTP decided to pivot to an innovative new way to engage its donors and a larger audience.

In initial planning sessions, the team mapped out different scenarios of how to replicate the gala. With staff working remotely and already spread thin to keep the development office running, the team determined that a two-week comprehensive online communications campaign—focused on several touchpoints via social media and e-mail—could be implemented to match the impact and funds of the gala. Crucially, the team decided that, while addressing the crisis was necessary, they also needed to emphasize the organization’s mission both during and after these challenging times.

The campaign, which began April 6, uses all of EHTP’s social media platforms, e-mail channels, and website to share meaningful messages with its audience. These include (among others) messages from EHTP’s Executive Director and Board Chair, touching images, and testimonials from those positively impacted by the program, as well as videos that tell the story of all of the work the organization is doing and will continue to do for its community. This two-week online event was created to raise awareness for the cause as well as build momentum for an online “Day of Giving” on April 20, which was the original date of the gala. The giving day, which will work similarly to Giving Tuesday, will encourage people to get involved and support the organization’s mission.

Utilizing Existing Technology

EHTP was already ahead of the curve as it has held an annual virtual auction using the platform GiveSmart for previous years’ galas. With the new social media campaign in full swing, the organization has converted the GiveSmart page into a full fundraising site, listing all of the donors, posting updates on the programming, and allowing donors to make donations directly through the site. EHTP also moved to a fully digital gift acknowledgment process, both to streamline remote work processes and to create another digital touchpoint with donors.

Recognizing the Moment

EHTP developed a theme for its in-person gala, Build Love, that highlights the organization’s goal of building a loving, supportive educational community for all its scholars and their families. With the COVID-19 crisis in mind, the team worked to slightly alter messaging for the virtual gala to connect it to current events. As a result, the Build Love messaging now encompasses both the organization’s day-to-day work and the need to provide additional support to the families of East Harlem during this difficult time. The team updated the virtual gala website to reflect this shift in messaging and to highlight the remarkable work EHTP’s teachers have already undertaken to provide high-quality virtual learning to students at this time.

Activating the Advocates

In order to increase awareness and reach the right donors for the giving day, EHTP has encouraged its board members to utilize their contacts and create messages to personalize the ask. Two board members have led the charge on the fundraising front, and the team worked with them to craft strong messaging for why the EHTP community needs support now more than ever. To further motivate donors, one of EHTP’s board members offered a $100,000 matching gift should the giving day reach its goal. Communicating this match has already garnered a great deal of attention.

Initial Results

EHTP has been driving activity to its repurposed gala fundraising site, where it maintains a listing of all donors that is updated in real-time. In addition to raising funds for the gala, donors can earmark their donations to go toward EHTP’s emergency assistance fund, to support urgent access to technology, meals, and housing assistance for the East Harlem community. The emergency fund has already raised over $350,000 in the past two weeks, even before going public on the website.

Tips for Pivoting to a Virtual Plan

1) Do what makes sense for your organization

While EHTP made the decision to hold this two-week digital campaign, you may want to create a different event. For example, some organizations are holding virtual galas where users are encouraged to sign in for a one-time event using programs like Zoom to learn more about the organization, listen to speakers, and donate through an online platform. Use your initial planning meetings to map out the plan that works best for you. Consider coming up with several courses of action and then base your decision on staff bandwidth, what you think your audience would respond to, and the potential return on investment.

2) Have a clear theme and message

It is important that your call-to-action is direct and easily understood by your audience. All of your social media posts, e-mail messages, and website language should be branded and consistent throughout. Additionally, while it’s wise to acknowledge the current crisis in your communications, this does not mean completely revamping the messaging around your event. Like EHTP, find ways to link your organization’s mission to this challenging moment, and share a vision for what the organization’s work will look like after the crisis ends.

3) Track everything

Tracking the success is important for any event, but it’s even more important for an online event. Luckily, it is easier to track what messages are resonating online. You are able to see what e-mails are being opened, what videos are garnering the most attention on social media, and how many people are clicking through to your website to sign up for an online event or make a gift.

