Crisis Fundraising: A Simple Ask That Works!

It’s a terrible time for many nonprofit organizations in the US right now.

Many nonprofits are facing serious and/or even catastrophic funding cuts. If this is you and your organization, you’re deeply into crisis mode. We feel for you!

And, to help you today, here’s our best advice on a crisis fundraising plan.

Clearly one of your first steps is to communicate – and your second step is to ask your stakeholders and donors to help.

When you reach out to donors, there are  5 important segments of donors who need specific communications. Last week, we offered strategies for donor segments and crafted specific approaches for each group: major donors, government funders, institutional funders, mid-level donors, and everyday donors.

Now, let’s move forward with a crisis fundraising strategy.

The Right Tone for Crisis Fundraising

When you craft donor fundraising communications, what kind of tone do you weave into your writing? Especially in times of crisis?

Is it formal, dignified, and somewhat institutional? Or is it an approach we could call “the sky is falling,” full of emotion, despair and heart-wrenching details?

It’s easy – and probably appropriate – to be emotional here. But of course you’ll want to moderate your tone for the specific type of donor you are communicating with.

Be sure to have an attitude of “join us, we can get through this together.”

Can you find a reason to have a positive plan, even in this moment? For example, can you rally your donors with a call to action to step forward now?

The Right Plan for Crisis Fundraising

Donors want to know that you and your organization have a plan to weather the crisis – somehow or some way.  They want to join forces and support a positive movement forward.

You have to give your donors hope for the future.

Messages that incorporate vision, possibility and optimism will always raise more money than despair, moaning or complaining.

Don’t get us wrong – emotion is very important. But you also need to offer donors hope for the future.

When you think about it, there’s a careful balance between a positive tone of “carrying forward” vs. a defeatist tone of “we are dead on the vine.”

Now, make no mistake – we acknowledge that some organizations in the affordable housing, arts, domestic violence, disease research and public health will be practically decimated by government cuts. And we are horrified, along with you, about the impact of these cuts.

But, you do have to have a plan. You earn the right to ask for help because you have a plan to get through this somehow.

How to Ask in Times of Crisis

We suggest a specific approach to asking donors right now. Our asking approach is much more personal, authentic, and quite transparent about money. Unusually so!

But again, this is a time of crisis, and you can lower the curtain so to speak.

Here’s the 3-Step Fundraising Ask formula that we are recommending to all our capital campaign and major gifts clients right now.

This ask approach works almost every time – and results in a donor who will give, and also feels more committed and closer than ever to your mission.

The 3-Step Crisis Fundraising Ask

Step 1. Open with a warm, personal connection to the reader or listener. And thank them for their partnership and support!

On the phone, open with this:

“Ms. Donor this is Mary Smith from xxxx organization, and we are calling to say hello and to thank you for partnering with us. We so appreciate your support. How are you doing?

Digital:

This is for a personal one-to-one email, not a mass email:

Thank you so much for your help, support of xxxx cause or organization. I hope you are doing well. All of us want to let you know how much we appreciate and value your partnership . . .

Note: Your TONE is warm, personal, authentic, friendly. It is a person-to-person communication. And, it sounds like one person wrote it to another person.

What’s Gone from Past Messaging?  

The formalities. The acronyms. The organizational “we.” The grandiose bragging about your organization’s successes.

What’s New for This Type of Ask?

The personal touch. The heart-felt comment. The warm and friendly energy of a person connecting to another person.

Step 2. Share detailed, transparent information on what’s happening at your organization.

What’s Gone?

The general and nonspecific ask to support the Mission, programs and services, or the “work.”  No vague and bland words like “underserved.”

What’s New for Now?

It’s time to be frank and transparent about money. You can be specific, and pull no punches!

What exactly is happening to the mission or the work?

For example, the ballerinas are now on furlough and we’ve cut our performances. The land trust is unable to save an important swamp. The students have lost their stipends for meals and housing.  People are going hungry. Our people are losing their jobs.

This is the time to be completely explicit about the situation. Don’t mince words.

BUT you have a plan:

“This is how we are planning to weather this storm. We will need to do some layoffs, and the following programs will need to be cut.  There is one particular program we are working hard to save, and we are planning a fundraising initiative to fill the gap in funding. Would you like to know about it?”

3. A permission-based gentle ask that is framed as an “invitation.”

By now, your donor – if she is loyal and passionate about your mission – is emotionally engaged and worried about the situation. You have evoked an emotion – and we all know that giving is an emotional act.

If you are on the phone, she is probably saying, “How can I help?”

If she does not say “how can I help”, then you can ask her permission:

“Would you like to know how you could help?”

And you have just opened the Ask Conversation. If she says yes, you can move right to an ask.

For a digital format for example:

“We really need the help of our supporters now – and if you are able, we would welcome your contribution to fund – (talk about specifics that need to happen right now).

This is a lovely, gentle and personal way to approach a donor.

Here’s a success story from Gershon Lewis in Israel – who applied our fundraising ask approach with an important donor:

Based upon your previous crisis advice, I recently asked a long-term donor to help us more with his regular gift because . . .  we expect some donors will give less or not at all –

He said:  “OK, I’ll double my donation.”  

Thank you Gail! 

Bottom Line: The 3-Part Crisis Fundraising Ask.

We hope you and your team will apply this approach – you should see generous donors responding quickly. Best of luck to you in these tough times.