Put Some Pep in Your Fundraising Step
Over the past few months, the three Brightspot partners have repeatedly referenced the New York Times article that perfectly articulates the state a lot of us are experiencing during the pandemic. Not burnout, not depression, just this joyless aimlessness that The Times describes as “languishing.” They also published their own rebuttal of sorts – the counterpoint to languishing? Flourishing!
Not to discount any of the pain, turmoil, and downright awfulness of the past year, but it feels like we are slowly emerging. Personally, I’m tipping a bit more toward flourishing than languishing. With the warmer temps, vaccines, time with family and friends, things seem to be shifting back to kinda normal-ish.
What does this have to do with nonprofits? Aside from the fact that people who run nonprofits faced A LOT this past year and could be struggling in this space, a number of organizations are looking to energize their fundraising. They seem to recognize this moment as an opportunity to revisit the way they raise dollars. While a development assessment and planning process isn’t feasible for every organization, here are a few tips to try if your development effort feels a bit “languishy.”
Pause to assess. Okay last year was wonky, but it never ever hurts to take a minute, gather your thoughts, and do a little assessment. Where did we see growth? Why? What went well? What could’ve been better? How many donors renewed, how many lapsed? Taking a day or two to understand what happened and dig into the qualitative and quantitative results will lead to better planning, better strategies, and better outcomes. If you don’t do this, you’ll end up repeating the same activities year after year, never really understanding why other than “we’ve always done it this way.” In other words, your operations might just languish a bit.
Consider a fresh approach that might also help your organization live its values. It’s likely that your nonprofit has had recent conversations around equity – whether it’s ensuring your programs are accessible, tackling the diversity of your board and staff, or infusing principles of inclusion and belonging into your culture. But have you stopped to think about how your fundraising practices live these values too? Take a look at the Community-Centric Fundraising model to ground your efforts in race, equity, economic, and social justice. It can be overwhelming to imagine radically transforming your tactics, but even tinkering with small details like changing the language you use or how you publicly list contributors can go a long way toward walking the walk. Take a look at CCF’s aligned actions list and pick 2-3 action steps to try to implement over the next few months.
Lean into creativity and change. At Brightspot, we were floored by the amazing ways nonprofits adapted last year. Programs shifted to entirely virtual models, organizations added new streams of business to keep up with community needs, and fundraising efforts were generally astonishing. While we may be shifting back to “normal,” don’t hesitate to let some of those successful new initiatives stick around. Did virtual major donor meetings work well over the past year? Keep them! Did cancelling the gala actually produce greater revenue because you launched a successful major gifts campaign instead? Don’t book that hotel ballroom! Did you develop a great model for virtual donor stewardship events? Replicate it in person! Take those bright spots from last year and make them brighter.
Reconnect with people. Brightspot recently got together in person for the first time since March 2020. I’m not generally a hugger, but boy let me tell you, giving those two a squeeze was so incredibly rejuvenating. While I’m not saying go hug all your donors, I do think making an effort to really connect with folks you haven’t seen in awhile is important. Were your volunteers sidelined because of in-person restrictions? Call a few of them to say hi and check in. Are there a couple donors who dropped off the radar? Send a note describing how community support this past year has helped you further your mission. Create a list of 4-5 people who could use a “hug” and make it a priority to be in touch.
Take time for you. I know, I know, everyone says this all the time. But if you’re languishing, your development effort is going to languish too. You have to take a break. Maybe you have unused vacation time from 2020 or maybe you can find a few minutes at the end of every day to meditate, take a stroll in the woods, or zone out with a trashy novel. And if you have staff, support them in these practices. While the worst of the pandemic may be over, the trauma we experienced will likely stick with us - we need to provide the space for taking care of ourselves and each other.
Go easy on yourself. If it feels totally overwhelming, tackle one piece at a time. And remember, we’re here for you! Brightspot’s monthly community calls are a great way to join a kind, smart, and supportive braintrust always willing to work through challenges (and celebrate wins). It can be hard to muster the energy to think about change so surround yourself with people who can help. It may be the spark you need to flourish.