How to Fundraise in a time of COVID-19
Here are 5 ways to thrive and survive in challenging times
1. Start with your current fundraising plan to form the building blocks of your COVID-19 plan
Follow these three steps: 1) total the revenue expected for your planned events (p2p, gala, etc.) and activities most impacted by COVID19, 2) take that number and make it the goal for your new activities, 3) sketch out how virtual p2p, digital, email, social, and the telephone will step up to help meet that lost revenue MOST ESPECIALLY AS IT RELATES TO WHAT IT MEANS TO YOUR MISSION AND BENEFICIARIES. PEOPLE GIVE TO PEOPLE AND MISSION NOT FINANCES
2.Create your emergency brand, solicitation, and multi-channel strategy
Step back quickly and collect the stories, problems, serious shortages and the narrative of why you need people to respond to your COVID-19 appeals. Take a look at the email appeal in the download bundle to get you started.
3.Prepare your materials in every channel
With your Emergency narrative in hand, write and design your telemarketing script, write your email, prepare your social posts and get your direct mail packages moving
Download our COVID-19 Fundraising Survival Bundle for a Virtual P2P document, Email Template and other helpful resources.
Here are two excellent examples of COVID-19 fundraising:
4.Communicate using 4 pillars: Email, Telemarketing, Direct Mail, Social
First of all - you can get email out the door along with social and website redirects. Then follow up with telemarketing and then have your direct mail hit people's mailboxes. Then... rinse and repeat with stories and updates that keep people involved, giving and helping you through this tough time. We know it'll be months and so should the campaign be too.
5. When you've reached your goal - take stock and thank everyone!
With this campaign, there will be a beginning, middle and end. Be patient and always be thankful along the way.
Additional Resources
Here are some amazing resources from Blackbaud that can help you in this unprecedented time.
Blackbaud – Coronavirus Support
Blackbaud – Tips for Communicating with Donors
The Peer to Peer forum has gone all out to put together this great resource. We're proud to have an article in it too:
COVID-19 - P2P Resource Center
Moore Group has come up with a thoughtful white paper on fundraising during an emergency.
Coronavirus and economic challenges: What history tells us
Give Mike Johnston a call at 416-524-0740 or email him at mjohnston@hjcnewmedia.com. He and his team are happy to jump on a call/video conference and give your organization free advice/counselling/guidance to survive and thrive in these tough times.