We saw an article recently at MichiganNonprofit.com that got us thinking about the recent abundance of press stories about how nonprofits have fallen on hard times due to the diversion of funding to hurricane/earthquake relief, the "donor fatigue" factor that has set in, and, of course, the perennial cuts in government funding.
We do not doubt that for many nonprofits the drop in fundraising dollars is a reality. The question is, "Does this have to be so?" This hyped fundraising malaise posing as conventional wisdom may be a media darling, but it may actually prove nothing more than that many organizations are simply very ineffective at fundraising.
Raising More Money has just completed a series of open telephone conference calls about how nonprofits can successfully raise funds in these trying post-disaster times. On those calls, we have helped nonprofits to realize that, when implementing this model, there is no need to lower year-end fundraising expectations-even when facing such challenges as donor fatigue.
First, we have proved time and time again that loyal donors with a true connection to the organization will not skip away during a crisis. We found, for example, that after 9/11, those groups that followed our model in communicating with donors and building relationships actually saw an increase in giving, regardless of whether their work had a direct connection to the disaster. Similarly, the organizations that have cultivated their donors successfully are not sharing the current batch of fundraising horror stories. Donors want to connect locally. The nonprofits that continually connect donors to the great local work they are doing "weathering the storms" in their communities will still be successful.
Second, these recent crises have pushed the compassion button in people. There is an outpouring of generosity and goodness that has opened people's eyes to all the local needs nonprofit organizations have been working on for years. If this generosity is given a compelling local face, a drop in fundraising dollars is not at all inevitable.
Third, it is very easy for an organization to get distracted in times like this. Staying focused on your objective and keeping your eye on the ball pays off for the nonprofits that follow this advice. It is important to tell stories about your organization's work and tie the stories in to the disasters - "this is the work we are doing every day here for people in this community." You can show the community that your mission did not go away after the hurricane; in fact, the organization may be needed now more than ever. It is critical to stay in constant communication with donors, keeping them informed about your organization's needs and fears. Tell them the truth. They are there to support you, and, like good family members, they will take care of you.
Wouldn't it be refreshing if the press actually promoted the environment for contribution and abundance by writing the inspirational stories of those organizations that actually succeeded in their fundraising during times like this and explained how they went about achieving that success? That is the conventional wisdom we would like to promote.
