0820_AUG Comstock's Magazine 0820 August | Page 82

Capital Region Cares
FUNDRAISING DOESN’T
END DURING A CRISIS
Nonprofits are a critical bridge between donors and volunteers who provide services and
resources and those in our community who need help. But during a crisis like the COVID-19
pandemic, that bridge is even more important, as inequalities in our community are made
more apparent.
Fortunately, many studies and our own experience in the Capital Region show that donors
continue to give even in tough times. Most recently, just as shelter-in-place restrictions cratered
Sacramento’s economy, the region’s Big Day of Giving fundraiser accumulated nearly $12 million
in donations in 24 hours for participating nonprofits. And Donate4Sacramento, a COVID-19 regional
response fund, raised more than $1.3 million as of early June. The fund, launched by public,
private, labor and nonprofit leaders throughout the Sacramento region, aims to provide assistance
for essential supplies, food, rent and utilities to those in need during the pandemic.
The crisis and the disruptions caused by COVID-19 are ongoing, with health experts uncertain
how long it will continue. In an April study of 109 nonprofits throughout the region, Sacramento
State professor Ryan P. Fuller found 74 percent reported loss of revenue from canceled fundraising
events and more than half said they lost volunteers, many of whom were in age or health
groups that made them vulnerable to COVID-19. But despite the lack of manpower, nearly all of
the nonprofits in the survey said they were continuing to communicate with donors and other
stakeholders, primarily by email or social media.
Most fundraising experts agree that continuing communication with donors and other supporters
is critical during a crisis, even if it follows a period of large donations. Like any relationship,
the one between donors and a nonprofit requires constant attention. In this era of videoconferencing
and livestreaming, technology can give a personal tone and still convey a sense of urgency.
• Volunteers may be restricted from meeting donors in person due to shelter-in-place rules, but
they can be a valuable corp of ambassadors. By sharing email lists with them, volunteers may
discover potential donors with whom they have a personal relationship and can appeal for
donations with personalized emails.
• Texts, phone calls and video chats with prospective donors have more personal appeal than
mass emails with broad messages.
• Online meetings or livestreaming events are more effective if they are interactive. A trivia
night with quiz questions based on a nonprofit’s mission or programming can be both fun
and educational.
• Even if a nonprofit’s website contains lots of programming information, a landing page specific
for COVID-19 provides an opportunity to describe special or extraordinary needs and projects.
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