7 Things to Consider Before Launching an Emergency Fundraising Campaign
As the Trump administration continues to decimate government programs, pull funding, and destabilize the economy, we’re seeing more and more organizations announcing emergency campaigns. Some have been met with really positive responses, some have fallen far short of their goal, and some have garnered significant community criticism.
After studying several emergency campaign cases, I’ve noticed some common themes among the campaigns that haven’t gone exactly as planned. Here is a list of some things that organizations should consider while deciding to launch into a public emergency campaign.
How are other organizations in your ecosystem being impacted right now?
Is your organization more resourced than others with similar missions? How will your public campaign impact them? If you are a larger organization, your emergency request for millions of dollars could overshadow the asks of $50,000, which would be life changing money to smaller organizations. Having access to media opportunities and high-touch donors may feel like a huge advantage for an emergency campaign, but who are you holding that advantage over?
Can you use this campaign to lift up the work of your peers?
Community-Centric Fundraising asks us to see and treat one another not as competitors but as critical partners with the common mission of strengthening the community. Think about ways you could partner with other organizations in your ecosystem so that either they can benefit from your access to resources and name recognition, or, if you’re both smaller organizations, you can share an audience and widen your reach. This could look like holding a joint event, inviting another director to a media opportunity, utilizing a match challenge, or even just including a community spotlight in your newsletter.
Practical tip: As part of Give!Guide, I usually find an organization to partner with and we run an incentive for folks who make a donation both to our organization and our partner to be entered to win. You don’t have to wait for year-end giving to leverage an incentive opportunity!
How will this impact our funding for the rest of the year?
I know that when we need emergency funds, we need them now, but be careful of robbing future you to pay this month’s bills. You don’t want to wind up in this same situation again come the year’s end. This just takes a little strategy, you can:
Segment your donor list
When you reach out to high-touch donors you could make sure to be specific that you’re making this ask in addition to their annual gift
Choose to cancel your upcoming event and ask your donors to make the gift they would typically make at the event, especially if those folks usually give during the event and again to the year-end fund drive.
Are you willing to be fully transparent about how you got into this situation?
Donors want to know that their money is being properly stewarded, and will likely have questions. The less forthcoming you are with the circumstances that led to the emergency, the more they will fill in those blanks in their own minds, and likely take to the internet. Our community deserves transparency. I understand that sometimes there are sensitive details to personnel choices that can’t be legally shared, but I recommend sharing as much as you can that doesn’t violate any laws or contracts. And show accountability.
Can you be fully transparent about where the money will go?
Along the same lines, it’s important to show accountability by presenting the plan you have in place to re-stabilize. If donors are going to swoop in and save the day, they deserve to know exactly how their money will be spent. If you can’t present even a high-level budget plan for how to steward the emergency funds, then that’s something you will want to work out before launching.
Can you be confident that you won’t be making the same ask again in several months to a year?
I know we can’t predict the future, but if you don’t have a solid plan in place for ensuring this doesn’t happen again, donors will be far less likely to support your emergency a second time. If you don’t know that your organization is truly needed enough to continue to access resources in the future, it might be time to think about whether you are pursuing the right mission, or making the right impact. Don’t ask for funds that should really be going to another organization with a demonstrated history of serving the community (this especially applies if you’re a new organization).
What impact will this announcement have on your clients and beneficiaries?
If you work with a vulnerable community, an announcement of potentially needing to shut down could significantly destabilize their sense of security. Can you share the news with them before going public? Can you host a town hall? Maybe it would be better to hold a private campaign with high-touch donors rather than a public announcement.
These questions are not intended to talk you out of your emergency campaign, but rather shed light on impacts that you may not have considered, and give you the opportunity to thoughtfully design your campaign for success.
If you’re considering launching an emergency fundraising campaign, and aren’t sure where to start, I can help. I’ve developed a committee style model that has led to significant success for my clients.
I'd love to tell you more about this framework, you can book a consultation with me here. Together, we can figure out the best path forward for your budget and capacity.