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How Nonprofits Are Pivoting To Virtual Fundraising In The Face Of Covid-19

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Donors around the world have been stepping up to support nonprofits that are working on the front lines of Covid-19 – opening their wallets to help provide meals, shelter, and other services to those who have immediate needs.

But for nonprofits that are working on issues not related to the pandemic, Covid-19 has created a number of fundraising challenges.

This is especially true for organizations that rely on peer-to-peer fundraising events that had been scheduled to take place this spring.

Peer-to-peer fundraising is the practice of having a nonprofit’s supporters take part in an activity such as a walk, bike ride, or other real-life or virtual challenge and reach out to their friends, family members, and colleagues for donations. Collectively, P2P programs raise billions of dollars annually for thousands of nonprofits nationwide.

In the face of the Coronavirus crisis, many peer-to-peer fundraisers are working overtime to transform what had been in-person events into virtual programs.

It’s an anxious process for everyone.

Few have experience making virtual efforts into campaigns that engage substantial numbers of people to raise substantial amounts of money.

But talks with the leaders of a number of major campaigns making this transition offer some comfort.

Here are some examples of how nonprofits have been making the shift:


March for Babies

March of Dimes, for example, has decided to transform its signature March for Babies walk series into a virtual program, March for Babies Step Up!

Now through May 15, supporters can march in their homes, march up and down their stairs, or march outside (if safe) – using a mobile app by Charity Miles to track their progress and participate in themed contests such as a March Madness bracket challenge along the way.

The organization is also able to serve up sponsorships to users via geolocation software to help ensure corporate supporters remain engaged.


Virtual is the New Purple

Half of Pancreatic Cancer Action Network’s 58 PurpleStride Walk events take place in the spring. When it became clear that Covid-19 was a serious threat in early March, the organization decided it needed to move quickly to transition each of its spring events into virtual walks.

Playing on its signature color, PanCan has focused its “Virtual is the New Purple” campaign on making sure it is communicating clearly, compassionately, and regularly with its team captains, volunteers, sponsors and other key stakeholders. Though one-on-one conversations, segmented communications, and virtual forums and town halls, the organization is working to ensure that stewardship is at the center of its effort.


Virtual Head Shaving Events

What was an organization that has traditionally held 40 percent of its events in March to do if people couldn’t come together to shave their heads in exchange for financial contributions solicited from friends, coworkers and others through peer-to-peer fundraising?

The short answer: anything it can to encourage its head shavers to host their events virtually.

To do that, St. Baldrick’s has moved heavily into video streaming, using two different platforms to stage virtual head-shaving events.

First, it opened up its own Zoom platform to those who wanted to gather friends and family online to watch and participate in their head shaving events. It has also started working with Tiltify to host live-streaming head-shaving events on Twitch – which provides the added benefit of giving users the opportunity to raise money live.


3 Lessons

While it’s still too soon to say just how much they will be able to raise virtually – especially at a time of intense economic uncertainty – these organizations are showing it’s possible to play host to safe and effective virtual events.

They are also showing familiar principles carry over from the in-person P2P world to this brave new world. Here are three early lessons:

1.    Focus on your core supporters – Perhaps more than ever, cultivating your most ardent supporters should be your first goal as you convert to a virtual program. “The people who are with us and love us and care about us will stick with us,” says Lori Stevens, Pancreatic Cancer Action Network’s chief development and community engagement officer. “We’re leading with our mission and impact and talking about why we’re continuing to do what we do during these challenging times. It’s ok to fundraise and ask now with a tone that is appropriate.”

2.    Pay attention to your data – As St. Baldrick’s Foundation guides its supporters to hold their head-shaving events virtually, it is developing multiple messages and collecting data on what performs well – and what doesn’t – so it can adapt quickly.

3.    Create friendly competition – Themed contests, such as a March Madness-style bracket competition used by The March of Dimes in its March for Babies Step Up! campaign, can help inspire virtual participants to raise more money. Getting teams or individuals to compete against each other works through gamification efforts often costs nothing more than providing a digital badge or ribbon on their profiles.


Resources for fundraisers

To help you navigate this transition, my organization – The Peer-to-Peer Professional Forum – is offering a free, regularly updated COVID-19 P2P Info Center, which includes news, advice, and other practical materials to help you make smart decisions about your P2P programs.

We’re also playing host to a number of special events, including a recent April 3 webinar that features insights from the three organizations profiled in this article.

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