One of the biggest lessons I’ve learned from the COVID-19 pandemic is that it’s important to recognize when others are having a very different life experience than I am. I’ve also seen how this relates to times when donors, volunteers, and colleagues are dealing with a disaster in their region. [...]
The onset, and the resilience, of the novel Coronavirus has been a gut punch for the world. Individuals, governments and businesses – for profit and nonprofit alike – are struggling in these disruptive times. What must your organization do now to position your mission to thrive, not just survive, once [...]
Get out there and ask -- don't stop fundraising! Some nonprofits I’ve talked to have told me they’re toning down their year-end campaign this year. Maybe it’s because… they’re short staffed due to pandemic-related lay-offs. they’ve cut back on their programming and don’t feel ‘worthy’ of making a philanthropic ask [...]
October is the Association of Fundraising Professionals’ Ethics Month, so let’s talk about something most of our organizations have been doing even more frequently during the pandemic (or crisis, or election, or natural disaster, etc.) and why it’s an ethical issue: making decisions for our donors by neglecting to ask [...]
What you don’t do right now will come back to bite you in the butt. Because you exist within a fast-moving, competitive environment. If you’re not actively cooking things up you’ll have little nourishment to offer. So, whatever is on your back burner, move it to the forefront and get [...]
So it’s time to host your virtual event? Take a deep breath. The good news is there are many tools to help make it a success. At M&C, we help organizations market and launch fundraising and educational events. And, it’s been a busy six months! Here are some tips from [...]
How you think and feel about money is called your money mindset, and it directly impacts how much money you will have and how much money you will raise. You, your board or staff may have beliefs about money so ingrained in you, you don’t realize what they are. These [...]
All the best strategies you’re innovating now, and having success with, should be continued as you fundraise mid-pandemic. This is your pandemic silver lining! It’s taken this quarantine crisis for some nonprofits to do what they should have done before. Stop looking for bad news and reasons to not fundraise [...]
Now is a time to communicate more, not less, to sustain and build mutually beneficial relationships with constituents. People feel isolated and frustrated about the fact they aren't having the impact they used to have, in business or their community. You can help alleviate their exasperation! Right now is still the [...]
If you’re going dark on your donors right now out of fear – real, misplaced or some combination thereof – you’re doing everyone a disservice. Your organization, and all those who rely on your continued existence, will be left in the lurch without donor support. I mean it! Donors don’t [...]
YMCAs during the COVID-19 outbreak should do all of the great things they're known for and what they do best: continue to care for people. They'll take a new outlook that will be different than what we are accustomed to as staff members and volunteers continue to work every day, [...]
Here we are all living in the new normal that is the COVID-19 pandemic. Most organizations are worried about or are already struggling financially in the wake of COVID-19. The looming economic recession will impact individual donors’ finances and larger funders may reprioritize where they give grants in the next [...]