Dear family, friends, colleagues, and those I haven’t had the pleasure of meeting yet,
When COVID-19 first appeared in Wuhan, China, the Harrington Agency took swift action to help clients reach out to their supporter bases to ensure constituents had accurate and timely information. We planned for town halls, information emails, and, when appropriate, solicitations.
Professionally, I was very interested in COVID-19. But personally, I wasn’t troubled by the virus. Wuhan, China and then the Diamond Princess Cruise Ship seemed far away.
I was wrong. Over the last week, COVID-19 has permeated through every part of my life — professionally and personally. At the Harrington Agency, each of us is required to work from home, conferences are cancelled, meetings postponed. At home, my kids are off from school, activities and celebrations are abandoned, and we’re practicing handwashing — over and over again.
These are unprecedented and challenging times, unlike anything I’ve witnessed before. The COVID-19 crisis is global, our defense feels futile and lackluster, and it’s arrived — not just at our shores, but in our very own communities and backyards.
Scariest of all is the unknown . . . . When will this end? Who has it? Where is the next hot spot? What’s coming? Why is this happening?
Like so many others, I scour the news looking for information. It’s both helpful (I’ve learned how to social distance and why it’s so important; here’s a great resource:https://wapo.st/2Wf0hUw) and unhelpful (learning that stores are out of cleaning supplies, cereal, and toilet paper makes me anxious and angry).
It’s during times of crisis that I’m especially proud of our clients and proud of our partnership with them in order to serve a greater good. I’m also proud to be a fundraiser!! We can play an integral part of the solution — helping increase awareness, build communities, and raise money. During COVID-19, we have the opportunity to play an even bigger role and make a bigger difference.
So, what’s next?
- Support social distancing — immediately. This is a rare time, where what we do personally impacts us professionally. While many of us are at a low risk for developing serious complications from the virus, we all have family, friends, and colleagues who are older or immune-compromised. Don’t let your complacency bring dire consequences to others. (My hometown of Philadelphia is a great test case for what happens when you hold a get-together during a global pandemic: https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2020/03/12/pandemic-parade-flu-coronavirus/)
- Ask partners, vendors, and suppliers for their own COVID-19 risk mitigation and preparedness plans. Everyone should have a plan — and be in the process of implementing it. You need to understand how your suppliers are going to stay safe and decrease risk. This is now everybody’s responsibility and you want to be working with suppliers that take the pandemic as seriously as you do.
- Don’t stop asking for money. Over the last 30 years, it has been proven that organizations who keep fundraising during emergencies weather the crisis better than those who stop or dramatically alter their plans.
- Do revisit your messaging. If your organization is doing something — directly or tangentially — regarding COVID-19, then pivot your fundraising messaging to address these activities. If not, reassure your community that you value their support and understand their own fears and uncertainties.
- Increase your targeting and personalization. Go back to the basics — remind donors why they supported your cause originally and emphasize that work is still happening (or will resume).
- Recognize that we are living in unprecedented times. Reassure your constituents that you understand their fears and concerns. You don’t want to stoke hysteria, but you also want to be part of the public discourse.
- Continue to build community. Create a space for people to express their feelings about your issue and your organization. They joined your cause because they cared about it. Moderate conversations between supporters. Let them connect with you and other supporters who share the same values. With so many people separated from their traditional support groups, your organization can fill that gap.
- Revisit your budget. We do know that when the stock market plunges, gifts from assets decline significantly. The volatile stock market will have an immediate impact on stock giving, DAFs, and major gifts. Plan for a 20% to 35% decrease.
- Offer people the opportunity to make installments on mid and major gifts. With so much uncertainty, donors are going to be hesitant to make commitments. Allow people to pledge over the course of a year. It allows them to do something for your organization now and opens up a line of communication about your work.
And finally . . . in the best of times, we’re millions of organizations working for many greater goods. Today we need to become more united. We must still raise money for our critical issues. At the same time, we can do our part in stopping this global pandemic by directing all of our supporters to WHO or the CDC. Use your own pulpit to disseminate accurate and timely information — and encourage your community to follow their local or national ordnances. Just add a link to your website, lightbox, or next email (here’s a great one: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/prepare/prevention.html).
Until next time, stay healthy and be well.
Jessica