4) Don’t be afraid to adapt

If the data you’re tracking shows that your current social media message isn’t resonating, or that your donation site is too difficult to navigate, then switch it up. An advantage of an online event is its flexibility – you can change the platform you use, update the text on the website, and make other changes relatively quickly and at a low cost.

5) Have a strategy for follow-up

When following up on any action items, give everyone on your team clearly defined responsibilities, and make sure the whole team is involved in the planning and communications. You want it to feel like their gala, not just a gala.

At CCS, we know from past experience that organizations that completely cancel fundraising plans at times of crisis will be negatively impacted. That’s why it’s important to think creatively about a backup plan for events and to try something new that will inspire your donors even if it’s in a small way. Donors who care deeply about your organization’s mission will want to participate, regardless of whether the event is online or in-person.

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 Strategies During COVID-19 page. Here you will find resources that provide best practices and optimal strategies to help your organization build a path through this crisis and beyond.

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. 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.

COVID-19 is changing the way development professionals are communicating, so having a robust digital marketing strategy has never been more important. Digital is an ideal way to distribute communications—especially crisis messaging—both quickly and cost-effectively, while keeping your audience actively engaged with your organization. Plus, with information ever-changing during the crisis, the digital realm allows you to pivot fast and adjust your messaging in real-time.

To provide you with best practices for executing a successful digital plan during this uncertain time, we partnered with Beth Hatcher, Founder and CEO of Beth Interactive, a digital marketing and e-fundraising agency in Chicago that specializes in digital strategies and e-philanthropy for nonprofit organizations.

Solidify the Call-to-Action

The first question to consider as you think about your crisis communications is: What do you want your recipients to do? Do you want them to make a gift? Become a member? Provide feedback? Share a story? Identify your goal, and then tailor your communications to accomplish it. Whether you’re sending an email to donors, adding new messaging to your website, or sharing content on social media during this crisis, you should always have a call-to-action in mind.

Organizations that overwhelm their audience with multiple asks or vague communications are likely to fall behind. Deciding on a priority ask will help you message with directness and clarity. It will also help you determine whether or not your messaging is resonating. For example, if your email or website asks donors to provide feedback through a survey, and a large percentage of them do, you have successfully engaged them in the way you hoped.

Engage with Purpose

Because so many of us are isolated right now, there is a clear longing for connection. But the members of your community are most likely inundated with messages from many different organizations trying to reach out during this time. So, it’s important to ask: How can you engage your donors and support your community most meaningfully? Think about how you can foster these relationships in a substantial way that rises above the clutter.

A first step to answering this question is to empathize with your constituency. Let’s say your institution is a museum that is currently closed to the public. What would be valuable to a museum member during this time? Would they like access to virtual tours of exhibits? Or would they be more interested in additional member benefits when the museum opens again? Putting yourself in their shoes will help you craft messaging that shows you are keeping their interests in mind. Asking for feedback from your users is another great way to keep them engaged and involved.

Utilize Your Channels

All your different channels should be activated to cast the widest net possible. If you already have stewardship and communications channels in place—such as email, website, and social media—now is the time to double down on these avenues. If you don’t have a good digital infrastructure in place, invest some time into getting up to speed so you don’t fall behind. Regardless of where you are with your digital presence today, here are best practices for how to improve your outreach.

1) Website

In a previous post, we shared three simple ways to improve your website without spending too much time and money. Since your website can continually change, think of it as the best home for providing up-to-date and helpful information.

Key Recommendations:

  • Create a landing page for content during the COVID-19 crisis: If time and funds allow, build a simple home for all of your crisis statements, blog posts, videos and more. You can also direct attention to this page by adding a banner, pop-up, or lightbox across your website.
  • Be straightforward and direct: The layout of your landing page should be clear and simple:
    • Address and sympathize with your audience’s concerns
    • Describe your plan of action and what you are already doing
    • Include information about ways your audience can help immediately
    • Encourage them to make a gift, and make it easy to do so
  • Add a call-out to your homepage and/or giving page: Your crisis messaging should be front and center, so your audience doesn’t have to search to find important information.
  • Consider a sign-up form: Giving your audience an opportunity to receive real-time updates is a great way for them to stay connected, and it’s a useful tool for acquiring new emails for your database.

