Year-End in the Time of COVID-19: Is Your Nonprofit Ready?

pexels-markus-winkler-4584832Believe it or not, 2020 is coming to a close, which means year-end is just about here. This year has been different than any other year, in so many ways. And that means that your year-end giving campaign needs to be different.

COVID-19 is all the talk, which means you can’t leave it out of your messaging this giving season. Here are some tips to make sure that your year-end campaign is ready and suited for this unprecedented year:

  • Push virtual fundraising. Because of the pandemic, in-person fundraising events are discouraged, but that doesn’t mean you can’t still have a big end-of-year push. Take advantage of social media and online video conferencing platforms, like Zoom or GoToWebinar to create a fundraising event for the COVID age!
  • Provide information about the CARES Act and how it applies to their donations. There are many charitable benefits of the CARES Act, and individual donors can deduct more of their charitable contributions than ever before. Your donors may not know this, so make sure to let them know.
  • Make your message urgent. Whether your organization has suffered from the pandemic or those you serve have suffered from the pandemic (or both), make sure donors know that the need is NOW. When donors feel that your need is urgent, they will be more inclined to donate right away rather than waiting until next year.
  • Share how COVID-19 has impacted your nonprofit. Your donors have likely felt the effects of the pandemic, but it’s important that they know that your organization has, too, as well as demonstrate your nonprofit’s resilience and how you have overcome challenges due to the pandemic.
  • Make sure all your online giving options are prominent and working seamlessly – and then market them! Since you likely won’t be hosting in-person events, you will want to make it as simple as possible for your constituents to donate. That means that your online donation integrations need to be working and prominently displayed on your website and social channels so they are easy to find and easy to use.
  • Communicate your COVID-19 response. What have you done in response to the pandemic? Your donors will want to see action and drive, and how you have responded to these troubling times says a lot about your organization’s leadership and crisis response, making you more transparent, reputable and more likely to receive donations.

The most charitable time of the year is here, and while COVID-19 is a large obstacle, there are many ways for organizations to communicate their need and perform well this year-end!