As the Kansas City Metro heads into the second month of the mandated lockdown, we are looking ahead to what a post COVID-19 world could look like for the nonprofit sector. Over the next nine months, nonprofits need to be proactive in order to minimize the damage of this crisis. But what effect(s) will this pandemic have on the future of philanthropy? Like it or not, big changes lie ahead for the nonprofit sector. We believe there are six focus areas nonprofits need to prioritize and incorporate into their fundraising activities in order to succeed in the new normal.

1. Focus on your assets and highlight your strengths – your assets are your staff, Board, mission and impact. Be realistic about your needs and problems in this moment, but be positive and hopeful in your donor interactions.
2. Think about the role of technology in ALL of your interactions – we are all learning a lot about technology right now! Take the best practices you have observed in the virtual workplace and incorporate them into your procedures going forward.
3. Giving donors options for HOW they want to meet – giving donors options for meeting in-person versus virtually should be a given. You should never assume that anyone is comfortable meeting in person until you ask.
4. Endowment fundraising + planned giving – we have always pushed this type of fundraising, but going forward, a robust planned giving program and endowment will be essential to surviving another crisis like this.
5. Rethink your business model with a focus on sustainability – there needs to be a plan for surviving another economic downturn and/or natural disaster. No organization should leave this out of their plan in the new normal.
6. Consider mergers, acquisitions, and collaborations – Smart organizations look for partners to help them be better. Share your story with other organizations that do similar work. See if you both can’t become better organizations by collaborating more in the future.

For more information on the future of philanthropy, Click Here to access Jeffrey Byrne and Lisa Pelofsky’s Nonprofit Connect webinar Thinking Outside the Box: Fundraising in a Crisis. If you have more questions related to this topic, please call 816.237.1999 or email us at info@byrnepelofsky.com to get connected with one of our consultants.