How are you navigating this moment? Are you fearful for your organization? Do you sense opportunities? Perhaps both…

In today’s post, I’m offering you a pep talk based on data, long experience, and a couple of good stories. These days may feel bleak, but if you address your fear and engage your donors, you can raise a lot of money – right now.

Crisis fundraising myths – debunked

After 40 years as a fundraiser, I’ve been through a variety of national emergencies, economic downturns, and natural disasters. None of those experiences is quite like today, but they do offer useful lessons.

Consider the following myths – and why they are wrong.

Myth: Our organization’s work is less relevant now.

Truth: More than anything, people want community and connection. Theater people continue to be inspired by other theater people. Gardeners want to swap seeds with other gardeners. Congregations are moving services online to connect their parishioners.

Your organization, like all others, builds community. That’s huge.

Myth: When the economy tanks, donors give less.

Truth: This is one is partially true, but it’s not as severe as you might believe. During the Great Recession, when stock markets declined by 60% over two years, giving declined by less than 15%. These were challenging times, but most nonprofits survived and many later thrived.

Myth: My donors are giving to COVID-19 response, so there’s nothing left for us.

Truth: In the year following 9/11/2001, about one percent of giving went to 9/11-related charities. Nonprofits blamed declining revenues on the events of September 11, but many fundraisers made the same mistake: they stopped asking. Not surprisingly, they raised less money.

For a super-current demolition of all three myths, keep reading.

Last week, Arizona broke their fundraising record 

Arizona Gives is the state’s nonprofit giving day: a collective fundraising effort over 24 hours. It’s sponsored by the Alliance of Arizona Nonprofits and the Arizona Grantmakers Forum.

On April 7, 2020, Arizona Gives raised more than $5 million to support 900 organizations – a 40% increase over 2019.

Let that sink in. In the middle of a global pandemic … during a week when more than six million workers across the United States filed for unemployment, driving the three-week total to 16 million … Arizona Gives absolutely crushed their previous fundraising totals.

How did this happen?

According to Jenny Carrillo of Alexander | Carrillo Consulting in Tucson, this might be “an indicator that people are feeling extra-generous and donors are stepping up in the face of this global crisis.” As she noted, other factors were also in play.

• Five years in, marketing for the event continues to improve.

• Arizona Gives paid all gift processing costs this year, providing an incentive for nonprofits. To inspire donors, some participating organizations also promoted their own challenge gifts.

• Forced to cancel fundraising events, several nonprofits directed their donors to contribute via Arizona Gives.

• Many tiny groups use Arizona Gives as their primary fundraising strategy. This year’s results prove that grassroots groups can raise money during a crisis – but they need to keep asking.

• The roster was filled with animal welfare groups and charter schools, which demonstrates that not all philanthropy is moving toward medical services, food banks, and other COVID-19 relief efforts.

“The results are encouraging,” adds Carrillo, “and give us some insight into what donors are thinking and feeling.”

Fearless fundraisers raise more money

From an earlier national crisis, here’s another relevant example.

Alyssa Schuren was fresh out of college, working her first fundraising job for Toxics Action Center, a grassroots community group in New England. She had spent the previous week calling donors and scheduling “ask meetings.” She’d had great success, with 17 appointments on her calendar.

Then 9/11/2001 happened.

While so many seasoned fundraisers were backing away from their donors, Alyssa did the opposite. She called all her donors – again – and asked, “Do you still want to meet? Is this a still a good time to talk about our work?”

Sixteen out of 17 said, “Yes, come on over.” All 16 gave, with several increasing their support.

Alyssa was too inexperienced to know that she shouldn’t ask for money in the middle of a national emergency. As it turns out, she was a lot smarter that her more experienced peers.

Want to learn more? Here’s a longer version of the story: Asking When Everyone Else Isn’t.

Yes, you can 

A colleague recently called her donors to check in and ask how they were doing.

As a result, she said, several sent unsolicited gifts to her organization.

Even if you’re unwilling or unable to ask for donations now, don’t forget your supporters. Keep reaching out. They need to know that you care.