2) Email Marketing

While it’s important to have a solid website presence, you have to get people to your website. Email is an excellent tool to deliver timely information, push overall engagement and drive giving online.

Key Recommendations

  • Use clean design, bold visuals, and honest messaging: Your emails should get right to the heart of the situation, not lose the reader in long scrolls or dense text. Visuals can go a long way in telling your story, so think about what could convey your current situation while still showing hope and forward progress.
  • Drive your call-to-action: Use designed buttons (vs. simple hyperlinked text) for greater click-through.
  • Leverage personalization: For example, lead with the recipient’s first name, when possible.
  • Include faces: Sign the email from a recognizable person in your organization or community, and include their portrait in the signature—it really helps people connect.
  • Be open to adapting and trying new things: Pay close attention to which messages are resonating, and which ones aren’t. One way to test this is to use two different subject lines with your audience to see which one gets a higher open rate.
  • Measure and learn: Look at the results of your emails. Which one had the highest open and click-through rates? Which images did your users click on most? Use this analysis to drive improvements.
  • Know your audience: It is important to have a clear understanding of who you are reaching out to and why. Take this time to ensure that your database is accurate. If you are sending an email to your entire database, make sure the information would be useful to all members of your list. If you have a more specific ask for a particular subset, be sure to filter before you send.

3) Social Media

Keeping your social media presence active during a crisis shows that your organization is present and engaged. Use these channels to connect with your existing audience and rally new people around your cause.

Key Recommendations:

  • Use best-quality visuals to gain traction: Visuals make things easy to spot while scrolling through busy social media newsfeeds.
  • Post updates as often as needed: Be consistent and don’t allow long stretches of time to go by without providing useful content to your audience.
  • Pin the most critical information: Locking down your most valuable messaging on the top of your Facebook and Twitter profiles will allow this information to remain easy to access.
  • Use simple messaging: Just like your website and email strategies, be clear, concise, and direct about your call-to-action.
  • Respond to comments: Thank users regularly for their support, and be sure to respond to questions—as well as negative feedback. It’s paramount to be a part of your organization’s conversation on social media (otherwise, the conversation will happen without your input!).

It is important to remember—especially now—that your digital strategy can always change down the road. Try to think of this initial strategy in 15-, 30-, and 60-day increments. Consider your immediate needs and reinforce these messages across channels. Finally, remember to stay on message and on brand throughout. Stay true to your mission by sticking to the principles and behaviors that have already propelled your organization into prominence.

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 Strategies During COVID-19 page. Here you will find resources that provide best practices and optimal strategies to help your organization build a path through this crisis and beyond.

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.

Beth Interactive is a digital marketing and fundraising agency in Chicago specializing in online strategy and consultation, e-fundraising, email marketing, SEO, and website design. The team partners closely with healthcare foundations and nonprofits nationwide to engage donors and increase giving through intelligent strategies, thoughtful execution, and full-service support. Learn more at bethinteractive.com.

COVID-19 has brought about unprecedented shifts in philanthropy, requiring organizations to adapt their case for support and fundraising plan to cater to a new giving environment.

In this webinar, CCS Senior Vice President Kate Villa is joined by a panel of speakers including Denella Clark (President, Boston Arts Academy Foundation), Melissa Cording (Director of Development, Bridge Over Troubled Waters), Andrea Finnerty (Chief Development Officer, Cambridge School of Weston, Past President of WID), and David Woodruff (AVP & COO, MIT Resource Development President of AFP Massachusetts).

Download Presentation Slides

PRESENTED BY

Kate Villa

Kate Villa

Managing Director

As discussed in a recent webinar held by CCS Fundraising leadership in partnership with the International Catholic Stewardship Council, COVID-19 has changed the way we are congregating. The lack of in-person Mass makes it challenging for pastors to connect with their faith communities. While weekly parish offertory and potentially the annual appeal can be affected negatively during this time of uncertainty, the dioceses who have a plan for how to pivot into the digital space will experience the greatest success with creating an online parish community and consequently a greater response to electronic giving. Dioceses across the country are already doing a stellar job providing information to parishes. As a next step, it’s important to find ways to partner with parishes to connect with families by utilizing the tools, training, and support you have provided pastors and staff in recent weeks. In every diocese, there are parishes that are incredibly adept at engaging their parishioners virtually. It’s uplifting to provide real-time and local examples of success to inspire greater engagement from all parishes.

