Incorporating the Coronavirus Pandemic Into Your Storytelling
There’s no way around it. Whether or not you have had to cancel programming and events, your organization is being impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic and the economic downturn that has accompanied it. For nonprofits across the spectrum, this is no longer business as usual, and it is certainly no longer fundraising as usual. In addition to the stories you are telling your donors about your mission, vision, and the work that you are doing to serve your community, the time is now to incorporate the current climate into that story.
We’ve got four key pieces of advice for weaving the COVID-19 pandemic into your storytelling.
Be open, transparent, and personal. This is not the time for spin or sugarcoating the truth of your situation, nor is it necessarily the time to hit the panic button with a broad audience. But it is the time to create urgency around the need for your organization to survive in the long term, so that you can continue providing essential services to your community throughout this crisis and when things finally return to normal. So what are the effects that you’re feeling? Did you have to cancel a gala that typically provides a significant portion of your contributed revenue for the year? Have restrictions on gathering in your city or state precluded the delivery of your regular slate of programs? Take those challenges and weave them into your statement of need. Your proposition to your donors, then, is that they have the opportunity to sustain the organization for the future, while providing ongoing support for the cause.
Act Now. If you haven’t already started communicating with your donors and community members, the time is now. It is not the time for perfection, it is the time for action. Make your plan, get your message out, and whenever possible, pick up the phone or get on video chat to create some semblance of the personal connection that usually comes with in-person meetings.
Start by checking in. Acknowledge the current events and wish everyone well. If you are having a live conversation, give them the opportunity to share their own experiences and how they and their loved ones are doing. This part of the conversation will dictate where the rest of it will go. Obviously, if they are directly impacted by COVID-19 or the economic downturn, now is not be the time to push financial support of your cause. This is the moment to tell the story you have crafted about how you and the organization are faring, and to express gratitude for their participation in your organization’s community. Ask for support if it’s appropriate. Don’t forget the joy and sense of purpose that people find in making gifts and supporting worthwhile causes. Many people are sitting at home feeling a desire to help, but are not sure what to do. Even in the last week, we have seen and heard about conversations just like these that have resulted in significant and meaningful emergency gifts to help the organization get through a rough period.
Keep everyone in the loop. Even in business-as-usual times, not every message should be an ask for money. As your plans for keeping the organization operational shift and change during this time, make sure your community of donors knows about it with frequent communications. Nonprofits can help their donors continue to find a sense of purpose and community during uncertain times.
In a time of social distancing, and even isolation, people are looking for communication and connection more than ever! If you let yourself be vulnerable, open, and honest in your conversations, you can’t go wrong. Oh, and did we mention that the time to start is now?