As gala season kicks into high gear, I’d love to talk about the elephant in the room in case it’s holding you back from really putting on the kind of gala you’re itching to throw; a gala that celebrates your mission, highlights the amazing work done by your dedicated staff and volunteers, and raises awareness for the things that are close to your heart and community.
Maybe a few loud naysayers have taken up too much space (ugh) or things still feel a little off-kilter even two years into our new abnormal normal. Here’s the dumbo in the corner - has covid-19 impacted the way people support their local nonprofits and donate? The truth is, people are stepping up now more than ever and staying true to the causes close to their communities and their hearts.
Enough time has passed since the beginning of the pandemic for us to have a clear picture of the facts, and you know I love a fact!
Fidelity Charitable surveyed long-time patrons and contributors about their donations and gift-giving during Covid-19. Their results indicated that most donors plan to maintain or even increase their gift giving right now.
More than 40% of the people surveyed said they plan to continue donating to their current organizations, and their gifts are more likely to be unrestricted.
With all the hard work and pivoting you and your staff have had to do these last two years, it can feel overwhelming, but the important thing is that you continue to celebrate your community and continue to raise awareness! People want to help and feel connected to their communities, so why not give them that opportunity?
Are you worried virtual events are going to impact how people give? We’ve had a year to get some info under us, so has going virtual impacted giving?
Well, the facts say no!
A CNBC report indicates that there’s an increase in virtual donations. While going virtual may be because of necessity, virtual giving events aren’t deterring long-time donors or even new donors from contributing and gifting to programs in their community.
True, we miss being able to gather, have fun, laugh, and be there for each other, but if it’s the virtual side of things holding you back, rest assured it doesn’t show a negative impact.
While things may be ever-changing in your community with closures and reopenings and different requirements, what hasn’t changed is generosity, and a need and want to help. To back that up with data, people are donating and gifting to basic needs organizations in their communities like clinics, shelters, foodbanks, and housing charities. There’s also been an increase in donations to the arts, education, and the environment. In both of those cases, it’s been shown people are increasingly donating to organizations within their community instead of a larger international organization.
Wow. That’s pretty rad, right? People want to stay connected to the things they care about and the best part is that YOU can give them that opportunity to stay connected. So, wash those worries away!
If you’ve got more questions about navigating giving and fundraising, check out our recent blogs: How do you pivot with your donors? and Virtual Events! Live Events! Delta Variant! It's A Lot!
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