Many parishes will not have the infrastructure (maybe not even a website) to create virtual communities or collect money online. Therefore, your diocese will need to assess how it can make sure that all parishioners have the ability to donate to their parish virtually, and that all parishes are driving activity toward this purpose. This is a significant undertaking, but under the current circumstances, it is well worth the effort and can lead to positive short and long-term benefits. Here are two things you can start doing right now.

  • Create an Online Offertory Page

When specifically asked to transition giving from the typical in-person methods to online giving, the faithful are responding generously. Creating an online offertory page will provide parishioners with an easy to use process to express their gratitude for their local parish, pastor, ministry, and staff members. When creating an offertory page, remember:

  • It is important that parishioners are given detailed instructions on how to donate online. This is especially key for older and less tech-savvy parishioners. Create a one-page document with three to five easy steps for supporting your parish online.
  • It will take a degree of effort to get into contact with parishioners and communicate this new medium for offertory giving. Personalized contact with families will provide an important pastoral or community experience for pastors and volunteers while also providing assistance on how to support the parish at this time.

As examples of successful pages that make giving easier for parishioners, The Archdiocese of Detroit and The Archdiocese of Chicago, among others, have created universal online offertory pages where parishioners can make a donation to any parish within the Archdiocese (as opposed to or in addition to individual parishes having their own portal). In these two examples, note that a COVID-19 statement as well as quick access to make a donation is available right on the homepage. Moreover, several dioceses have enrolled in #iGiveCatholic Together to facilitate receiving donations for their parishes, schools, and ministries. Making it simple for your community to find giving information and make a donation is paramount.

  • Pivot to Online Congregations

A virtual Mass is an excellent way to stay connected to parishioners while adhering to state health and safety guidelines. Many dioceses have already been connecting with their communities this way since the COVID-19 crisis began. Virtual Mass offers parishioners the opportunity to give online during or following the service and provides pastors with the opportunity to express the importance of supporting parishes at this time. To support parishes as they engage their faith communities during this stressful time for everyone, diocesan leaders must become the “arms and legs” that help translate smart tools into ministry in action.

The first step is setting up virtual meetings with each parish to share common materials, messaging tips, as well as guidance on how to utilize technology to replicate the in-person Mass. Webinars should include all pastors, business managers, and key parish leaders in partnership with the diocese.

Examples from the Field

Messaging Around Facebook Live

Many dioceses are pivoting to Facebook Live Masses to keep momentum going and to provide a place for the community to continue to feel connected. CCS Fundraising is developing a strategy for nearly a dozen dioceses that will support every parish in the creation of Masses on Facebook Live, and share spiritually responsible messaging regarding the importance of supporting the Church at this time through letters, e-mail messages, phone call scripts, homemade videos, newsletters and bulletins, text chains, pre-recorded calls, social media posts, and webinar meetings with parish councils and ministries. Celebrating Mass in every parish on Facebook will allow pastors to minister to their parish family throughout the COVID-19 crisis in as personal and local a manner as possible during a time when people are hungry for connection.

Humanizing the Online Experience

Inspired by a parish in the Archdiocese of Los Angeles, parishes throughout the country have begun to ask parishioners to email photos of themselves so the pastor can print out the photos and place them in the pews as he celebrates Mass. During the Facebook Live Mass, you can see everyone’s faces which creates an engaging and personal touch. Small but personal gestures can go a long way in keeping your parishioners engaged.

Congregating Consistently

St. Monica in Whitefish Bay, Wisconsin, a parish that serves over 1,100 families, provides a daily Mass on Facebook at 8 am. The priests also pray the rosary once a day on Facebook. With each narrowcast, the pastors remind all of the importance of the offertory and directly ask for offertory support. St. Monica has enjoyed gifts in the $2,000 and $3,000 range, and at present, the parish is at its offertory target. This parish is also leading the way when it comes to quality communications and consistent offertory at the parish level for the Archdiocese of Milwaukee.

