Photo by Markus Winkler on Unsplash
Hosting a fundraiser can be stressful even at the best of times. It’s important to remember that, while a lot is out of our control, with a bit of planning and foresight you can still make your fundraiser happen, it just may not look as you envisioned pre-2020. Here are five steps you can follow to safely run a successful fundraiser, even during Covid-19.
1. Focus on visibility
No matter what form your fundraiser takes, making your cause visible remains a priority. By using promotional products branded with your company logo, you can keep your donors, volunteers, and even yourself reminded of your cause. If you are able to host an event or some kind of people-facing initiative on a small scale, you can still make it known by printing the name of your fundraiser on the clothing and accessories of your volunteers and participants. You can also adapt your giveaways to be COVID-safe by selling or giving away items like hand sanitizer or masks with your company logo on them.
2. Have a Covid-safe plan
Restrictions and health advice is constantly changing as we learn more about this virus over time. So, make sure to keep yourself and your stakeholders up to date with all the latest COVID-19 information and local regulations and have a relevant plan about how your fundraiser will adhere to them.
If you are planning fundraisers across different locations, bear in mind that restrictions will differ, so always double-check that you are following the correct guidelines. You do not want to compromise your own, or anybody else’s health and safety at this time or draw attention for all the wrong reasons.
3. Choose contactless initiatives
It may involve getting creative or going back to basics, but there are quite a few contactless initiatives you can implement to receive donations and reach out to prospective donors. Updating your website and social media presence to accept online donations is a must if you haven’t already.
Keep your donors and event attendees informed about the pandemic is having on your cause. Highlight how much their donations help via phone calls and written messages in your online communications.
4. Consider a longer duration
This pandemic has led to a major downturn in revenue for all kinds of business and non-profits as restrictions on event capacity and social gatherings ensue. If your fundraiser is an event or initiative that you have needed to downsize due to social distancing restrictions, then maybe consider hosting it over a longer period of time. Turning your weekend event into a week-long campaign, for example, can help you reach a larger number of donors without compromising anyone’s safety.
5. Have a Plan B In Mind
While it is incredibly frustrating not knowing what conditions we’ll be living under in a month’s time, there are measures you take to ensure that your fundraiser takes place, even in the event of a lockdown. If you have the time for it, plan your event based on your current conditions but also prepare a Plan B, and if possible, a Plan C of how your fundraiser could operate under different levels of restrictions.
This can include options like downsizing or hosting a fully-online version of the event. Be sure to make these options known through your newsletters and marketing. This way, donors will be better prepared and will respect your safety efforts.
It may take a little longer and a bit more planning but by keeping an open mind and following these steps, your fundraiser will go ahead safe and sound.