5 Contingency Planning Tips to Ensure Fundraising Success
No one wants to think about the worst-case scenario. Still, if an emergency happens, you’ll be glad you planned ahead. Since the onset of COVID, the fundraising industry has learned it’s crucial to have a backup plan for charity events in case something unexpected arises.
This blog will provide five useful contingency planning tips for your fundraising event to ensure success if something goes wrong.
What is Contingency Planning for Events?
It’s great to be optimistic when planning your fundraising event, but make sure that your optimism is balanced with realism when considering possible outcomes. Contingency planning is a way to think ahead, map out all of the ‘what if’s’, and create action plans in the event of any unforeseen circumstance. It is a crucial piece of event planning for nonprofits. With the right backup plans, your nonprofit’s fundraising campaign could be saved from potential disaster.
What Could Possibly Go Wrong?
You can’t plan for all eventualities, but you should be aware of the challenges fundraising events face. Here’s a list of some of the most common hurdles fundraisers encounter and how a backup plan may save the day for your nonprofit’s campaign.
Event cancellations - Venues and vendors can cancel and leave you with nowhere to host your fundraising event.
Flailing interest for in-person events - Many supporters see virtual and hybrid fundraising options as more convenient, accessible, and cost-effective than in-person attendance.
The weather - If your outdoor fundraising BBQ gets rained on, best be prepared to move the event inside. No one wants soggy burgers!
Updates to travel guidance or new restrictions - With covid cases rising again, health and safety could be an issue for high attendee numbers and indoor venues. Be prepared to adapt your fundraising model at a moment’s notice.
Tech mishaps - Make sure to budget for tech support, especially if you’re hosting an event with virtual and hybrid features.
Speakers or special guests drop out - Collect pre-recorded videos with the promised guest speakers and/or special backup guests, so your organization doesn’t disappoint your donors.
Top 5 Contingency Planning Tips for Fundraising Events
Offer Hybrid and Virtual Options
Over the last couple of years, the tech world has dramatically diversified the fundraising industry. The rise in popularity with virtual and hybrid events is not to be ignored. This new virtual trend is here to stay and is essential for forming a backup plan for your fundraising event.
Benefits of hosting virtual and hybrid campaigns include:
Inclusivity - Include all ages, abilities, and backgrounds to take part from the comfort of their homes/offices/gardens.
Boosts participation numbers - If supporters can’t join physically, offer them an opportunity to participate online.
Maximizes donor outreach - Secure global participation and exposure.
Big savings - Save money on venues, catering, signage, live hosts, A/V equipment rentals, transport, and other physical event incidentals.
Here are some great ideas for events that could benefit from adding virtual or hybrid models to create contingency plans
Live stream a virtual fundraising event - Why not try live streaming for virtual race campaign Kick-Offs, especially for P2P campaigns to motivate fundraisers?
Virtual hosts - Keep up the energy, engage with your fundraisers and build a bridge between in-person and virtual if it’s a hybrid event.
Record videos beforehand and show them during the event - Pre-recorded videos are a great way to deal with any moment of uncertainty or digital blips.
Remember: Be aware that not everyone can access tech and/or the internet. Think about setting up fundraising hubs where people can get together and gain access to all of this so they can participate.
2. Make Online Donations Easy and Accessible
What happens if your nonprofit’s fundraising auction gets canceled at the last minute? The answer is simple: provide online bidding options as a plan B. The convenience and accessibility of virtual giving are key to making valuable donations as simple as just a click away. Online bidding forms also give your supporters enough time to peruse the items they’re interested in before making an offer. It’s a good idea to leave the site open after the main event to collect as many contributions as possible, especially from donors arriving late to the party.
Mobile giving is a great tool for fundraising event contingency planning. It encourages donors to make contributions from anywhere, on any device, at any time of the day, regardless of on-site cancellations and last-minute changes.
Here are a few ways to use online donation and management tools as a useful contingency plan:
Mobile Giving - Set up mobile responsive donation pages and digital wallets to reach larger donor and supporter audiences.
