When times are tough, leaders step up. And these are unprecedented times. We are each called to be a leader now, whether in our roles as nonprofit executive directors, fundraisers, business owners, parents of young children, or children of older parents.
The path forward is unclear but the one thing I do know with absolute certainty is that the unique strengths of nonprofits and your steadfast commitment to serving our community will enable us to weather this crisis. Our nonprofit organizations will serve as bastions of strength in a wobbly world, and Capacity Partners is prepared to help you in any way we can. Our job, quite simply, is to help you do yours in this extraordinary moment in history.
How do you maintain community while social distancing? What are the best practices for donor stewardship during a pandemic? Are there tips to help employees, who now have children home for weeks, do their work effectively? How do you turn a live event into a virtual one? Because the situation is incredibly fluid, solutions devised on Monday may be outdated by Thursday.
Below are some thoughts and ideas from some of our team members that we hope will help you. Please keep sending me your questions at mary@capacitypartners.com, and we will respond.
Mary Robinson, Capacity Partners Founder & President
Ideas and tips for managing a nonprofit during this pandemic
The Capacity Partners team put their heads together (virtually, of course) and developed these suggestions for development, donor stewardship, communication, and management.
Donor Stewardship and Communication
The one lesson of the Great Recession is the importance of staying in touch with your donors. Email them, or better yet, call. Ask how they are doing. What do they need? Can your organization support them? If so, how?
Be in direct personal contact with your most important donors with a brief overview of the basics, including if you are closed, how staff is working, if your service area is directly affected, how you are maintaining the highest level of service possible, etc. Remember it is fine to admit you don’t have a particular answer or that your organization is still working to solve a problem. Asking your donors for advice will also keep them engaged.
During this difficult time, start gathering and collecting the stories of how your constituents are making a difference in others’ lives. You’ll want to share these stories in any post-crisis reports and in your annual report. The crisis will pass, but these stories of help, determination, and endurance will live on.
Most people want access and information — and if your organization can manage to give your closest friends important information it can strengthen your connection to them.
Be prepared for the question “What can I do to help” with both a volunteer option and a financial support option.
Industry-Specific Advice
While each organization has its own unique mission, here are some industry-specific tips for keeping your donors and stakeholders informed and engaged.
Healthcare and human services organization – Tell your community how you are responding and supporting the community through the COVID-19 pandemic. Ask your donors to help you continue to serve our community during this stressful time when your services are more important than ever.
Arts organization – Can you uplift your community through social media or sharing performance videos on your website? If you have had to cancel performances, ask your ticket buyers to support the arts by donating the cost of their ticket instead.
Education – Discuss how you are transitioning learning to online platforms and ask your community to support this complex endeavor.
Environment – Give actionable and timely advice and tips for how our community can save, conserve, and share resources even in an unknown and shifting world. Remind donors the importance of your mission in good times and in bad.
Association – Provide timely support, news, and helpful resources to your members during this time. If appropriate, ask for support, but if your members are also nonprofit organizations, think about how you can help them increase their fundraising.
Fundraising
Be transparent and ask for financial support for what you truly need at this time – keeping people employed, emergency needs, etc. We’ve seen that if the request is for immediate, essential expenditures, organizations have been successful.
People are looking for ways to help, and when they can donate online, it can give them the opportunity to do something positive and community-centered. Giving to a cause they care about can provide a feeling of control during a situation that seems quite out of control.
How do you raise money when people are nervous? Many of your donors are watching their stock portfolios rise and fall with each new day. At the first turn of national good news — when the media announces a reduction in cases, when people begin to recover and return to public life from social isolation — that’s the time to be ready with your message: “We are encouraged … our organization is even more committed to … we hope you will join us in … thank you for your continued support … etc.” Sensitivity, empathy, and timing are critical to ensure you get your contributions back on track.
Management
Communicate schedules and availability ahead of time, and if possible, try to find times each day to connect virtually with staff. Don’t forget to include your board, too.
Be creative in working with other organizations. Now is not the time to compete; now is the time to collaborate.
Lean on your trusted advisors – ask questions, test ideas, think long-term, and listen to feedback.
Rely on the passions and instincts that brought you to this work and has kept you in it.
Use the time to plan and get done all those tasks that never seem to make it to the top of your list.
Make phone calls you’ve been meaning to make—thank you to board members, to a community friend who offered ideas or resources for a recent project; check ins with community members who’ve reached out are just some examples.
Dust off that strategic plan to evaluate the progress you’ve made and identify next steps.
Revisit your governance structure and update those board policies, bylaws, and succession plans.
Book that introductory phone call with an executive coach.
Send a hand-written note to a thought leader you admire who might just find your organization the cause she’s been looking for to support.
When times are tough, leaders step up. And these are unprecedented times. We are each called to be a leader now, whether in our roles as nonprofit executive directors, fundraisers, business owners, parents of young children, or children of older parents.