By now you and your organization have likely already developed and started to implement a plan to address the concerns your staff, volunteers, and donors share as they relate to COVID-19.
At TGC, we, too, are adapting to the current state of the world and have been working remotely, utilizing technology to stay in touch, and being creative in how we work with our client-partners to ensure consistency and continuity in service.
While it may set us back in our development cycle when spring events are postponed or even cancelled and when we have to reschedule donor visits, it is a good opportunity to reach out and assure donors that their gifts are still being carefully stewarded and the impact is still being greatly felt.
Drawing from our extensive and varied backgrounds, we have assembled a few lessons we’ve learned about helping donors feel secure in their investment when everything else seems uncertain. Here are a few of the big ideas we thought we’d pass along:
1. Be up front and share how your organization is reacting and responding to the COVID-19 pandemic. Communicate the steps you are taking to ensure the health and safety of your staff, volunteers, and those served.2. Remind donors that despite the cancellation of events, meetings, and other gatherings, your organization will continue to operate efficiently and will incorporate creative strategies to ensure your overarching mission and those it serves remain a priority.3. Communicate the importance of continued support and the vital role donors play, and will continue to play, in the success of your organization. Be sure to remind donors of the reason they support your organization and that despite any challenges it currently faces in light of this pandemic, their support and involvement is extremely valuable, now more than ever.4. Maintain constant communication – by phone, email, text – and reassure those associated with your organization that this is a temporary situation. Remind those you are in touch with that your organization has overcome other obstacles and this is simply a bump in the road and an opportunity to demonstrate resilience and creativity in managing the situation.
We are hopeful that you and your teams are staying safe and healthy and we look forward to resuming our normal business practices soon. In the meantime, please feel free to reach out to any of the TGC team members with questions or concerns you may have.
About The Author: Heather Crowley
A seasoned development and marketing professional, Heather is TGC's Vice President and Chief Creative Officer and has been consulting exclusively with nonprofits for the past eight years. She has previous expertise working on marketing and development consulting projects in the telecommunications, health and fitness, and financial services industries.
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