Connect with your donors during the Covid-19 pandemic
I saw a funny quote on Tuesday. It said, “What a year this week has been.”
Isn’t that an understatement?
If you, like me, work in the nonprofit space, you are probably thinking through some communication challenges. You might be asking questions like: Do people want to hear from us? What about the events we had planned that we had to cancel? In light of social distancing, how do we still reach out to donors and follow-through on planned events?
Things changed in a matter of weeks across the world, and that means how our nonprofit communicates has to change too.
I have a strong belief in creating community among a nonprofit’s donors. I also believe in sharing stories and giving donors a window into the work being done to accomplish the mission. Now, creating community and sharing stories about the work are more important than ever.
Here’s what you can do at your nonprofit to connect with your donors during this global crisis.
Share information with your donors in an entertaining way
If your mission isn’t mission-critical to helping meet the global challenges related to this pandemic, then focus on offering value to your donors and, for now, expect nothing in return. Many people are at home for long stretches of time. They are looking for things to do and people to connect with. Providing educational experiences to the people who already value your work is a great way to offer value.
You may even find new supporters who appreciate the value you are bringing to the world.
The Cincinnati Zoo is a great example. Each day they are going live on Facebook and sharing a behind the scenes look at their animals. My kids are watching and learning every single day. Because of the value these livestreams are providing while I homeschool two kids and work, The Cincinnati Zoo is building a connection with me that I never would have had otherwise. I’ve never been to Cincinnati, and I (obviously) don’t plan on going any time soon. But you better believe that I love their zoo right now. They’ve already given me so much value.
To continue the conversation, I’d suggest that the Cincinnati Zoo ask for email addresses of those watching (maybe to follow up each day with a lesson to go with each Live or a reminder email to join in) and once the pandemic has passed, reach back out to that list and ask people to support their efforts to educate the public. I think they’ll see great engagement.
Create online events
The best thing we can do in times of crisis is lean on each other. That’s challenging now since we can’t physically be together, but we can still be together virtually. If you had in-person events planned, move them online. You can use Zoom to either put people in a “room” just like a meeting, or you can create a webinar experience there too.
I tend to prefer the former, especially for groups of 20 or less. People are ok with informal, “still figuring it out” events right now. Many of us are in our homes looking for things to do and ways to engage.
For example, my son is now taking his karate classes at home using Zoom. I was thankful to have something on the agenda that was part of his normal routine, and he enjoyed seeing his beloved Sensei even if it was on a screen. He talked to his Sensei, heard him say he was doing a good job, and participated with his classmates. He got the chance to connect and engage with other people. I was so thankful and immediately wondered what else I could do that would provide that connection.
The nonprofits I support could provide that entertainment and opportunity to connect and engage by creating online events.
How can you create a virtual event using a platform like Zoom?
Here are some questions you could answer during virtual events:
What are you doing to further your mission?
What’s it like working with the people you serve?
How do your programs work?
Set up a Zoom webinar or meeting, invite your donors, and provide value when people are just looking for things to do. Don’t be afraid because it’s a new way to create events. You can include that in your invitation. “We’ve never done this before and we’re still learning, but we thought you’d enjoy the opportunity to learn and to connect with your fellow donors.” Right now more than ever, people are ok with hiccups and events running less than smoothly.
We’re all in this together, helping each other get through a very tough time. I keep hearing that we need to “be human” together, and I couldn’t agree more. Be human, focus on helping people get through this crisis through providing opportunities to connect and learn, and build engagement with your donors.
Give them a chance to interact with you or your colleagues, learn about your work, and connect with each other. It doesn’t need to be perfect or anywhere near. It just needs to be a promise of connection.
(Photo by Brian McGowan on Unsplash)
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