These tools will help dioceses and parishes in the short-term while we all adapt to the challenges brought on by COVID-19. But they will also serve your institutions in the long-term by establishing new ways to connect our parish communities. With a digital strategy in place, dioceses can also look forward to planning for online giving days, which you can learn more about here.

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 Strategies During COVID-19 page. Here you will find resources that provide best practices and optimal strategies to help your organization build a path through this crisis and beyond.

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.

On Friday, March 27, 2020, the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act was signed into law. The $2 trillion economic stimulus bill aims to provide immediate relief for individuals, nonprofits, businesses, and state and local governments.

What Does This Mean for Nonprofit Organizations?

As it relates to fundraising, the CARES Act incentivizes charitable giving from individuals and corporations by increasing tax deductions for charitable donations. It also offers loans and grants to eligible nonprofit organizations impacted by the coronavirus. Below, please find a broad overview of the most impactful ways that the CARES Act affects donors and nonprofit organizations for tax year 2020.

Individual Donors:

  • All taxpayers (both those who itemize and those who use standard deduction) can deduct $300 in charitable giving to public nonprofits in 2020
    • Prior to the CARES Act, those who used standard deduction could not deduct any charitable giving.
  • For those who itemize their taxes (which accounts for nearly all taxpayers with an income of $200,000+) the CARES Act significantly raises the amount of charitable giving deductible from 60% of filers’ adjusted gross income (AGI) to 100% of AGI.
  • Gifts to donor-advised funds and private foundations do not receive the revised deductible under this provision.

Corporate Donors:

  • The CARES Act raises the amount of charitable giving that corporations can deduct from 10% of taxable income to 25% of taxable income.
  • The bill also raises the amount of in-kind donations of food that corporations can deduct from 15% of taxable income to 25% of taxable income.

Small Nonprofits (501(c)(3) or Veteran’s organizations 501(c)(19) with 500 employees or less):

Paycheck Protection Loan Program

  • Organizations can receive a loan up to $10 million with a maximum interest rate of 4% to use for operating costs such as employee salaries, paid sick or medical leave, insurance premiums, and interest on mortgage, rent, and utility payments.
  • The portion of the loan used for payroll costs, and interest on mortgage, rent, and utility payments during an 8-week period after the origination of the loan is eligible for loan forgiveness.
  • Loan forgiveness may be reduced if staff headcount is reduced prior to June 30, 2020.
  • Any loan portion that is not forgiven has a maximum maturity of 10 years.
  • Loan payments can be deferred for 6-12 months.

Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) Program

  • Eligible nonprofits can apply for a loan up to $2 million with a 2.75% interest rate, with a loan amount awarded based on the organization’s economic injury incurred from coronavirus.
  • Loan repayment periods are up to 30 years based on the borrower’s ability to repay.
  • Eligible organizations can request a $10,000 advance prior to receiving a loan, which does not require repayment even if organization is denied EIDL.

Large Nonprofits (Defined as Employing 500-10,000 Individuals):

  • Organizations can apply for loans with a maximum interest rate of 2% to fund ongoing operations.
  • Loan payments are not due within the first 6 months.
  • To receive the loan, borrowers must certify that:
    • The loan is necessary to support ongoing operations.
    • The organization will retain 90% of its workforce until September 30, 2020.
    • No jobs will be outsourced or offshored for a period ending two years after repayment of the loan.

Other Provisions to Note

Federal Grants:

  • The bill provides an additional $25 million for the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C., $75 million for the National Endowment for the Humanities, and $75 million for the National Endowment for the Arts.
    • In 2018, the National Endowment for the Humanities and the National Endowment for the Arts awarded $152 million and $116 million respectively to nonprofits in the United States.
  • Among other sectors receiving grants from the CARES Act, nearly $14 billion will be made available for higher education institutions to prevent, prepare for, and respond to coronavirus.
    • Funds will be disbursed by the Department of Education through the Title IV distribution system.
    • Funds may be used to defray expenses for colleges and universities, such as lost revenue, technology costs associated with a transition to distance education, and grants to students for food, housing, course materials, technology, health care, and child care.

