Avoid the three fundraising mistakes non-profits make in tough economic times

These days, when we’re not focusing our attention on every COVID-19 news update, we’re focusing our attention on how the pandemic is impacting the economy. So, amidst all the doom and gloom, what’s a non-profit organization to do about their fundraising campaigns?

Keep calm and carry on. These times are not fun, but non-profits organizations large and small can and will survive. We’re all in this challenging and difficult time together and it’s important to remember that the same rules of donor communication need to apply now as they did before. Donors want to keep hearing from you and want to see the impact of their gifts. Keep nurturing and developing those relationships through email campaigns, newsletters, website updates and your social media channels.

And, take those efforts one step further by resisting the urge to make one (or more) of the three mistakes non-profits makes in tough economic times by taking these positive actions instead:

Fight pessimism with optimism. It’s easy to allow fear to paralyze us, but it’s not doing you any favours. Find your optimism and see possibilities where no one else does. Be willing to try new approaches when others aren’t.

If your donor list is manageable, take the time to call each and every one of them and thank them for their recent support. No ask, just gratitude. Gratitude is better than fear because with it comes hope.

Create, don’t cut. Tightening the belt is an almost automatic reaction when things get tough and many organizations may look to cut their fundraising and marketing budgets to reduce costs. Don’t. It’s a sure-fire way to raise less money. Underfunding your fundraising programs will simply lead to raising less money.

Instead, get creative and seek to make your programs and people more effective. Use the power of storytelling to retain donors, retool your direct mail letter to better hook readers into wanting to donate or come up with a new idea for your organization. A great idea paired with compelling and captivating copy will convince donors to get on board.

Ask when you need something, don’t apologize. It can be tempting to simply stop asking and to feel bad for asking. But many donors still want to be generous during uncertain times. They may not be able to be as generous as before, but they’ll still want to help. Just ask and don’t apologize for asking. Ask in a phone call, ask in writing, ask through a new and innovative online campaign. Just ask.    

There will be challenges ahead, no doubt, but those challenges are not impossible to overcome.