5 Ways to Simplify Giving During a Pandemic

Nonprofit organizations like yours play a critical role in the health and happiness of communities locally and around the world. Yet when global pandemics like COVID-19 strike, we get shy about asking for donations. This is detrimental since this might be when you need funding the most. To help, here are five things you can do to make giving during a pandemic as easy as possible.

#1 Document

If there’s anything COVID-19 taught us, it’s that life as we know it can change in an instant. Major layoffs, store closings, school shutdowns, and more undoubtedly impact every single individual in some way or another. That’s why continuing to virtually document the positive difference your organization is making is essential to continue receiving support.

Many people may assume that your organization has halted its work during the pandemic, and perhaps you have, so it’s critical that you document and share all of the work your organization has been, is, and will be doing to help the community. Use examples of stories, photographs, interviews, and more to demonstrate why donations are just as important as ever.

#2 Educate

With your organization’s good work front-and-center, your secondary priority should be openly educating your followers on social media and the rest of your supporters about how you are accepting donations. Pandemics change things, so maybe you’ve introduced digital gifting for the first time or maybe you’ll be introducing people to your long-standing digital gifting program for the first time.

#3 Emphasize

So, you’ve educated your followers about how they can donate. Now it’s time to emphasize those methods and the specific impact their donations make. You should have easy-to-follow videos explaining the various ways people can show their support during the pandemic and remind people across your website, newsletter, social media pages, and more about the options they have for giving.

Quick walkthroughs of how to give using different methods will help prove the simplicity of the process. This is especially the case when it comes to digital gifting. Meanwhile, share impact statements with individual donors. Place summaries on public platforms. These steps will really drive the point home that you deserve their support.

#4 Be Accessible

For many donors, online gifting is a whole new experience. Even for those accustomed to modern technology, hiccups and confusion can arise that make donating tougher than it should be. Your followers may also have specific questions about where their donation is going. They may also wonder about other ways they can help.

Questions and issues like these should never stop a donor from showing their support. That’s why you need to be accessible. Provide a number they can call and text alongside an email address and/or live chat feature that connects them to someone. Surveys can also help you proactively address common questions and issues.

#5 Reach Out

If you’re like most organizations, you have a wide range of donors backing you. That’s great, but it also means certain segments of your donor population may struggle more than others to get behind the new ways of gifting. This is especially true for donors who may be accustomed to giving over the phone, through the mail, or even in person.

For these donors who are using more traditional methods, you should consider individual outreach alongside more general outreach. Give them a call, send them an email, or even write them a letter and have a chat with them about all the ways they can continue supporting the cause, especially if their preferred method of gifting (like in person gifts) is suddenly much more difficult or even impossible because of the pandemic.

You Can Increase Giving During a Pandemic!

While it may seem counterintuitive, charitable giving actually increased during the pandemic. Unfortunately, many churches had no idea how to take advantage of this heightened generosity. By utilizing the DonorWerx Framework, you never have to worry about missing out on this opportunity again. Schedule a Discovery Call today — free of charge — and we’ll provide tips to help you increase giving 10% in just six months!