Real Estate/Capital Gains Tax Change:

  • The CARES Act includes a provision that allows real estate investors to use depreciation of real estate holdings to offset capital gains earnings, in effect lowering investors’ overall federal taxes.
    • Previously, investors were only permitted to use real estate depreciations to offset $500,000 of capital gains annually. The CARES Act removes the $500,000 cap for three years (this year and 2018 and 2019 retroactively) which will potentially lower federal taxes by a considerable amount for some UHNW individuals, particularly real estate developers.

Additional Nonprofit Relief:

  • The CARES Act creates a refundable payroll tax credit of up to $5,000 per employee on an eligible nonprofit’s payroll.
    • To be eligible, a nonprofit must have experienced a drop in revenue of at least 50% in the first quarter of 2020 compared with to the organization’s revenue in first quarter of 2019.
    • The credit is available each quarter until the nonprofit’s revenue exceeds 80% of the same quarter in 2019.
    • Nonprofits receiving an Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) are not eligible for these credits.
  • Nonprofits that self-fund unemployment benefits could be reimbursed for up to half of the costs of benefits provided to their laid-off employees.
  • Suspending payment requirements for employers for the 6.2% employer portion of Social Security taxes from the date of enactment through the end of 2020, with half the balance due by the end of 2021, and the other half due by the end of 2022.
  • Allowing net operating losses (NOLs) for nonprofits with UBIT, arising in tax years 2018, 2019 and 2020 to be carried back five years and suspending the 80% taxable income limit until 2021.

This piece has been prepared for informational purposes only and is not to be construed as tax advice. Individuals should consult their accountant or tax advisor with regard to such matters.

Sources Referenced:

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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 Strategies During COVID-19 page. Here you will find resources that provide best practices and optimal strategies to help your organization build a path through this crisis and beyond.

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.

In a previous article, we shared eight self-management tips for fundraisers to achieve personal and professional success. For a refresher, take a look at the post here.

As we all navigate the temporary but vastly different global landscape, here are eight adapted strategies of self-management during the COVID-19 pandemic.

1. Prioritize the activities that bring in gifts – in the long term.

While some of your constituents may not be ready to talk about giving, you must stay connected. The number one reason why donors stop giving is that they no longer feel connected to an organization. So reach out – in broad communications and personal emails and phone calls. Meet them where they are, lead with empathy, and see how the crisis is affecting them personally. Think of the moves management process – every move you make now should get you closer to receiving a meaningful gift. And keep in mind that some WILL be ready to make gifts now – don’t assume they are not. Reach out, ask questions, and listen.

2. You can still raise money while staying home.

We can’t go meet our donors face to face and we’re stuck at home. What’s a fundraiser to do? Time to get creative. Pick up the phone and call your donors. Schedule video chats while you drink coffee separately. Do virtual happy hours. Your creativity and connectedness will stand out and donors will think of your organization when they are ready to give.

3. Set aside 90 minutes DAILY to make phone calls.

There’s no commute or daily meeting that runs 30 minutes long. Ramp up the time you are on the phone calling your constituents. And block that time off on your calendar so it gets done – every. single. day.

4. KEEP out of your comfort zone.

Now is the perfect time to do the tasks you’ve been dreading – calling that prospect, video-chatting with that Trustee. Many people are home and eager to connect with others, and we have a shared experience that bonds us. So from the comfort of your home, get out of your comfort zone. And stay there.

5. Take it one day at a time.

Don’t be overwhelmed by the scope of the crisis or the changes to your work life. Adapt and overcome. Pivot and persevere. If we can embrace this change, get creative, adjust, and stay positive, we will come out on top. Those who curl up and resist will fall behind.

6. Keep asking for help.

You will need the help of volunteers and colleagues now more than ever. Rally your troops to connect with the community. Seek creative ideas to keep your organization relevant and meet donors where they are. Deploy ambassadors to call your donors to check in and offer support. Use this time to deepen connections with your community and those you serve.

7. In a time of reactivity, be proactive.

We each must continually react to new challenges being thrown our way. In all that noise, remember to stop and reflect. Carve out time to think – how can we move our organization forward? How can we strengthen relationships with our donors? How can we stay relevant and accessible in this time of uncertainty? You can put together an idea task force and block off weekly time on the calendar to brainstorm. This is the time for innovation – make sure you carve out time for it.

