A tornado rips through a nearby neighborhood, displacing families from their homes.
An animal hoarding case is discovered, resulting in hundreds of pets in need of immediate medical care and adoption.
A power outage hits a community food bank, resulting in the spoilage of a devastating amount of donated groceries.
Crises like these make people feel compelled to help, to volunteer, and to donate. For nonprofit organizations serving vulnerable populations, there may be periods of time where every day feels like an emergency. When crisis strikes, a well-crafted campaign can bring in a lot of funds very quickly benefiting the donors (giving them a way to help), the organization, and most importantly the clients served. However, it is important to avoid slipping into what I call “fight or flight” fundraising – using messages of desperation or crisis to compel people to give to your organization on a regular basis. Here are a few things to keep in mind:
Focus on the situation at hand
What makes this unique or unexpected and what exactly is needed for you to respond effectively? Do not paint the picture that your organization itself is teetering on the brink of collapse. A donor needs to be confident that their investment in your mission is a smart one. There is a big difference between:
“Your gift can help us reach our goal of $20,000 that will provide temporary housing and clothes for seven families while they rebuild.”
and
“We simply do not have the resources to continue our work without your help!”
Do not live in emergency mode
Repeated messages of crisis can start to feel like the story of the boy who cried wolf with your audience. As the experts, donors and stakeholders look to nonprofits to navigate emergencies with confidence. Consistently ringing the alarm bell can lead your donors to wonder, “What did you do with the money that I already donated?” This is the opposite of positive donor stewardship.
Share the good
Your communication with donors should not end with the initial appeal. Document your response, tell them how they made it possible, and share the success stories with the same urgency as you did the crisis. Let them know, “we did this together!”
Flip the script
As your organization grows and gains stability, you can flip the script on responding to crises. Messaging can start to take a tone of “You may have seen this tragedy in the news. Thanks to your support, we were able to respond immediately and here is how we did it.” This tone can cement your organization as a leader in the community that can be trusted to respond and inspire giving at the same time.
As one of our Senior Consultants for all cause areas, I become keenly aware of urgent needs in our nonprofit community, and I know donor, volunteer, and in-kind support can be critical during an unexpected crisis. I hope you will find this advice helpful when a critical need arises, and during those times in between, when ongoing, steady support is key to your mission. We know your services are critical to those in need, and we appreciate all you do!