Slowly we seem to be reaching the end of this arduous journey through the pandemic. For the past 19 months we have navigated multiple lockdowns and re-openings, witnessed divisiveness over a plethora of issues, coped with financial hardships and struggled with our emotional well-being. Frontline and health-related charities certainly have played an integral part in shepherding us through this nightmare and to them we extend our utmost thanks and appreciation.
As we emerge from the most gruelling episode of our lifetime, non-profits from sectors that were swept aside by the pandemic including performing arts, culture & diversity, environmental protection, museums and heritage preservation and social services are gradually re-emerging and finding their bearings. Although government stimulus grants and certain private foundations providing undesignated funding are enabling some charities to function at a basic level, the harsh truth is many organizations are now engaging in conventional fundraising activities for the first time in their existence.
Organizations with sustainable donor bases are the ones that are best positioned to create instant change as they resume the pursuit of their missions. Yet for groups that have been dependent on core funders for the bulk of their history, what first steps should thy be taking towards building a long-term loyal donor base?
The answer to that question is actually more questions. That is, charting a course towards future viability begins with these three (3) specific fundamental questions that each charity must ponder before embarking:
1) Why Do You Exist?
Before they can ask anyone to support them, the leaders of a non-profit must reflect and remember why they were established in the first place. At some point in history, some very concerned or warm-hearted individuals identified a particular challenge or issue in their community that needed to be addressed. The optimal way of resolving this issue was by founding an organization that delivers programs that mitigated the harm or devastation it caused.
Thus, the charity exists as the primary resource that a community uses to deal with issues or problems that threaten the well-being and stability of its citizens. A world where that issue is no longer a factor in the lives of the people becomes the vision of the organization. Its mission is the main task that will be employed to conquer that issue.
In reality the vision is a distant ideal that in all probability will not be reached in our lifetime. However, the pursuit of the vision is what inspires us to become involved and support the organizations we love and the mission keeps us focused on that journey. Basically a charity exists to sustain the vitality of our community and donations are investments to strengthen its capacity.
2) What Is The True Impact Of Your Charity’s Work?
When we give more money, volunteer energy and in-kind support to our favourite organizations, it stands to reason that we expect it to enhance the quality and the quantity of the services delivered. We want to be reassured that our investment is making life better, healthier and happier for the people who receive those services. In short, we want our donations to have impact!
Fewer aspects are more paramount than a charity being maniacally aware of the true impact that its work is having on the wellness and vibrancy of the communities they serve. One item that is at least equally important is its ability to articulate that impact to the people who support them.
To launch and build a passionate and solid donor base, it is not sufficient for charity leaders to merely thank their supporters. Board directors and executive staff must keep donors abreast of the outcomes that their gifts have made possible. Donors must understand that their contributions saved lives, fed families and made children laugh. We should assure our donors that their gifts have brought us closer to realizing our organizations’ missions and visions.
Organizations getting serious about fundraising for the first time often fail to convey to their supporters the significance and real value of the service outcomes their programs create. By consistently acquainting donors with the results their gifts achieve, charities are helping them to acquire a burgeoning sense of ownership in the cause. As more donors’ affinity for the mission heightens, the larger and more galvanized the base becomes.
3) Why Would You Support This Charity?
We know why we are here. We are keenly aware of how crucial our work is to our community’s overall vitality. Yet we have not considered the reasons why we would support a particular charity. Is it that we possess a high degree of the passion and care about the people we help? Is there something in it for us? Or is it simply a habit?
Need we state the obvious that the best explanation for a charity leader’s involvement is their perpetually increasing level of affinity for their group’s mission and vision? An under-appreciated human need that requires fulfilling is to be our sister’s or brother’s keeper. To quench this yearning to help others less fortunate or those in peril or distress, we search for an outlet in the form of a charity that aligns with our philanthropic interests and values.
Regardless of our initial motivations for giving, it is crucial that we identify the factors that continue to incentivze our involvement with our preferred non-profits. No influencing force is more supreme than the sheer joy of giving. Our hope is that we are in love with the organizations we are striving to kick-start in the post-pandemic landscape. Passion can be contagious, hence if we aspire to attract new supporters, we ourselves must exhibit an unwavering degree of exuberance for the cause.
The opportunity to contribute our talents and treasures to enhance the organizations that make our communities better places to live, work and play for everyone is a unique privilege that must be cherished. To restore a charity to which we have a strong attachment to its pre-pandemic state is an even greater honour that we must wholly embrace. We want others to discover the joy of giving to charities that we know make a huge positive difference in the lives of so many people.
Our motivation must be upgraded to helping prospective stakeholders develop an organic attachment to the same non-profits that we passionately support. Once prospects are converted to donors, our priority shifts to stewarding these relations by regularly sharing stories and accounts from people who have benefited from the outcomes of their investments. Ultimately, the base solidifies and the charity is poised for post-pandemic impact.
