By: Peter Dudley;

Honest Thoughts from a Frontline Fundraiser

– It’s hard being a fundraising officer at a nonprofit right now. Especially for smaller organizations that rely on individual donations, fundraising events, and local business sponsorships.

A survey of nonprofits done by Community Health Charities recently showed that nonprofits expect to lose hundreds of millions in projected revenue. Many of my peers aren’t sure if they’ll have a job in two months, or even if their organization will exist.

Although my organization is in better shape than many, I’m not immune from this pain. We had to reschedule our big charity walk, which draws well over 1,000 people each year. Our annual golf tournament, a six-figure fundraiser, may get the axe as well, as we watch reliable past sponsors send in regrets instead of checks. Many of our major donors have watched their investment accounts and retirement savings plummet along with the stock market.

Add to this the social isolation and daily difficulties of living under shelter-in-place orders, and the fear and anxiety that we or our loved ones could get terribly ill (my daughter is an EMT), and it’s a tough time to be a fundraiser.

The Government Is Helping… We Think

My organization is applying for the SBA loans available through the new relief packages. This is cheap money, and many of these loans will be forgiven. But our Finance manager has a hard time understanding the details—every day there’s new interpretation, and even whole new sources of information about what qualifies and what doesn’t. Different sources conflict. So, we’re doing the best we can, because the government is helping. We think.

Collaboration Can Help

We may be able to salvage our golf tournament thanks to long-time relationship building and some quick, creative thinking by our event manager. We are thinking of merging our tournament with another cancer nonprofit’s, which will share the expense and help maintain at least some of the revenue we’d lose from canceling outright. And this discussion may lead to other collaborations, or cross-promotion, in the future. Now is a great time to talk with other organizations in our space and get creative on collaboration.

Leading Is Everyone’s Job Right Now

Leaders have to lead. We set strategy, we make sure our people feel safe and confident, we maintain a sense of urgency while staving off desperation. A leadership class I took at my last job promoted this approach: Lead yourself, lead the team, lead the organization. That is, you need to start with self-care, a clear understanding of your role and objectives, and the tools and resources you need. Only following that can you empower your team, and only then can you think about leading the organization.

With everyone working from home, the “lead yourself” part becomes mandatory for every person. Reach out to peers, managers, or colleagues when you need human contact. Follow the good advice about working from home—focus on balance, mental health, physical health, and your relationships. Only then can you have the space to be productive with your work. And, if you’re one of the lucky ones who feels great, connect with your coworkers and colleagues outside your organization just to check in on them. Lean in to kindness, generosity, and patience right now. As the saying goes, people might not remember what you said, but they will remember how you made them feel.

Study the Successes

We’ve all seen too many emails from too many organizations in the past three weeks. Some sound desperate, like they’re already gasping their last breaths. Others give a feeling of strength and reassurance, while artfully reminding donors that it’s going to be a tough year for the organization.

These approaches reflect three things:

  • The ability of the organization to communicate effectively (quality writing matters)
  • The organization’s ability to approach a crisis with a growth mindset (courageous leadership matters)
  • The organization’s preparedness to survive a major downturn (planning and diligence matter)

I’ll focus on the third bullet in a future blog post. In the meantime, remember to give help and comfort when you can, and accept it when it’s offered. Lean in to kindness, generosity, and patience. And remember to smile on your video conference calls!

Peter Dudley, Chief Development Officer, Cancer Support Community

Peter Dudley is the Chief Development Officer for Cancer Support Community and former Wells Fargo SVP. He currently serves on the Community Health Charities national board of directors.

Peter is an author and nationally recognized expert in corporate social responsibility, marketing, and employee engagement.