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Few nonprofits — even veteran relief and disaster organizations — are truly prepared to raise as much money as possible during times of emergency. Mail, phone and online should work hand in hand with technical systems and caging operations, ensuring that you have the capacity required to process and timely acknowledge gifts when an emergency strikes.
So what is the key to successful emergency and disaster fundraising? Having a well-thought-out plan in place for both systems and fundraising strategies is the highest priority. Your plan needs to clearly outline your organization’s immediate response, covering internal and external communications, public outreach and fundraising.
A fundraising action plan needs to be fleshed out and incorporated into ongoing development strategies and planning in order to meet your organization’s needs and changing resource demands.
To get you started, I’ve listed here five essential elements to include in an emergency plan.
1. Test systems both in-house and with outside vendors to ensure the capacity to accept and process large volumes of donations via online, phone and mail.
2. Create templates and generic messaging for all direct-response vehicles and outbound communications.
3. Develop internal contact lists including key assignments and responsibilities for emergency campaign notification and immediate response.
4. Determine which staff members’ priorities will need to be reassigned while ensuring ongoing program fundraising needs are met.
5. Identify key staff assignments and responsibilities for emergency campaigns, including inbound and outbound communications, corporate partners, direct- response vehicles, major gifts, in-kind, United Way notification, foundations, third-party fundraisers, and planned giving.
Advance preparation, a clearly outlined plan and ensuring that all levels of your organization are familiar with the process should guarantee that you’ll be able to raise dollars around unexpected events. This process takes me back to my fundraising roots with the Boy Scouts of America, and its well-known motto - “Be Prepared!”
Just as no one anticipated 9/11 or the devastating natural disasters of 2005, you cannot anticipate when the next emergency that could put your organization into the media spotlight will occur — but you can be ready.
Sue Woodward is the founder of Woodward Associates. www.woodwardassoc.com
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