Communicating with donors at a time of crisis
Communicating effectively and appropriately with donors is even more crucial in a time of crisis. COVID-19 has affected everyone across the globe and concerns and anxieties run high.
COVID-19 was unusual as it affected everyone across the globe, making it very different to other health crises or natural disasters in recent years.
It especially impacted audiences and donors. This was especially true of donors that were retired or semi-retired in their 70s and 80s and those more at risk of becoming seriously ill from COVID-19. This made fundraising from such donors very challenging. Not only were they facing the same unprecedented shock as the rest of us, they also had personal concerns about their own health and their families.
Arts organisations have had to be aware of two things when fundraising:
- Attention is largely on front line or health-driven organisations.
- Your most loyal donors are likely going to be experiencing high levels of anxiety, with their attention focused on their own families and communities.
How do you ensure that your communications with donors are appropriate, sensitive and empathetic?
- What communications are appropriate and what might be helpful to them right now?
- Who will they want to hear from?
- Are there resources that your organisation has available that could help donors that are home schooling their children?
- Is there content in your organisation’s digital archive that will be interesting for donors that may find themselves in front of the television more than ever before?
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