Unrestricted support for current operations has always been challenging to secure. It’s not tangible like capital giving, or enduring like endowment. Annual funds help keep the lights on and the phones answered. But these gifts are also immediately available for operating support.
Just what is needed right now.
Nonprofits have languished for decades because of the “overhead” mindset that equated operating expenses with wastefulness. We learned to talk about the Annual Fund in ways that were sometimes apologetic or convoluted: “please give up a latte so we can buy lightbulbs.”
Even before the pandemic, the philanthropic community was beginning to recognize that nonprofits, like any other organization, cannot be effective without solid infrastructure.
The pandemic has put a spotlight on this reality. Nonprofits have been given an opportunity to speak about basic needs because it’s not business-as-usual. Now, donations to the Annual Fund may be about the very future of your organization. Your constituents will not be surprised. Everyone is in the same boat.
Your job is to remind them that you are there.
One of the golden rules in fundraising is not to sound desperate when asking for contributions. That is wise, but you may to need to be more direct about financial and operational circumstances than usual. Constituents appreciate honesty when it is presented strategically.
It is always advisable to tell stories about the impact your nonprofit has in the world. And to emphasize the fact that charitable donations made this work possible. Then lay out plainly the need for operating support so the organization can continue to live out its mission.
Your goal is to engender specific cognitive and emotional responses in your constituents. Present a clear, concise and compelling message so that readers:
1) understand the impact of the pandemic on your programs, services and operations;
2) feel connected to your mission;
3) want to ensure that your nonprofit is there in the months and years ahead.
Barbara Perkins, Consultant/Advancement Communications
bperkins@matchnpc.com