Fundraising During a Global Pandemic
This can be the best and the worst time to connect with donors. It’s the best time because, well, people have time to talk on the phone or read a story more in detail. So, use the time to reach out to donors and update them if you have canceled programming or your schedule is more free. But, it can be the worst of times to ask for money if your donors are experiencing a job loss. So, your one-on-one appeals should always ask about their situation first, and a job loss does not always mean that someone can’t give. You need to get a temperature check. Your mass appeals might be a little softer than normal, or at least acknowledging of the sense that some may want to take care of their and their neighbor’s needs first.
Q: Is it okay to keep asking for money?
A: We recommend that you consider the specific partner when asking for a financial commitment. It's not a one size fits all. Something here about, first, ask your donor how they are managing. If you sense any bit of financial concern, health challenge or job loss, make sure to acknowledge that and adjust accordingly. Then, you should consider where each partner is in the process of learning about your ministry and whether or not they have qualified themselves to be a potential partner. If you are at this stage in the process with them, we recommend going ahead and setting up a time to ask them for a financial commitment. Remember, you don't have to actually receive a gift at the time of your meeting, or even a financial commitment for that matter. It is okay during this time to ask them for a commitment, but follow up at an agreed upon time for a commitment or an amount.
Q: What should I do about churches or organizations who have cancelled a meeting?
A: Even though this may be frustrating, understand their need for social distancing. We recommend contacting a pastor or leader who helped you setup the meeting in the beginning and ask them how they and their congregation are doing, if there is anything you can do for their church specifically, and ask when would be a good time to follow up and reschedule. Caring for your partners should be a priority for you during this time. And communicating your desire to reschedule and begin that process helps them know where the partnership is headed.
Tailored’s Response to our current Clients during this season:
We are encouraging all of our clients to continue to have their coaching sessions and make what progress they can. For many, they are still working on communications or contact info gathering, which should be impacted minimally by these events, if at all. For those who are in the middle of active fundraising, we are still encouraging them to carry on with meetings, for a couple of reasons.
1. For many, this is actually a wonderful time to connect because they are finding themselves with a lot more free time than normal and it can be great to provide some socialization in a time of isolation.
2. Funding is only a small part of partnership development, and if there is concern around it being difficult to get commitments right now, that piece of the puzzle (the actual commitment) can come later - but delaying all conversations until things stabilize isn't recommended because of the sheer amount of time and opportunity to connect that could be lost in the process.
We've been taking things on a case by case basis - but if someone is uncertain whether or not they should continue, we encourage them to go ahead and have their next session with their coach so they and the coach can discuss their specific options on moving forward and determine from that personal conversation if they're in a good place to continue or a place where pausing is the best option.
Feel free to reach out to us if you’d like to discuss your coaching relationship further.