Bringing you this special mid-week blog post on a topic that is on the front of all of your minds: How will the Coronavirus impact our Fundraising Events and how can we prepare for it?
While there are some obvious things that may happen from attendance being down or decreased giving due to the economic impact due to the international reaction of COVID-19 or even needing to postpone the event to a date later in the year. While some of these scenarios may be inevitable, it is my goal to help you mitigate the risk and give you the tools you need to maintain profitability at your event.
Many event planners are addressing the logistical side of how to handle the threat (see a helpful post by my friends over at Do Good Events for some of these tips) like reviewing contracts and asking all your vendors about their cancellation policy with this so you can make informed decisions.
But let's assume you are planning to move forward with your spring fundraiser, I want to help you make sure you are doing everything you can to ensure that your event is profitable.
What can you do to prepare your fundraising for the possible impact of the Coronavirus?
1. Invest in Mobile Bidding
If you do not have mobile bidding set up for your event, you will want to invest in a company like One Cause (BidPal) or Greater Giving so guests who choose to stay home from your event (because you can count on some attendees to do so out of concern for their own health). They can give to your fundraising appeal online as well as bid on silent auction items from home. A couple years ago, a client of mine had to cancel an event due to a Blizzard (yay Minnesota!) and their guests were so grateful for the organization's concern for their personal safety that they bid even more competitively on the silent auction than they had in previous years and many guests gave large open donations to the organization right on their phones. Their event remained profitable even though it was cancelled! As a side note, if you have not invested in mobile bidding in the past, and you have a silent auction, I can assure you that it will basically pay for itself as it promotes much more competitive bidding and makes checkout a breeze!
2. Rethink selling European Trips in your Live Auction
A normally exciting and competitive item, may fall dead this spring auction season due to the recent suspension of European Travel. If these items were donated, talk to the donor about how they would like this item handled. Will they be offended if it goes for less than it's worth? Would they want to give it anyway knowing it might not bring in as much as it would have another time? Could they commit to donating it again next year? Even if the trip could be used within a full year, bidders may be hesitant to bid on a trip to Europe at this time. Swap it out for a luxury domestic trip. If you don't have access to something like this, there are several options consignment trips that offer domestic vacation experiences.
3. Focus on YOUR mission
While you should communicate with your guests prior to the event on how you plan to handle the Coronavirus risk, it should not take up any stage time at your event. Yes, try to have lots of hand sanitizer around (if you can find any) and encourage people not to shake hands using signs at checkout and the bar, but unless it has any direct impact on the work your organization does (maybe you work with refugee camps in Italy and need to provide extra support at this time due to coronavirus), do not spend any time addressing it during your program. Your program should continue to focus on the people you serve and the work you do and should engage your guests to partner with you in your work. Don't allow this to become a distraction from what is important at your event.
4. Secure your momentum donors
With any fund-a-need or fundraising appeal, I always encourage my clients to have momentum donors. This is especially important now, knowing that some of your guests will opt to stay home from your event. Having conversations with loyal donors (especially if they fall in the high risk 60+ group) prior to your event and empowering them to be momentum donors, will ensure that you will not lose their donation even if they choose to stay home. Ideally they will still attend your event and will be one of the first donors to raise their paddle, creating a powerful momentum in your giving moment. However, if they choose not to attend for their personal safety, you can announce their donation(s) to lead in to the giving moment, which will still create momentum. For more information on how to secure momentum donors, check out this resource on "How to determine giving levels and secure momentum donors."
The work your organization does is so important
It's important to me that all nonprofits have the tools they need to be successful and engage donors in their mission. I know a lot is up in the air, and we're all taking it day by day, but right now is a great time to ensure everything is in place to maximize fundraising.
We are all doing our part to keep people safe, and as professional fundraisers, but your events are important to the work your organization does on a daily basis. I understand how important your event is to the livelihood of your organization and the weight of the choices you have in front of you. My hope is that these tips will help your staff and volunteers be more prepared and help your event remain as profitable as possible.