Text-to-Donate - Collect donations through SMSs any time.
Online ticketing and registration - avoid the crowds, save time and simply let your attendees register themselves on their mobile devices. This provides safe and seamless experiences for donors, your nonprofit staff, and volunteers.
3. Flexible Vendors and Contracts
Unexpected cancellations can be disastrous for your fundraising budget if you don’t have a backup plan. When planning your fundraiser, it’s essential to:
Check how strict your contracts are - Cancellation clauses and flexible contracts are incredibly important during uncertain times. Make sure to go through your contracts with a fine tooth comb.
Look for vendors and partners that are open to changes if something unexpected occurs - Ask them to be prepared to go online, pivot to a hybrid model, go contactless, and/or move to an outdoor venue if need be.
Talk to your sponsors about your contingency planning, so they are prepared ahead of time - In the case of an emergency, they might offer some great plan B’s - maybe an alternative venue or extra in-kind support to help resolve any last-minute problems.
4. Be Ready to Move Outdoors or Indoors
If things aren’t exactly working out as planned with your fundraiser, consider changing venues as an effective contingency plan. Many people feel safer taking part in an outdoor fundraising event rather than being cooped up inside. By taking your fundraiser out into the fresh air, you can stick to social distancing guidelines and put people who are anxious about overcrowding in enclosed spaces at ease. Remember, the more comfortable your supporters feel, the more tickets you’ll sell.
Here are some top outdoor fundraising ideas:
A fundraising golf tournament
Crowdfunding campaigns like walk-a-thons, bike-a-thons or 5K races
A charity garden party or outdoor luncheon
On the other hand, a ‘rainy day’ backup plan is a great way to save your outdoor fundraising event from failure. If possible, secure an indoor venue in case of a sudden downpour. This could be a church hall, community center, or golf club attached to the outdoor area where your fundraiser is taking place. It’s crucial for participation numbers and morale to keep your donors dry and happy
5. Have an Emergency Team on Standby
Create a core emergency team with the ability to handle any problems that may come up. Make sure they are experts in their field and, ideally, people that work well under pressure.
Tech support - This person or team needs to be tech-savvy and up-to-date with all your nonprofit and event software. Solid tech support will come at a price but will be worth every penny to avoid losing valuable donors.
Speaker/Guest/Sponsor management - Get a few people to attend to their questions, doubts, and needs so everything runs smoothly.
Donor stewardship team - Prepare volunteers to answer your donors' queries and be ready to redirect them to the correct team member to act quickly and resolve their issues.
Team to monitor live streams, emails, messages, instant chat, and AI features - Have people answer questions and resolve online problems in real time so your fundraiser doesn’t lose anyone who gets frustrated with just hanging around waiting.
Always Keep Your Supporters Up to Speed
It’s great to have contingency plans for any eventuality that may arise before or during your fundraising event, but without informing your supporters about these changes, they are useless. It’s essential to always let your donors know what’s going on at all times. Inform them about any changes that are occurring and share contingency plans to build trust in your organization and fundraising campaign.
Being transparent at all times and sharing your backup plans sends a professional message, shows that your organization has done its homework, and makes your supporters feel that you have their best interests at heart. Keep your donors informed with text messages, social media posts, and publishing updates on your fundraising website. All of this should keep your donors returning year after year.
Conclusions on Contingency Planning for Nonprofits
Do your homework and reassure your donors, sponsors and staff that your nonprofit is prepared for anything by implementing contingency strategies. When things go wrong, your backup plan won't only lessen the possible damage, it will give your fundraising team the tools they need to respond to whatever comes their way and thrive in the face of adversity.
About the Author: Sarah Bender
Sarah writes on online fundraising and special events for DoJiggy, a leading fundraising software platform for nonprofits and schools. When she is not spending her days researching and writing, you can find her running around after her two highly active young sons which constitutes a serious workout program!
