Here's an important post by Ken Burnett on SOFII: Contradictory signs: as the corona-crisis continues, what’s really happening in fundraising?
It's a global overview of where we stand at this point in the pandemic. It ends with a powerful list of seven ways to survive and do well:
- Stay calm, think positively. It's easy to panic when things are weird. A lot of fundraisers have heard the rumor (unsubstantiated) that donors have "COVID fatigue" and will not give any more. While that is theoretically possible, there's no evidence it's happening. Your fear is what can hurt you the worst in times like this.
- Communicate, keep in positive contact with your donors. Relationships grow stronger in times of adversity. Do you really want to be absent from donors' lives until things are back to normal? They'll bond more with you if you are part of their journey through hard times.
- Give, so you’ll get. Let donors know you care about them as human beings, not just sources of revenue! Be human. It will pay off.
- Invest boldly. This is the time to get new donors. Look for new (and old) ways to find them. Organizations doing this are still seeing abnormally great results.
- Be creative, develop the new. The pandemic has closed some doors -- most notably events and face-to-face fundraising. Find some windows!
- Ask properly. They want to give. Be sure to ask clearly, strongly, and with heart. This is always true, but matters more now than ever.
- Join your local supporter experience group. Change is accelerating. Be on top of it by joining a community of fundraisers who support each other and think carefully about these things.
Jeff Brooks has been serving the nonprofit community for more than 30 years and blogging about it since 2005. He considers fundraising the most noble of pursuits and hopes you'll join him in that opinion. You can reach him at jeff [at] jeff-brooks [dot] com. 
