By Craig Shelley
Nonprofits continue to grapple with the age-old head winds that have challenged fundraising – unrealistic expectations, fatigued or poorly cultivated donors, and insufficient fundraising talent to meet the need – while the environment grows more challenging. Fundraisers are now also battling significant and abrupt cuts in federal funding, economic uncertainty, and a narrowing middle-class donor base. A historically difficult job might be more difficult than ever.
That said, there is an opportunity here for the best fundraisers to elevate their organizations — not just to help their organizations survive, but to elevate them and thrive in the current moment. Fundraisers and nonprofit leaders have an obligation right now to engage their donors and prospects, be unapologetic in asking for money, and to become more efficient in an environment where resources promise to be scarce.
Engage Donors
With so much news coming so fast, you are competing more than ever for the attention of your donors and prospects. You will only get their attention by communicating consistently, constantly, aggressively, and creatively. You need to be top of mind for your donors, which means you cannot communicate “too much.” Tell them what’s happening at your organization and why, with their help, you are “winning” in the battle to achieve your mission. Also, meet them where they are. Don’t just communicate via one channel. Use email, social media, events, earned media, and paid media — your message and story must be consistent. Lastly, use your assets. If you run a camp, invite your donors to visit. Whether they do or not almost doesn’t matter; the invite itself goes a long way. Send photos and videos of your programs in action — not to be exploitive of the people you serve, but to be sure your donors grasp the importance of the work.
Be Unapologetic
Just like in the early stages of the pandemic, we see people hesitate in asking for money and discussing their missions. In the face of so many crises happening in the world, they are apologizing and measuring the importance of their work in a way that makes them think their mission is less important. I promise, if your work was important on January 1, it’s just as important today—if not more so. Your organization and its work matter and you have to advocate for it. Just as you should not apologize for asking for money, you should not be apologizing for what you do. While there are seemingly huge shifts in how people are thinking about issues of equity, immigration, women’s rights, and countless others, your people are still your people. Those who would tear down your work now were never going to fund your mission anyways. Now is the time to be very clear about what you are doing and why.
Become More Efficient
The dreaded “do more with less” conversations are already happening. Simply put, that’s not possible. But this is absolutely a time to be very deliberate about how you spend your time. Measure your activities against your objectives. Is this meeting making it more likely we’ll raise more money? You have to spend your time and resources where they will have the greatest impact. There is also a tremendous opportunity to leverage AI and automation to make better use of your time. With the right prompts ChatGPT and other large language model platforms can save you time in everything from writing job descriptions to emails. Automations and add-ons to your CRM can help with everything from scheduling to producing acknowledgement letters. Now is the time to leverage these platforms if you’re not already.
Now is the time for fundraisers to step up. While the landscape is more challenging than ever, those who embrace these difficulties with boldness and strategy can strengthen their organizations and build a stronger future. By engaging donors consistently and creatively, unapologetically advocating for your mission, and using time and resources wisely, you can ensure your organization not only endures but grows. The work you do is as essential now as ever—don’t shy away from that truth. It’s time to act decisively and make a lasting impact.