8. Evaluate and adjust – daily.

In this rapidly changing environment, even our best laid plans will need to change. Be strategic, but nimble. Be ready to course correct as our world evolves – but always keep the end goal in mind: your donors, your community, and your mission.

Bonus round: a few more thoughts in this challenging time.

Be your own micro-manager.

Be militaristic with your time. Set deadlines to create urgency for yourself. Plan out your day with tasks to be accomplished, phone calls to be made, and set time parameters for each one.

Reward yourself.

You can’t operate at 100% efficiency at your dining room table all day. Take breaks, but use those breaks as rewards. You can go for a quick run when you finish your task. You can get some cookies after you make four phone calls. Figure out what motivates you and use it to your advantage.

Make lemonade out of lemons.

This is a trying time for us all. We’re worried about our health, our families, our organizations, and our world. But in stormy skies, there are silver linings. We have an opportunity to set our organizations apart by how wisely we spend this time. While facing changes and challenges, let’s connect with our community, connect with each other, and connect with ourselves. Look for little wins, celebrate the small stuff, and we’ll get through this together.

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 Strategies During COVID-19 page. Here you will find resources that provide best practices and optimal strategies to help your organization build a path through this crisis and beyond.

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.

Nonprofit organizations across all sizes and sectors share the same questions: 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 paralyzing 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 personalized 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 ramp up communications to keep key stakeholders informed and engaged during this fast-changing time. 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 customized 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:

  1. Stay the Course: The donor engagement methods that are currently working for your organization remain unchanged despite communication channels (i.e. virtual meetings over in-person visits).
  2. Make Adjustments: When needed, tweak your strategy based on feedback and new information.
  3. Be Flexible: Given the present challenges, be willing to pivot slightly from your original plan.
  4. Think Long-Term: Donor engagement has always been about building and maintaining lasting relationships.

Prioritizing 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: discovery, cultivate, 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 them. Does outreach need to be immediate? Are there opportunities/need for ongoing touchpoints?
  • Definition: What are the specific criteria needed to place a given donor in each category?
  • Action Item: Is there a specific item you need to share at this time? Do you need to move a scheduled meeting to a virtual platform?
  • What to Consider: For each category, what are your goals for that donor, and how has the crisis affected those goals? What do they need to hear from you right now?
  • Key Points to Cover: How personal should the communication be? Do you need to thank them, make an ask, share how the crisis is affecting your organizations, show the development of a case for support?
  • Vehicles: 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 organizational leadership to get everyone comfortable with the functionality and features. Click here for more information on how to run effective virtual donor meetings.

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 organization’s response plan. Focus particularly on the expertise the organization provides and how it is helping its constituents and community in this time of upheaval.

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

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

3) Circle back to the organization’s mission and share 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 organization, 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 shelter-in-place mandates in some states 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 moments. Develop virtual visit structure and speaking notes. Make the visit 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 organization leadership, campaign chair, and any subject matter experts (physician, teacher, curator) at the organization.
  • Instill Confidence. Highlight recent examples of generosity. Inspire others with a testimonial from a donor who stepped up in this time of crisis.

Conclusion

Remember that throughout this crisis, your highest priority should be communicating with your donors. Through past crises, donors continued to give to organizations they felt connected to, so it is imperative that you nurture your relationships. Charitable organizations can persevere through challenging times with flexibility, creativity, and resolve.

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 Strategies During COVID-19 page. Here you will find resources that provide best practices and optimal strategies to help your organization build a path through this crisis and beyond.

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.

An election is on the horizon, markets are reeling, and confusion still lingers over the 2017 tax changes. It’s only natural to question whether your development shop is prepared for an economic rollercoaster. For more than 70 years, CCS Fundraising has partnered with nonprofits to advance their development initiatives during booming economic times, challenging recessions, and everything in between.

In this webinar in partnership with AFP Massachusetts, Senior Vice Presidents Sarah Krasin and Kate Villa of CCS Boston explore lessons learned from previous economic cycles and how your organization can turn a time of uncertainty into a time of fundraising opportunity.

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PRESENTED BY

Kate Villa

Kate Villa

Managing Director

Sarah Krasin

Sarah Krasin

Managing Director