Enterprises and for-profit organizations weren’t the only ones to suffer due to the pandemic. Nonprofits also took a major hit with 75 percent of nonprofits reporting that the pandemic negatively impacted their revenue and funding, according to a survey by BDO U.S. The Nonprofit Finance Fund even discovered that 60 percent of nonprofits encountered situations during the pandemic that “seriously jeopardized their long-term financial viability.”
However, in the face of all these obstacles, Forbes recently put together an article with advice on the five things that nonprofits should prioritize to help them move forward successfully. Here’s what they suggest:
- Embrace Digital Marketing: This one shouldn’t be too much of a surprise following a pandemic that forced nearly everything into the digital realm. If you have not yet provided a way for folks to donate online, purchase your products or services online, or communicate digitally, now is the time. Focusing your content online can help you move forward now while also maintaining resiliency in the face of future crises. You may want to consider email marketing, increasing your social media presence, automating your marketing efforts, etc.
- “Step Up Storytelling”: How are your storytelling skills? The Charities Aid Foundation American study discovered that almost 70 percent of nonprofit respondents said that their storytelling needed improvement. Storytelling gives donors an inside look at your organization, your mission and your campaign and creates a compelling story that they are more likely to respond to than numbers and data.
- Engage Virtually: Technology has created countless opportunities for your nonprofit to host successful virtual events, such as conferences, happy hours, charitable events and more. It also demonstrates that your nonprofit is tech-savvy, modern and making sufficient efforts to keep staff and donors safe and creates another space for you to host events in the future.
- Say “Thank You.” A lot: Even if your nonprofit suffered losses due to the pandemic, it is still important to express gratitude to your donors, stakeholders, volunteers and partners who stepped up during COVID-19 and kept your mission going. Nourishing these relationships through thank-yous is also a great way to encourage future donations and involvement because your donors and volunteers will feel that their efforts were noticed and appreciated.
- Give Employees What They Want: Your employees are your most valuable resource, so it’s important to do what you can to keep them. Forbes suggests doing things like expanding employee assistance programs that support employees with burnout, mental health issues and other repercussions of the pandemic; increasing wages; offering remote or hybrid work options; and offering more flexible benefits.
We had high hopes for 2021 and, despite the fact that challenges rage on, we can see hope shining through in the nonprofit industry as they continue to survive and thrive despite the hardships. What are your priorities to continue to push forward?