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Fundraising during COVID-19. All to play for.
5 May 2020 / Abeer Macintyre
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Throughout the millennia, the human race has faced many challenges. On each occasion, we have shown remarkable resilience and the ability to adapt to situations around us. The coronavirus pandemic will be no different.
We can already see a change in the fear that gripped the third sector two months ago when this situation started to evolve. The minute the second phase of lockdown was announced on 16th April, charities started having different conversations with us. It was more about “how can we make this happen” rather than “I can’t even talk about this right now.” We breathed a collective sigh of relief, not just because we are a business, but because the environment was already extremely challenging before COVID-19 hit and to abandon strategic plans or fail to recruit key posts could only do more harm than good in the long run. It also seemed to us, as Scotland’s biggest third sector consultancy, that this was happening on an unnecessary, as well as unprecedented, scale. People still care about the causes they have always cared about, funders are still funding albeit some are re-assessing their priorities and the universal need is still there.
When it comes to fundraising, it is still all the play for. A number of donor surveys throughout the pandemic prove this.
100% of people questioned in one survey saw charities as being part of the solution to getting us through this crisis and understood the increased need to give. While it’s true to say that some sections of the population are worried about their financial future and are likely to donate less (particularly 45 to 54 year olds), they only constitute 14% of donors questioned Overall 22% of people say they will be donating more during and after this crisis with health, elderly, homeless and children highlighted as the causes front of mind at the moment. While some are having to count the pennies, others are saying they are spending less and will be in a position to give more. Telephone fundraising is seeing a huge spike. One UK wildlife charity has seen an increase of 30% in donations through this one channel. Another, smaller charity, has reported a 20% increase. DRTV advertising income as shot up by 300%, no doubt as people are home based and glued to TV and radio. A couple more interesting facts and stats for Fundraisers. Income through Facebook engagement is up 20% with younger people more engaged with charities through this period.
We cannot say it more strongly. Keep fundraising. Keep recruiting fundraisers-fantastic ones at that.They will make all the difference to your future. Ensure you are ahead of the game when it comes to delivering a winning case for support and securing the donor pound. IT IS ALL STILL TO PLAY FOR.
The clever fundraisers are turning this crisis to their advantage by highlighting the importance of their services during a time of national crisis. For those who aren’t frontline, I think you also have opportunities but only if you think smart. For example, if you are a heritage organisation, you should be delivering a message something along these lines "The world around us might have changed but some things never will-with your help.”
Whether it be recruitment or consultancy, don’t be thrown off course. Show strong and resolute leadership to ensure you come out of this as strong as ever.
“It’s your reaction to adversity, not adversity itself that determines how your life’s story will develop.”
― Dieter F. Uchtdorf
(Surveys referenced are: Loyalty, CAF, Bluefrog, Purity, Ethicall and Rapidata)
