Happy New Year…oh.
It was the news that none of us wanted. After making it through possibly the toughest year in living memory, instead of a fresh new start the country is once again in lockdown.
While there are glimmers of light, it’s clear that the pandemic, and its effects, are going to be with us longer than anyone had hoped for.
That realisation presents a number of challenges for fundraisers looking to plan for 2021. With so many factors still up in the air, it seems that uncertainty will continue to reign for a while yet. So the most suitable course of action may be to hope for the best, but plan for the worst.
To help you plan, we’ve outlined three possible scenarios – the Good, the Bad and the Ugly – and some challenges associated with each. (Which scenario we’re currently in may come down to your disposition on any given day!)
These are handy places to start when thinking about how your fundraising may be affected by the pandemic in 2021. They should help you adapt and respond quickly to whatever the year holds for us as we start to recover from COVID’s impact.
(Quick disclaimer – to avoid complexity, we haven’t factored in the impact that Brexit may have on fundraising. That’s a whole different kettle of, well…fish)
The Good
The scenario everyone is hoping for. The public’s appetite for the vaccine is voracious, rollout goes smoothly, mutations don’t compromise the vaccine’s efficacy, and, with herd immunity reached by the end of summer, restrictions end. A sense of euphoria erupts around the country as people return to normal life and shared social interactions.
In this happy future, face-to-face fundraising will once again be possible. It may even seem a welcome novelty on the high street! You might consider ‘celebratory’ fundraising to tap into the national spirit, or offer a platform where people can share and hear each other’s experiences.
One of the biggest challenges in this scenario will lie in a basic truth of fundraising: happy people don’t tend to make great donors. When we can see that the world is in chaos, humans have a natural desire to solve problems and inequalities in order to return the world to a ‘normal’ state. This drove the boom in donations during the first lockdown, and – on a smaller scale – is a key factor behind each and every appeal we send.
So if most gifts are made by people as an attempt to fix a problem they are unhappy about, then a post-COVID world of milk and honey could present a significant problem.
Thankfully, the answer lies in the very recent past. A lot of COVID-related fundraising was successful because it articulated a need that was universally understandable. Everybody was affected by the pandemic. It also required solutions that, whether through befriending services for the isolated, clinical research or simply the desperate need for help in an unexpected crisis, seemed achievable.
The key to the ‘problem’ of happy donors will be articulating your need for support, through smarter storytelling and relatable characters, with more clarity than ever before.
It’s also worth bearing in mind that, even in this best-case scenario, there will still be a significant financial impact from the pandemic. Many supporters will simply be unable to give as much as they once did, so increasing focus on income streams with high value exchange will help to retain some who might otherwise have to cease giving. In particular, feel-good (and recession-proof!) gaming products like Raffles and Weekly Lottery are likely to be more important than ever, as they’ll offer fun, excitement and reward even during dark times.
The Bad
This scenario may occur (and lockdown extended) if rollout of the vaccines is prolonged and not complete among the vulnerable until summer, or the new mutations compromise their effectiveness. But the disappointment and frustration of not being able to resume social interactions will hopefully give way to euphoria once herd immunity is finally reached in late 2021.
In this scenario, the economic impact will be more extreme. This may cause a more a conservative approach towards giving amongst some groups (“do I really need to donate this time?”), while at the same time there may be fatigue towards asks that, back in 2020, would have felt innovative and urgent.
But a wise fundraiser once said “I don’t believe in donor fatigue; it’s our fundraising that becomes fatigued, not donors”. One positive to come out of the pandemic was the adoption of an ‘innovation mindset’ among fundraisers. Recognising that old norms and ways of working had gone out of the window, we all dived into research and insights to understand the new needs of our donors, and adopted a willingness to try new things that kept fundraising fresh and relevant. We will need to maintain this innovation mindset to make sure our fundraising continues to resonate no matter how long the pandemic lasts. Test generously, fail quickly, learn fast and remain agile!
To reflect the ongoing nature of the pandemic, it may be appropriate to offer opportunities to give small, but frequent, amounts. Virtual events will remain relevant, and innovation will likely thrive in any initiatives that help supporters to connect with other people and share their experiences.
Faced with prolonged restrictions and a deterioration in public morale, stewardship will also be even more important than ever. Keep listening to your donors. Take the time to focus on your supporters and their experience. Ask them how they feel, what they would like to hear from you and make sure you share every possible sliver of good news.
The Ugly
Brace yourself – this is the worst-case scenario. Imagine the virus continues to mutate, with more and more strains reducing the vaccines’ effectiveness. Cases increase across the country as a whole, leading to more workplace closures and redundancies. Deflation and fatigue take hold at the prospect of ongoing lockdowns in autumn, winter and beyond.
This scenario sees all the challenges from The Bad, plus the prospect of full-blown recession and elevated death rates in core supporter groups. Long term isolation, pessimism and a feeling of not being in control may sweep the nation.
But let’s not abandon all hope! The public will be aware of the high levels of need in society, and those who can still afford to donate may do so generously, as donating will give people a sense of regaining control. Your active donor base may shrink, but keep them highly engaged by maintaining laser focus on supporter experience. Continue talking to your supporters, acknowledge their experiences and keep looking for new ways to engage them virtually.
And don’t forget that, even if they are not a beneficiary of your work, your supporters look to your organisation as a beacon of hope at a very challenging time. They will be expecting you to lead from the front and stand up for your beneficiaries. And if you have articulated yourself to them, they will understand that there are still those who are less fortunate than themselves and they will expect you to be fundraising more than ever, so never be afraid to ask.
Good, Bad or Ugly?
The uncomfortable truth is that nobody knows how this year will pan out. Whatever 2021 throws at us, try to maintain an innovation mindset, think creatively to keep things fresh, keep your fundraising donor-focussed and don’t be scared to try something new.
By Laura Chapman. DMS Senior Strategist
An experienced Senior Strategist with 15 years cross-channel experience in charity and HE fundraising. Skilled in all aspects of journey planning (inc conversion, reactivation, upgrade & cross-selling), stewardship, direct response and channel integration, and obsessed about increasing donor loyalty. Laura believes in applying the latest thinking from decision science and behavioural economics to make fundraising work hard yet feel intuitive for the donor. She’s also a fully-fledged stat-loving data-geek, and use insights to create deep, meaningful engagement.
