4 Action Steps You and Your Organization Need to Take Now (during a time of crisis)

We have officially entered unchartered waters. 

I wish I could sit here and tell you I have all of the answers, but I don’t. No one knows how long this pandemic will last nor the long lasting results. In California, they are predicting school won’t return in session for the rest of the year and I know states like Washington and New York are being hit especially hard.

Therefore, it is my advice (and advice I’m giving clients!) to begin taking these four action steps. 

Remember: preparation over panic every.day.of.the.week.

If you are an organization that has established relationships with foundation and major gift supporters here are some things I would advise (and have told my clients) to do stat: 

1️⃣  Reach out to your board of directors. They need to be in the know of what you have planned as it is related to your program delivery and your fundraising. Prep them that you *may* need to call upon them for extra support. That may be financially, but that may also be strategic planning, networking, etc.

Logistics: Do a Zoom call so everyone can see each others faces

Length: Try to keep the convo to 30-60 min MAX (longer than that becomes tough)

Be Clear: Give specific directives so your board knows exactly what is expected of them

2️⃣  Get in touch with ALL of your major foundation and major gift supporters. Check in with them - ask them how they are doing. Here, you should try to assess (or even directly ask them) how they see their next 9 months looking in terms of funding. If you have an immediate need - tell them. If not, communicate YOUR 9 month plan and why their support is more critical than ever before.

For example, you may explain that business is operating as normal. You are able to deliver program material virtually and are just looking for support to continue as planned throughout the year. 

OR

You might need to explain that since COVID-19 has halted your services, you need X to do Y. Here, you need to CLEARLY and SPECIFICALLY explain your needs ie: $XX funding to do ABC. 

3️⃣  Thank your donors 💖.  Now more than ever before it is important to give gratitude for the support you DO have. Pick up the phone, post on social media, send an email - get creative. You can never say thank you enough. 

Some out-side-the-box ideas:

1. A note of gratitude + your favorite binge-worthy shows on Netflix

2. A staff TikTok video

3. If you have a celebrity supporter - see if they would record a special video for all of your hardworking volunteers

4. Send a Spotify playlist of best “work-from-home” songs

4️⃣  Re-evaluate your funding possibilities for the year. One-hundred percent things will be different. It’s better to get ahead of things. So, what expenses can be cut, what opportunities can you call in, what can you start sooner than you had originally planned? I tend to be a conservative fundraiser, so I suggest realistically looking at your list of opportunities to gauge what is really possible. 

This isn't doomsday just yet. You have time to adjust, but you need to do just that - ADJUST. 

What is one thing your organization is doing different in these uncertain times? 👇

PS: Did your organization have to cancel or postpone your upcoming fundraising event? Make sure you check out my mini-guide all about taking your in-person event online.